Szklarka Valley

Less than 30 km from Kraków, the Szklarka stream cuts a ravine through the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, overlooked by limestone crags topped with a cross, the remains of an old nickel mine and half-wild beech woods. Dolina Szklarki is one of the most varied of the small valleys around Kraków: in a few hours you can see a karst spring, climbing rocks, a nature reserve and 19th-century fish ponds.

From Jerzmanowice to Dubie

The valley is about 9 km long and runs from Jerzmanowice through Szklary to Dubie, where it meets the mouth of the Racławka Valley. It lies within the Kraków Valleys Landscape Park. The upper part, around Jerzmanowice, is wide and built up; the lower part narrows into a deep, winding gorge with steep wooded slopes where limestone layers cut by fault lines show through. The Szklarka flows along the valley floor, and its main source is Pióro, a large karst spring right by the road in Jerzmanowice.

What to see

• Brodło – the valley's highest rock, with a cross on top and walls of about 30 m; climbers have 14 routes here.
• Witkowe Skały, Łyse Skały, Chochołowe Skały, Kozłowe Skały and Cisówki – limestone outcrops, some of them also used for climbing.
• The Dolina Szklarki Nature Reserve, created in 1989 on the eastern slopes, protects beech forest, mountain sycamore woodland, oak-hornbeam forest and dry, rocky grassland.
• Słoneczne Skały – a protected natural monument on the right-hand slope, among fields.
• The fish ponds in Dubie, created in 1850 by the Potocki family and used today for trout farming.

Did you know?

From 1890 a nickel ore mine operated in Szklary, and it also yielded ornamental stones: chrysoprase, opal and carnelian. Birds of the valley include the black stork, honey buzzard, goshawk and kingfisher, while several bat species and dormice live in the caves and rock crevices. Many of the valley's caves, such as Jaskinia Kręta, attract cavers, but they are not tourist attractions.

Tripto tip

The easiest starting point is Szklary: there is a paid car park by the Church of St Maximilian Kolbe, with a view of Brodło. From there the red trail forms a loop of about 6 km that crosses the reserve, climbs onto the Olkusz Upland with wide views and returns along the valley floor – allow 2–3 hours. The green trail (Jerzmanowice – Wierzchowie) and the yellow Jurassic Valleys Trail also pass through. A paved road runs along the valley floor, so watch out for cars. Forest paths can be slippery after rain; entry to the reserve is free, but only on marked trails. To finish, stop in Dubie for locally farmed trout.