Northern Jura Geopark

The Northern Jura Geopark is not a single spot on the map but a scattered geotourism area in the northern part of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, including the area around Olsztyn near Częstochowa. The Polish Geological Institute has published a geotourism guide and a map describing its most interesting sites – from limestone outcrops to caves. Think of it as material for several trips rather than a single afternoon.

Rocks from a Jurassic sea

The hills here are made of Jurassic limestone, which water has dissolved and carved into isolated rock towers, rock windows, grooves and caves. In many places bare limestone breaks through a layer of loess, forming white crests visible from afar. Some caves are important winter roosts for bats, and some also host summer colonies.

What to see

• Biakło in Olsztyn (361 m) – a treeless rocky crest nicknamed the "Little Giewont" after the famous Tatra peak, with a cross left by a pilgrimage from Zawiercie in the early 1990s. At its southern end there is a rock window, and the summit rock is 16–20 m high, with more than a dozen climbing routes.
• The Towarne Caves System in Kusięta (Olsztyn municipality) – also known as the Towarna or Bear Cave, with a wide entrance and a large chamber. It contains potholes (marmites), rare in Jura caves, and in some years bats hibernate here.
• Sokole Góry Nature Reserve between Olsztyn and Zrębice – hills riddled with caves, including Olsztyńska, Koralowa and Studnisko (Deep Cave), home to a summer colony of greater mouse-eared bats.
• The 13th-century castle ruins in Olsztyn on the Trail of the Eagles' Nests, on the limestone rocks of Castle Hill.

Interesting facts

The rocks of Castle Hill in Olsztyn hide a large grotto linked to a labyrinth of hewn dungeons – one theory derives the town's name from the German "Hohlstein", meaning hollow rock. The Sokole Góry reserve was created as early as 1953, and in 2023 it was enlarged to almost 223 ha.

Tripto tip

Pick two or three places for one day – the castle in Olsztyn, Biakło and Sokole Góry, for example, can be combined on foot. Caves call for a torch, shoes with good grip and care; in winter, stay out so as not to disturb hibernating bats. The Polish Geological Institute offers free geotourism guides and maps on its website – download them before you set off.