Głazy Krasnoludków (Dwarfs' Rocks) Nature Reserve

Rock mushrooms, clubs, towers and pulpits – and some sandstone blocks look like stacks of pancakes piled up by a giant. The Głazy Krasnoludków ("Dwarfs' Rocks") nature reserve, also known as Gorzeszowskie Skałki, protects a 1,200-metre line of such formations in the forest above the Jawiszówka stream, about 2 km south-west of the village of Gorzeszów in Lower Silesia. It is the best-known rock group of the Zawory hills, the north-western tip of the Table Mountains (Góry Stołowe).

How the rocks formed

The rocks are made of Upper Cretaceous sandstone with a siliceous cement, along with marl. They form the front of an old structural step that was cut up and broken down by long erosion from the Jawiszówka stream. The harder parts of the sandstone survived, and weathering and water carved them into narrow waists, crevices and small mazes. The rocks range from 3 to 17 m in height, and the whole line occupies a belt about 150 m wide at 495–536 m above sea level.

The reserve

The reserve, created in 1970 to protect inanimate nature, covers 9.04 hectares and protects the rock formations, natural plant communities and rare plant species. It lies in Kamienna Góra municipality on land managed by the Kamienna Góra Forest District, which provides visitor facilities by the reserve under published rules. The area is under active conservation management.

What to look for

As you walk along the line of rocks, look for the shapes that gave the reserve its name: rocks resembling figures, animals and mushrooms with broad "caps". The narrow crevices between the blocks are interesting too – in places they form small rocky corridors. The texture of the sandstone shows best in low, raking light, in the morning or late afternoon.

Getting there

Two marked trails run through the rocks: the yellow trail from Chełmsko Śląskie to Krzeszów and the red trail from Gorzeszów to Gorzeszowskie Skałki. The visit combines easily with the former Cistercian abbey at Krzeszów, which lies on the yellow trail.

Tripto tip

Entry is free, but this is a nature reserve: do not climb the rocks or leave the paths. After rain the sandstone and forest paths can be slippery, and the terrain is not suitable for pushchairs – wear comfortable shoes. Allow about 1–1.5 hours to walk the line of rocks and back.