Hill of Three Crosses in Parchatka

There are two Hills of Three Crosses on the Vistula near Puławy. The one in Kazimierz Dolny rises right above the market square in the middle of town; the one in Parchatka offers only a wooded climb up a loess gully and a view over the easternmost bend of the Vistula. The three crosses on top recall a romantic landscape created here two hundred years ago by Princess Izabela Czartoryska.

History: the retreat of the lady of Puławy

Some two hundred years ago Izabela Czartoryska, owner of Puławy, created a hermitage with a romantic garden in Parchatka. According to the Kazimierz Dolny municipality, it was part of her idea of combining a beautiful landscape with sound estate management. The melancholy scene was completed by three crosses on the rise south of the garden – very much in the spirit of the Age of Sensibility, which liked reminders of transience in a landscape. The original crosses did not survive; today three wooden crosses stand on the summit again.

The princess left her mark on the main road too. In 1800–1820 she had the road through Parchatka (today regional road 824) lined with poplars. The last tree of that avenue, more than 6 metres round at the base, survived until 2020.

What to see

• The panorama of the Vistula bend – a wide river with sandbars and riverside meadows, and on a clear day Puławy and the area around Bochotnica.
• Three wooden crosses on the hilltop.
• Loess gullies – the path climbs through deep, wooded ravines typical of the Kazimierz Landscape Park.

Don't confuse it with Kazimierz

The hill in Parchatka lies about 8 km from the centre of Kazimierz Dolny, on road 824 towards Puławy, where the village merges with the town. The municipality's cycle route "through the two Hills of Three Crosses" (22.4 km) links both viewpoints and shows how different they are: urban in Kazimierz, wild here.

Trails and access

Parchatka is crossed by the blue Vistula Trail (Annopol – Kazimierz – Puławy – Dęblin, 108.6 km), a black trail from Puławy and a red cycle trail; the two walking trails pass through the gully next to the ski lift. The ski slope in Parchatka was renovated in 2006. The village was already mentioned by the chronicler Jan Długosz, and in 1942 German forces carried out a pacification here in which 28 people were killed.

Tripto tip

Climbing up and pausing at the top takes 30–60 minutes. The hill is open and free, but there is no official car park – leave the car in the village or walk from Puławy along the black trail. After rain the loess paths become as slippery as soap, so wear shoes with a good tread. Late autumn and early spring, when the trees are bare, give the widest view. Combine the visit with the castle ruins in Bochotnica and the Czartoryski park in Puławy, where Princess Izabela's story begins.