Głęboka Cave in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland

Głęboka Cave in the Góra Zborów rock near Podlesice is the most popular underground tourist route in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. The route is 190 metres long and descends about 20 metres into the rock, through chambers filled with stalactites, stalagmites and flowstone made of pure calcite.

What you will see

The dripstone formations grow here at a rate of about 1 mm per 100 years, so every curtain of flowstone represents millennia of work. The constant temperature of around 7°C and humidity above 95% are felt at once — bring an extra layer even in July. The cave has a single entrance, which also serves as the exit, is lit electrically, and helmets are provided at the visitor centre.

Did you know

The underground has an industrial past: until the 1950s miners extracted calcite for glassworks here, destroying part of the dripstone formations. Drill marks and broken lumps of calcite are still visible. The Góra Zborów reserve, established in 1957, also shelters hibernating bats — as many as 7 species have been counted.

Practical tips

Visits are guided only, starting on the hour, with a groups of up to 30 people. The cave is usually open from April to October and is closed in winter for the hibernating bats. There is free parking at the Centre of the Upland Heritage; check current prices before you arrive.