Nature
Beneath the limestone hill of Ostrężnik in the village of Siedlec near Złoty Potok lies a horizontal cave, 90 metres long — a system of passages and small chambers that once served as the dungeons and cellars of Ostrężnik castle, which stood on the hilltop.
The cave has hardly any dripstone formations; its decoration is the mottled, camo-like colouring of the rock. The low, wide entrance on the north-west side is said to make the cave 'breathe', hence its old nickname 'the lungs'. The chambers get lower deeper into the rock, so the further sections require bending down.
The doors that once defended the entrance to the underground passages are kept to this day in the church in Złoty Potok. A local legend also tells of a herdsman who found gold in the cave but, fleeing, left a girl to die — a falling rock sliced off his heel, which earned him the nickname Piętak ('Heel').
The cave lies in the Ostrężnik nature reserve, about 170 metres south of provincial road 793 between Janów and Żarki. It is an easy trip from Złoty Potok — entry is free, but you need a torch and sturdy shoes. On the hilltop you can see the ruins of the castle.
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