Trzy Kopce Cave (Klimczok's Grotto)

In beech woodland on the southern slope of Trzy Kopce, at about 1,000 m, a 4.3 m shaft opens in a small hollow. Below it runs a maze of fissures and chambers about 1,244 m long – the Trzy Kopce Cave, also known as Klimczok's Grotto, is one of the longest caves in the flysch Carpathians of Poland. Local tradition links it with the outlaws Wojciech and Mateusz Klimczok, who supposedly used it as a hideout.

How it formed

This is a landslide cave, not a karst cave. It formed when rigid masses of Godula sandstone cracked and slid apart on the slope – some passages were opened by sliding, others by rotating rock blocks. The passages have rectangular, triangular and trapezoid cross-sections and run on several levels, with a vertical range of 32.6 m. In places they widen into larger breakdown chambers with names such as the Robbers' Hall, the Bat Chamber, the High Chamber and the Kazik Hall.

The temperature inside stays at around 6°C all year. On the walls you find mushroom-shaped forms, probably calcite deposits, as well as lichens. The cave was discovered in 1946 by A. Jasiewicz and has been a protected natural monument since 1980. It is looked after by the Speleoklub caving club of Bielsko-Biała, which organises regular clean-ups.

A winter roost for bats

Conditions in the cave suit hibernating bats of protected and rare species. They include the lesser horseshoe bat – listed as endangered in the Polish Red Book of Animals – as well as mouse-eared and long-eared bats. That is why the cave should be left alone in winter – noise, light and body heat can wake the sleeping animals.

Safety first

The cave is not open as a tourist route and should not be confused with lit show caves. The Brenna municipality stresses that because of the difficult conditions it should not be open to unorganised visitors, especially in winter. Tight, damp squeezes and loose rubble call for caving experience, proper equipment and a partner. For most people the hike itself and a look at the entrance from outside are the real reward.

Getting there

According to the Brenna municipality, the simplest approach follows the red trail from Karkoszczonka Pass towards Klimczok. After about 40 minutes of climbing, where the trail bends right, carry straight on towards the summit of Trzy Kopce; the cave entrance lies about 200 m further on. The yellow trail from Klimczok to Błatnia also runs nearby. Note that the cave lies in the Brenna municipality – it is often wrongly placed in Szczyrk.

Tripto tip

Combine the visit with the summit of Trzy Kopce (1,082 m) – the boundaries of Bielsko-Biała, Szczyrk and Brenna meet at the top, and the name ("Three Mounds") comes from three stone boundary mounds. Along the yellow trail to Błatnia you can see the foundations of a 1930s mountain hut destroyed at the end of the Second World War. Allow about 2 hours for the round trip from Karkoszczonka to the cave entrance.