Juromania – Kraków-Częstochowa Upland Festival

Juromania is the festival of the Trail of the Eagles' Nests – a September event when the castles, caves, museums and small towns of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland fill with historical re-enactments, workshops, concerts and guided tours. One of its main stages is Ogrodzieniec Castle in Podzamcze. The first edition took place on 22 September 2018 and drew around 20,000 participants.

How it began

The festival grew out of a joint development strategy of the Silesian and Lesser Poland provinces. It aimed to turn the Trail of the Eagles' Nests into a flagship tourist product of southern Poland and to hold a single event in both regions under one banner. The goal is to promote the trail's cultural, natural, historical and culinary assets and to extend the tourist season in the Jura. "Eagles' Nests" is the name given to the old Jura strongholds – castles or their ruins – in places such as Korzkiew, Ojców, Rabsztyn, Bydlin and Smoleń. In 2019 events were planned in 25 locations, and the gala concert with the Zabrze Philharmonic was held at Ogrodzieniec Castle.

Juromania 2026

This year's edition ran from 18 to 20 September 2026. Events were held in places including Częstochowa, Złoty Potok, Zawiercie, Olsztyn and the Żarki and Łazy municipalities on the Silesian side, and in Ojców, Olkusz, Trzebinia, Cianowice, the Będkowska and Kobylańska valleys, Wierzchowska Cave and Nietoperzowa Cave on the Lesser Poland side. At Ogrodzieniec Castle a knights' village was set up on Friday, and on Saturday there was a children's climbing zone with workshops led by actor Piotr Głowacki. The theme was energy – in Złoty Potok participants collected points in a contest called "Jura Energy Battery".

What to expect

• historical re-enactments, knightly displays and weapons demonstrations,
• archery, blacksmithing and traditional craft workshops,
• guided tours of castles, caves and museums,
• concerts, fire shows, family picnics and regional food,
• outdoor activities – from Nordic walking to night runs.

Tripto tips

The programme is spread over dozens of venues in two provinces, so pick two or three places close to each other rather than trying to cover the whole Jura in a day. The detailed programme with times and a map is published on the official website juromania.pl; some events require advance registration. The organisers recommend booking accommodation early. The festival takes place in September – check the organiser's website for the date of the next edition.