Bzów Quarry in the Jura

The pale walls of the former quarry of the "Wiek" cement works expose the bed of a Jurassic sea from about 155–160 million years ago – complete with ammonites, belemnites and brachiopods. The pit between Bzów and Ogrodzieniec Castle attracts fossil hunters, but it also has a second, less pleasant story: instead of a park, it became a dump for hazardous waste. The pit has been closed to people and is monitored.

History: from cement works to waste scandal

The quarry belonged to the "Wiek" cement works in Bzów, now a district of Zawiercie, but lies almost entirely within the town of Ogrodzieniec. Limestone and marl were extracted here from the 1950s until 1998. What remains is an extensive pit at about 420–440 m above sea level, with an eastern wall up to 20 m high in places.

The site was supposed to be restored and turned into parkland. Instead, the company responsible for the restoration brought in thousands of tonnes of waste – including steelworks residues, barrels of chemicals, sewage sludge and calcium fluoride. The company was heavily fined, and in 2010 a final decision ordered the waste removed; sources differ on whether it was removed completely.

What you can see

The quarry face exposes platy limestones of the Zawodzie beds from the Upper Jurassic. The most common fossils are ammonites of genera such as Perisphinctes, Cardioceras and Taramelliceras; Hibolites belemnites, brachiopods and whitish-grey flints are also frequent. The pit is a registered geosite, and in the middle of the eastern wall a natural limestone tor with karst features survives. The floor is gradually being colonised by willows, birches and pines, with reeds around the ponds.

Tripto tip

Do not enter the closed area or any fenced or signposted zones – the pit has no visitor facilities and the slopes are unstable. A safer alternative is nearby Skała Rzędowa (454 m), a limestone tor with a cross and a viewpoint over Ogrodzieniec Castle and the stronghold on Birów Hill. You can drive there via ul. Zwierzyniecka or ul. Biały Kamień; below the rock there is a parking area and a shelter with benches. Allow about an hour for Skała Rzędowa and a short walk, then drive on to Ogrodzieniec Castle.