Koczy Zamek hill near Koniaków

Anyone who comes to Koczy Zamek ("Kocsi's Castle") looking for ruins leaves with a panorama instead. This treeless hill near Koniaków, 847 m above sea level, has no castle, and its name hides two stories: a romantic legend about a Hungarian count and a far more likely explanation involving Hussite wagons. The summit is easy to reach, just a few minutes' walk from the car park at its foot.

On Poland's main watershed

Koczy Zamek lies on a ridge that branches off the main Carpathian watershed at nearby Ochodzita and runs north towards the Koniaków Pass. The ridge is part of Poland's main watershed: water to the east flows to the Soła and the Vistula, to the west to the Olza and the Oder. In newer regional divisions the hill belongs to the Jabłonków-Koniaków Intermontane, while older ones counted it as part of the Silesian Beskids. It is made of Krosno sandstone, and its western side is cut by the 10-metre wall of a former quarry.

Where does the name come from?

According to legend, a Hungarian count named Kocsi had a manor or small castle here and fell in love with Jadwiga, a highland girl from Koniaków. His father had her kidnapped, one of his men killed her, and the young count, in despair, set fire to the castle and vanished. They say something still weeps and wails at night in the quarry below the summit.

Drawing on 19th-century notes, Franciszek Kotula proposed an explanation linked to the Hussite Wars. After the Battle of Lipany in 1434, the Taborites, the radical wing of the Hussites, moved through the duchies of Cieszyn and Oświęcim, camping on bare hills ringed with wagons chained together. The Hungarian word "kocsi" means wagon and the Czech "kočí" a coachman, so "Koczy Zamek" simply means a wagon fort. Old maps distorted the name to "Koci Zamek" (Cat's Castle), and that is how the hill appears in Poland's official register of geographical names.

Tripto tip

Don't look for ruins: the best thing about Koczy Zamek is the open space, with an all-round panorama nearly as wide as the famous view from Ochodzita. The road from Koniaków to Milówka runs just below the summit on the south side, and you can leave your car in the car park at the foot of the hill; 20–30 minutes is enough for the climb and the views. The blue trail from Zwardoń to Barania Góra passes below the quarry, so the hill fits easily into a longer hike. The exposed summit is windy, so bring an extra layer even in summer.