Agate Museum in Rudno

Right below the ruins of Tenczyn Castle, on the volcanic hill of Spalisko (about 400 m above sea level), collector Witold Koprucha opened the private Agate Museum in 2020. The key specimens all come from the immediate area: fields and debris of a disused melaphyre quarry, where agates still lie in the ground. You can not only see them here but also hunt for your own – with rented tools and a guide's help.

History: treasures from Permian lava

The hills around Rudno are made of Permian volcanic rock – solidified lava known as melaphyre, in which the agates formed. From the outside an agate looks like an ordinary stone; only cutting it reveals the colourful banded interior. Witold Koprucha has collected specimens since 1980; his collection now numbers several thousand pieces and is still growing with new finds. In 2021 the museum, in Krzeszowice municipality, co-organised with the Rudno Village Development Association the 1st International Agate Hunting Championships for the title of Agate King, followed that autumn by the "Autumn Agate Dig at Witold's".

What to see

• Agate rooms – cut and polished specimens from the local agate fields, alongside amethysts, quartz and pieces of petrified wood.
• Jurassic room – fossils from nearby Jurassic sites, set against a mural of the ancient sea.
• Cinema room – films on volcanism, agate hunting and the Jurassic period.
• Agate workshop, where a guide shows how stones are cut, ground and polished.
• Agate fields – the search area next to the museum. Specimens you find are yours to keep, but any historical artefacts must be handed in – the field was once a battle approach.

The museum is air-conditioned and has a multimedia room. Other collectors can exhibit here too, and the small shop sells agates, minerals and jewellery.

Tripto tips

• Hours: according to the museum website: Tue–Fri 12:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–17:00, closed on Mondays; groups from 9:00 by appointment (as of October 2026).
• Tickets: standard PLN 14, reduced PLN 10, family PLN 36. The extended ticket with agate hunting costs PLN 90 per person or PLN 180 for a family (2+3), is valid all day, and tools can be hired on site.
• Workshops "Treasures of this Earth within reach" for groups last 2.5–3 hours and combine the tour, films, fieldwork and quizzes. For the fields, bring wellies or shoes you don't mind getting dirty.
• Visitor parking is free. Afterwards, walk up to the ruins of Tenczyn Castle – literally next door.