Nature

Siedlec Desert in the Jura

The Kraków-Częstochowa Upland has two deserts: the well-known Błędowska Desert and the far more modest Siedlec Desert. The latter covers about 25 ha in Siedlec near Złoty Potok, in the commune of Janów, a few kilometres from the Twardowski Gate. The open sands are easy to miss from the road, but once you climb the dunes they make a real impression.

A sand pit that became a desert

Sand was extracted here until the 1960s; after the pit was closed, pine trees were planted on the edges, and in the hollow a small pond called the Oasis remained, surrounded by reeds. The exposures of Quaternary sands are also a trace of the warm sea that covered this area in the Upper Jurassic. The dunes reach about 30 metres in height, and walking up through the sand takes some effort.

Legend and picnic

According to local legend, the devil chased the sorcerer Twardowski here, opened the gates of hell, and fire burned the earth, exposing the sands — which is why the area is sometimes called Piekło (Hell). Today the commune of Janów organizes the Desert Picnic on the sands, quads ride across the dunes, and before the Dakar rally Adam Małysz trained here. In great heat, mirage phenomena are reported.

Practical notes

It is worth combining a walk here with the nearby Warszawski Quarry, known for the whitest limestone in Poland, and a visit to the Na Dupce cave. Convenient access is from the side of Siedlec.