Wind Rose viewpoint, Błędów Desert

The Wind Rose (Róża Wiatrów) is a wooden viewing platform in Klucze whose arms run straight down onto the sand of the Błędów Desert. From the deck you look over open stretches of the largest area of drifting sand in Poland, and a few steps later you can walk barefoot on the dunes. Built in 2018, it is now the easiest way onto Poland's "Sahara", even with a pushchair or wheelchair.

A platform shaped like a compass rose

The name comes from the shape: wooden boardwalks fan out like the points of a compass, and their ends slope down to the sand. Next to the platform there are shelters, decks and boards about the desert's wildlife, and educational trails start here. Old military guns stand by the structure, a reminder that the desert was, and partly still is, a military training ground. It is considered the newest and most interesting of the desert's three main viewpoints; the other two are Czubatka hill (382 m) in Klucze and Dąbrówka in Chechło.

A desert made by people

The Błędów Desert covers about 33 km², is just under 10 km long and up to 4 km wide, and the sand is on average 40 m deep, in places up to 70 m. It was deposited during the Ice Age, but people exposed it: from around the 13th century the surrounding forests were cut down to feed the silver and lead mines and smelters around Olkusz. A hundred years ago sandstorms and mirages were still observed here. In the 1960s parts of the area were planted with trees, and in recent years some trees and shrubs have been removed to reopen the sands. The area is protected under Natura 2000.

Interesting facts

From the early 20th century the desert served as a military range. In the Second World War German airmen from the Udetfeld airfield near Siewierz trained here, and components of V-1 flying bombs were tested. Today only paratroopers train in the northern part, so around Chechło you may walk into the sands only on marked trails. Legend blames the devil, who wanted to bury the Olkusz mines under sand from the Baltic but tore his sack on the church tower in Błędów.

Tripto tip

Access is from Bolesławska Street in Klucze along an asphalt road with several car parks on the way. The platform is suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs, and its arms let you step onto the sand without pushing through the forest. Every September it hosts Juromania, a family picnic with military attractions. Allow 1–2 hours for the platform and a walk, and at sunset drive over to Czubatka for the widest panorama. A cycle loop of about 25 km, Velo Pustynia, runs around the desert.