Skała Miłości (Rock of Love) in Mstów

According to local legend, this limestone rock above the Warta River is a pair of lovers turned to stone by the girl's mother. Skała Miłości, the "Rock of Love" in Mstów, a dozen or so kilometres from Częstochowa, is about 15 m high and is considered the northernmost limestone outcrop of the entire Kraków-Częstochowa Jura upland. Today it is the symbol of Mstów, a climbing spot and the starting point for walks around the riverside recreation area.

The legend of the enchanted lovers

A sick mother sent her daughter to fetch water from the spring at the foot of the rock, which was believed to have healing powers. The girl, however, met her sweetheart and forgot about everything else. Worried, the mother went to the spring herself, and when she saw her daughter in the boy's arms her heart broke with grief. With her dying breath she cast a curse that locked the young couple in a stone embrace forever.

The karst spring at the foot of the outcrop still flows today. The Mstów municipality retells the story in its tourist guide, and the rock takes its name from it.

The rock and its nature

The outcrop stands at the foot of Góra Szwejcera on the bank of the Warta, within the Natura 2000 site "Przełom Warty koło Mstowa", which covers the river valley from Mirów to Skrzydlów. It has been protected as a natural monument since 2004. Rock-dwelling plants grow on its walls, including Rhine knapweed, wall-rue and spring cinquefoil.

Six climbing routes

In 2013 six routes were bolted on the western face, with glued-in permanent protection. The work was done by mountaineers from the "Wspinka" climbing development foundation. Grades range from Polish V ("Miłość Jak Wodospad", Love Like a Waterfall) to VI.3+ ("Jancio Wodnik"), and the other routes have similarly playful names such as "Bajki Dobranocki" (Bedtime Stories).

Recreation area and Tasarki

In 2011 a riverside complex of about 5 hectares was created, stretching from the municipal office building to the Tasarki reservoir. It includes:

• footpaths, viewing platforms, shelters, barbecue spots and car parks,
• a path to the top of Góra Szwejcera with views over Mstów and Wancerzów, plus a woodland fitness trail,
• the Tasarki reservoir in a bend of the Warta, fed by nearby springs, with a sandy beach, playgrounds, an outdoor stage and a beach volleyball court.

Tripto tip

• Time: a walk around the rock and up Góra Szwejcera takes about an hour, and with a picnic and the beach it fills half a day.
• By kayak: the popular stretch of the Warta from the Brama Mirowska gorge ends at the kayak landing in Mstów near Tasarki, passing the Rock of Love on the way.
• Climbing: the routes have fixed protection but require your own gear and experience.
• Nearby: in Mstów, on the same stretch of the Warta, stand the buildings of the Canons Regular monastery. In August the municipality holds an Apple Festival, as local orchards cover more than 230 hectares.