Podzamcze Rock Town

Two limestone rocks by the walls of Ogrodzieniec Castle share a common base, which is why they are called the Two Sisters – Sfinks (Sphinx) and Lalka (Doll), with a third, Niedźwiedź (Bear), standing next to them. The Podzamcze Rock Town is a cluster of more than a dozen fantastically shaped limestone outcrops scattered around the castle ruins on Góra Zamkowa (Castle Hill), also known as Góra Janowskiego. The hill rises to 516 m and is the highest point of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland.

Castle Hill and its rocks

According to Poland's official register of place names, the standard name of the hill is Góra Zamkowa, while Góra Janowskiego is an alternative name honouring the traveller Aleksander Janowski, a co-founder of the Polish Tourist Society. Its height used to be given as 504 m. The highest point is the Czubatka rock. Climbers have divided the rocks into three sectors and named them: near the castle are Adept, Dziurawa, Furtki, Kaczor, Lalka, Niedźwiedź, Okiennik and Zakonnik, further on Kapelusz (Hat), and in the Cima sector Wielbłąd (Camel), Ratusz (Town Hall), Obeliski and the Great and Little Cima.

What to see

• The Two Sisters – Sfinks is a limestone pillar about 12 m high in the south-eastern corner of the castle's outer bailey, fused with Lalka.
• Okiennik – an 8–12 m rock by the eastern corner of the walls with a natural window that gives it its name ("okno" means window). Climbers have set four routes on it, graded IV to VI.2+.
• Caves and rock shelters – the rocks around the castle and the hotel below the summit hide many small caves, including Koleba pod Hotelem and several shelters next to the ruins.
• The view – most of the hill is open ground, so the view is wide, and in clear weather even the Carpathians are visible.

Climbing

According to the Śląskie Travel tourism portal, the outcrops form a kind of labyrinth that has attracted climbers, especially since the 1990s. In 2009 the climbing area was tidied up: some rocks were cleared of shrubs and the bolts were replaced. Routes range across many grades, and climbing requires equipment and experience.

Tripto tip

The red Trail of the Eagles' Nests runs right past Sfinks, Lalka, Niedźwiedź and Okiennik, so the rocks are easiest to see as part of a visit to Ogrodzieniec Castle. Allow about an hour for a walk around the ruins and rocks, or half a day including the castle. Do not climb the rocks without protection, and watch out for slippery limestone in the rain. A hotel stands on the summit of Góra Zamkowa and is clearly visible from the surrounding rocks.