The Rzędkowice Rocks

Above the linear village of Rzędkowice in the Włodowice commune towers a limestone wall of outcrops more than a kilometre long, visible from afar thanks to the open, field-dominated surroundings. Since 2009 the Rzędkowice Rocks have been protected as a nature monument covering 44.5 hectares, which also embraces xerothermic grasslands and sites of rare, protected plants.

Shape and principal rocks

The group takes the form of a rampart running from northwest to southeast for just over 1 kilometre. The best known is Okiennik Rzędkowicki with a rock window branching into several arms. Beside it stand Wysoka, resembling an outstretched hand, Baszta, Zegarowa, Leśna, Pęknięta and the 25-metre Turnia Lechwora.

Traces of early people

The history of this place reaches far back: arrowheads of Scythian origin dated to about 600 BC were discovered in the Okiennik, and in the 6th–7th centuries AD a primitive defensive settlement existed here. Today the walls carry a dozen-odd climbing routes of varied difficulty, and climbing schools are based in the village.

In practice

Below Wysoka, on Jurajska Street, a large free car park awaits, and the rocks are reached within a few minutes. The green trail leads along the entire wall and then through the forest to Góra Zborów in Podlesice — the full loop measures more than 6 kilometres and can be shortened or extended as strength allows.