Świętokrzyski National Park (Holy Cross Mountains National Park)

Świętokrzyski National Park (say "shvyen-toh-KSHIH-skee"; often translated as Holy Cross Mountains National Park) protects the highest ridge of Poland's oldest mountain range, near the city of Kielce. Its trademarks are the gołoborza (goh-woh-BOH-zhah), eerie fields of bare quartzite boulders, together with ancient fir forest, a hilltop abbey with a relic of the True Cross and a pagan stone rampart. Short but steep trails make it an easy, rewarding day trip between Kraków and Warsaw.

Where it is and why it matters

The Holy Cross Mountains (Góry Świętokrzyskie) rise in south-central Poland, roughly 2 hours by car from Kraków and 2.5 hours from Warsaw. They are low (barely over 600 m), but geologically ancient. The park was created in 1950, building on reserves that date back to 1920 and 1924. It covers 7,696 hectares, of which 95% is forest and 38% is under strict protection, left entirely to nature.

The Łysogóry ridge, the park's backbone, was immortalized by novelist Stefan Żeromski in his story "The Fir Forest" (Puszcza jodłowa). Today the park counts more than 850 plant species, around 150 bird species and 45 mammal species, including wolves.

Top things to see in Świętokrzyski National Park

• Łysica, the highest peak of the Holy Cross Mountains at 614 m (2,014 ft; some sources give 612–613 m) and one of the 28 summits of the Crown of Polish Mountains.
• Łysa Góra (Holy Cross Mountain, 595 m), with a viewing gallery over the largest boulder field in the range, an early medieval pagan rampart and a 157 m TV mast.
• The boulder fields (gołoborza): blocks of Cambrian quartzite sandstone over 500 million years old, shattered by frost during the last Ice Age. They cover about 22 ha and are slowly being reclaimed by forest.
• The Holy Cross Abbey (Święty Krzyż), by tradition founded by King Bolesław the Brave, home to relics of the True Cross and a long-standing pilgrimage site.
• St. Francis Chapel and Spring at Święta Katarzyna, built in 1641; the spring stays around 7°C and never freezes.
• The fir forest itself, with giant "mammoth firs" on the trail from Trzcianka.

Note: the park's nature exhibition in the museum at Święty Krzyż has been closed to visitors since July 1, 2026.

Best hikes and how much time you need

Six trails (about 33 km) and ten educational paths (about 34 km) cross the park. You must stay on them and visit only between dawn and dusk.

• Święta Katarzyna to Łysica: 2.5 km, about 1 hour uphill, finishing over rocks and steps.
• Nowa Słupia to Holy Cross Mountain (blue trail): 1.9 km, about 50 minutes uphill.
• The Main Holy Cross Trail (red): the ridge section from Święta Katarzyna via Łysica and Święty Krzyż to Trzcianka is 17.8 km, about 5 hours. The full trail runs 93 km.

Climbing one peak takes 2–3 hours round trip; the full ridge is a day hike that needs a car shuttle or a bus back.

Tickets and rules (as of October 2026)

• Park entry: 11 PLN, reduced 5.50 PLN, charged year-round and sold online on the park website.
• Boulder-field viewing gallery on Łysa Góra: 14 PLN, reduced 7.50 PLN; with a park ticket you get the gallery at a lower rate (reduced or a special 5 PLN ticket).
• Free entry for children under 7, Large Family Card holders, local residents and people visiting a place of worship.
• Dogs are only allowed, on a leash, on the paved red-trail section from Huta Szklana to Łysa Góra and on the foot-and-bike path from Święta Katarzyna to Podgórze.
• The "Hubal" horse trail is closed until further notice.

Prices may change; a planned legal amendment would add a surcharge for mountain rescue.

How to get there

The main trailheads are Święta Katarzyna (for Łysica, about 20 km east of Kielce) and Nowa Słupia (for Łysa Góra), plus Huta Szklana, where a paved road climbs to Święty Krzyż. Kielce has direct trains from Kraków and Warsaw; from there regional buses serve the villages, but check timetables in advance. Park headquarters: ul. Suchedniowska 4, Bodzentyn; phone +48 41 31 15 106.

Is it worth visiting in winter?

Yes: the park is open year-round. In winter 2026/27, expect icy rocks on the Łysica ascent and slippery steps by the boulder field, so bring microspikes and poles, and finish before dark. Fall is arguably the most beautiful season, when beeches glow orange against the dark firs.