Nature

Trail of the Jurassic Valleys

The yellow trail, 85.3 km long, links the karst valleys of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland near Kraków into one continuous route: from Pieskowa Skała Castle it heads south-west all the way to the railway station in Chrzanów. Along the way it crosses the Będkowska, Kobylańska and Bolechowicka valleys, the Racławka and Kluczwoda valleys and the area of Ojców National Park.

Limestone gorges

Much of the trail runs along the bottoms of gorges carved in limestone. The most striking sight is the Bolechowicka Gate — a vertical rock corridor with a two-tiered waterfall — plus Sokolica rock and the Szum waterfall in the Będkowska Valley. In the Kobylańska Valley rises the Frog Horse formation, and in Kluczwoda Valley you can descend into Wierzchowska Górna Cave, one of the largest caves in this part of the Upland.

Three ruins and an open-air museum

The route links the ruins of three strongholds: Tenczyn in Rudno, Tęczyn in Krzeszowice and Lipowiec near Wygiełzów, where an open-air museum of wooden architecture of western Lesser Poland stands. In Krzeszowice visit the Vauxhall Palace, and in Ojców the Łokietek and Ciemna caves as well as the Hercules Club — the best-known rock of the Upland.

In practice

A full through-hike takes about 3–4 days, but the trail is easy to split into day sections: local roads cross the valleys, and the railway offers convenient access points in Krzeszowice and Chrzanów. Spring and autumn are best, when the gorges stay cool and the leaves do not hide the rocks. Carry spare water — supply points in the valleys are scarce.