Fossil Exhibition in the Monastery Cellars in Żarki

Beneath the sanctuary of Our Lady of Leśniów, Patroness of Families, in Żarki-Leśniów, in a historic cellar with arched vaults from the early 20th century, a fossil and mineral exhibition is on display. The collection numbers about 1,000 original specimens, extracted almost entirely from the rocks of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland in Żarki and the surrounding area.

What you will see

The stars of the collection are ammonites — extinct cephalopods with spiral shells, formed in the bed of the warm sea that covered this land in the Jurassic — ranging from 1 to 50 cm in diameter, along with belemnites from 1 to 20 cm. Alongside them the display cases hold sponges, brachiopods, bivalves, sea urchins with their spines, Jurassic crabs, fossilised wood and flint. The collection is complemented by minerals brought from abroad and historic photographs of Żarki and Leśniów.

Practical information

The exhibition is open all year round; current hours and prices are published on the amonity.com website. A guided visit takes about 15 minutes, and a souvenir shop operates on site. The entrance to the cellars is at Leśniowska 99 street, so the exhibition is easiest to combine with a visit to the sanctuary.