Jurassic Parkowe Nature Reserve and Złoty Potok - trails, ponds, rocks
directions_bike Bike route
beach_access Route in the shade
Located in the Orlich Gniazd Landscape Park, the Parkowe Nature Reserve is a huge green area (234.13 hectares) with picturesque ponds, dense forest, and many rock formations and caves, including the famous Twardowski's Gate. The reserve includes the sources of the Wiercica River and its immediate surroundings. The Orlich Gniazd bike trail runs through the reserve, and we explored it by bike. However, due to the terrain and numerous attractions, we recommend it for a walking trip.
- The paths in the reserve are gravel, rocky, sometimes with roots - we managed with a city bike, so a stroller with inflatable wheels should be fine.
- The path is mainly in the shade of trees.
Amerykan Pond
Złoty Potok is quite famous for its trout. The first trout farm was established here in 1881, one of the first in Europe and the first in our country. The pond was named 'Pond of Bitter Tears' by the poet Zygmunt Krasicki, who mourned the death of his youngest, four-year-old daughter here. The name 'Amerykan Pond' was created to honor an American senator who brought rainbow trout eggs here, starting the local trout farming.
Amerykan Pond is the largest pond here - it's a beautiful place to start a walk and for family relaxation. Nearby, there are parking lots and a large restaurant (offering delicious fish), even a sandy beach and wooden platforms where you can approach the ducks swimming in the pond. The reserve itself has plenty of shade, so you can catch some sun here.
Parkowe Nature Reserve
In the 8th century, there was a prehistoric settlement on this site, located on a limestone hill within the reserve. The path through the reserve leads us through a dense forest in the shade of trees. Along the way (hidden further from the path), we pass many rock formations like 'Devil's Bridges,' 'Rock with a Cross,' 'Twardowski's Gate,' as well as caves and shelters.
Bear Cave
Caves and grottos are formed by water dissolving limestone. Sometimes bats live in the caves. Bear Cave was used as a shelter by primitive people - during the preparation of the area for park purposes, bones of animals like woolly rhinoceros, mammoth, and cave bear were found in the cave sediments. However, the cave is not open to visitors.
Twardowski's Gate
This is a limestone rock bridge. The name was given by the poet Zygmunt Krasiński, who often walked here. Even in his time, wooden steps were made for tourists to make it easier to explore the rock. There is a legend about the sorcerer Twardowski associated with Twardowski's Gate. On the rock, there are claw marks of a giant rooster on which Twardowski sat while escaping from a chasing devil.
Pan Twardowski
Once upon a time, there lived a sorcerer named Jan Twardowski in Krakow. He knew that with the help of the devil, he would have greater power for his spells. ...
Publish Date:
More in the Region Jura (Jura)
