Top 18 Natural Monuments around Tenczyński Park Krajobrazowy

The place has become a bit ugly, I think there are a few missing elements as of August 27, 2025

The name of the rock comes from the knight Kmita, who, according to a legend from the early 16th century, fell unhappily in love with the beautiful Olimpia Bonerowna, the daughter of the then owner of Balice. Unable to marry her, he threw himself and his horse off the rock in despair, dying on the spot. Bonerówna was supposedly given to a convent. There is a cross at the place where he jumped. An old inscription (renovated in 2016) carved on the rock a few meters above the road reads: Who with heart will come here, Having courage on that day, That can also have joy; And who with heart will come here, Has sorrow on that day, That can also have peace. This is a fragment of a poem by Adam Gorczyński. There is another inscription on the rock: With this animal's rhythm here fresh The painful heart of the lonely rock Stanisław Kmita, armed knight In battle with the Tatars, with a mighty sabre Towards Bonerów he turned his heart And from this rock here into the abyss he threw himself 1515. The author of this sentence is Wincenty Pol. Both inscriptions were carved in 1854. (Wikipedia)

one of the shortest, but at the same time one of the most beautiful valleys near Krakow

The route is pleasant and not demanding, ideal for hot weather because we ride in the shade of trees. You have to be careful because many pedestrians walk in this area. In my opinion, this place qualifies as one of those that you have to see and ride. Driving this section is pure pleasure. At the exit from the valley there is a bridge that has seen its best years and could do with renovation because you can only see someone hurting themselves there. Difficulty level 1/10 and pleasure level 9/10.

In the area of the town of Zagórze (Babice commune) there is the Bukowica nature reserve. It includes a picturesque hill, built of Triassic limestone, in the western part of Garb Tenczyński. The reserve is to protect a fragment of the Carpathian beech forest with old beech trees and the local landscape. Among others, the following grow in the undergrowth: Daphne mezereum, lily of the valley, sweet woodruff. The reserve's attraction is a several-meter-long outcrop - a rock wall made of Triassic limestone, in which numerous openings of small caves are visible. There is also a spring here. Local legends tell about the taste and health properties of the local water. According to one of them, a golden duck swims to the spring through an underground corridor from the castle in Lipowiec. King Jan III Sobieski and his army stopped here several hundred years ago on his way to Vienna. The braver ones tell stories about how the miraculous water from the Zagorze spring later contributed to the victory over the Turks. source of text and photo taken from this website https://visitmalopolska.pl/obiekt/-/poi/zrodlo-w-rezerwacie-bukowica-w-zagorzu

If sightseeing is not possible, you can walk around the castle at the foot of the walls. There are several places where there are nice views of the surrounding towns and the Tenczyn forest. You can get to the main gate by a 3km driveway on a gravel road, but a much better option for me was to leave my equipment at the lower parking lot and walk up 0.6km on a road through the forest. I highly recommend it. MC

Tenczyn Castle - ruins of a castle located in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, incorporated in the 14th century into the Kazimierz system of the so-called Eagle's Nests, in the village of Rudno.

Tenczyn Castle - ruins of a castle located in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, incorporated in the 14th century into the Kazimierz system of the so-called Orlich Gniazd, in the village of Rudno in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in the Kraków poviat, 24 km west of Kraków, 5 km southwest of Krzeszowice, 1 km north of the A4 motorway. The ruins of the castle stand on a former volcanic cone[1], which is the highest hill of Garb Tenczyński (Góra Zamkowa 398[1]/401[2] m above sea level). Opening hours The tour takes place on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. There is a guided tour every hour (from 10:00 to 17:00) (included in the ticket price). Tickets – normal ticket – PLN 10 – reduced ticket – PLN 6 (pensioners, pupils and students upon presentation of their ID card) – family ticket – PLN 25 Parking There are 3 parking lots near the castle. 2 free and 1 paid. The first one is at Zamkowa Street, a steep path to the castle. The second one is right behind the paid parking lot