JURASSIC UPLAND / POLISH JURA

Jura Cracow - Czestochowa - beautiful scenery, castles, caves, hiking ...

Welcome to the land of white rocks, hills covered with beautiful forests, topped by the ruins of the Eagles' Nests guarding the border of the former Crown. Colloquial term of this picturesque corner - "Jura" is derived from the name of the Jurassic period of the Mesozoic era, when being laid most of the rocks forming region.

Jura is a very popular destination for tourists who travel the routes by car, foot, bike or even horseback. Because of its varied landscape is a place of extremely valuable natural, ideal for family recreation.

Whatever words you will use, they will not render up the charm of this very beautiful and varied historical, natural and cultural part of the Poland.

Jura is a belt with a length of approx. 80 km between Krakow and Czestochowa. Characteristic here are limestone and karst phenomena, among others, caves with stalactites, stalagmites and stalagnatami. Southeast of Czestochowa is the region with most caves in Poland. There fossilized skeletons and shells of organisms (including ammonites) and inselbergs that is more durable rock fragments (such as Hercules' Bludgeon).

CASTLES

The most characteristic elements of the landscape of the Jury are strongholds (most built in the fourteenth century. For the defense of border areas). Currently, there are usually ruins after them, or parts of castles, sedentary on Jurassic hills like an eagle's nest, hence the name of the trail leading through the Jura mountains from castle to castle - Eagles' Nests Trail.
Pearls among the castles of the Cracow - Czestochowa are:
 

• Castle in Ogrodzieniec
• Castle Bobolice
• Mirów castle
• Castle Korzkiew
• Castle Ojców
• Castle Pieskowa
• Castle in Olsztyn

MONADNROCKS

Not less characteristic of the landscape of the Jura are white, spiky monadnocks:

• Okiennik Wielki in Skarzyce
• Maczuga Herkulesa in Pieskowa Skała
• Brama Krakowska in Ojcow
• Zborow Mountain

                                            
Caves

Less visible, but no less numerous and attractive are the caves and grottos in the Jura, passionately explored by cavers and speleologists. Interesting caves are:

• Grota Łokietka w Ojcowie
• Jaskinia Ciemna w Ojcowie
• Jaskinia Nietoperzowa w Jerzmanowicach
• Jaskinia Wierzchowska Górna
• Jaskinia Mamutowa

Trails in Jura

On Jurassic land is a huge number of hiking trails (pedestrian, bicycle, horse). Some of them run through the entire area of the Cracow - Czestochowa, others are marked locally. The longest and the most popular ones are:

• Czerwony Szlak Orlich Gniazd
• Niebieski Szlak Warowni Jurajskich
• Czerwony Szlak Rowerowy Orlich Gniazd

Ojcow National Park

In the south of jura there is a picturesque Ojcow National Park, attracts tourists like a magnet, because on a small area gathered all that captivates the entire Polish Jura Chain - interesting inselbergs, castle ruins, caves and historic wooden villas. And all this in a stunning natural environment of the valley Prądnik.

Bledowska Desert

It is the largest desert in Europe. It is unique natural and geographical established fact in temperate and humid climate. Desert is located within the Landscape Park Nests and is partly subject to special protection in the form of ecological. The area of sand is 32 km2 (length of 8-9 km, a width of 3-4 km) and is divided into the valley of the White Przemsza. Once, one could observe an unusual mirages, mirage phenomenon. This area is characterized by a specific landscape.