Poland > Cracow-Czetochowa Upland

Cracow-Czetochowa Upland

Cracow-Czetochowa Upland, constituting a part of Silesia-Cracow Upland, consists of a large plate of late Jurassic limestone, which rises, on average, from 300 metres above sea level in the Czestochowa region to 400-500 metres treasures is Prdnik Valley, within which the Ojcow National Park was established.

There are others like Bolechowice, Szklarka, Radawka, Eliaszowka Valleys (enjoying reserve protection), Bdkowska Valley, very popular with tourists, and the longest Dlubnia Valley dividing Olkusz and Miechow Uplands. In the western regions of Olkusz Upland older geological structures are divided with valleys. Late Jurassic limestone rocks cut up by the valleys reveal Triassic, Permian (volcanic), Carbonian and Devonian rocks (Radawka, Czernka, Mikinka Valley).

Garb Trenczyhski is characterized with similar geological structure and lie of the land. It stretches from Chechlo Valley in the west up to Cracow. In its western area one can find Carbonian structures including layers of hard bituminous coal (Tenczynek), and hard volcanic rocks building the highest hills, with the highest hill topped with the ruins of Tczyn castle in Rudna (414 ms above sea level).The surface of GarbTrenczynski is divided with valleys, the most picturesque ones located in its eastern part, carved in the surface of late Jurassic limestone (e.g.Sanki Valley with Mnikowski Ravine). Garb Tenczyriski constitutes the pre-part of Olkusz Upland plate, tectonically divided from it in the Tertiary with Krzeszowice Rift Valley. The surface of this area is flat, with the bedding of soft deposits from Miocenic sea, the origins of sulphur-brine water deposits known in Krzeszowice.

A very Important element of Cracow- Czestochowa Upland lie of land, defining Its unique landscape Is karstic phenomena, conditioned by the presence of carbonate rocks in the bigger part of the region's area, including the most widely spread late Jurassic limestones.The phenomena include, above all, caves (there are over 900 caves on the Upland), karstic valleys, hollows without surface outflows, numerous streams (inc. Warta and Pilica rivers' sources), and various forms developed on the surface of exposed rocks.

Diversified lie of land and the changeability of the surface and micro-climate (e.g. between hills and valleys) linked with it led to the creation of extremely rich and diversified flora. It consists of about 1500 species of flowering plants (angiosperms), that is half of Polish flora. What is more, plant groups are characterised with mosaic arrangement, and ecologically opposing species grow side by side. When it comes to natural plant groups, forests are the most outstanding ones. Near them, there are widely spread broadleaved forests, i.e. multi-species broadleaved forests growing on limestone bedding. However, the most precious forests are relict mountain forests: sycamore forests growing only in the region of Ojcow, Tenczynek and Jaroszowiec, and beech woods: Carpathian one (characteristic of the lower wooden sections of the Carpathians) spread on the Upland and reaching the area of Rabsztyn, and Sudety one with slightly different undergrowth, growing on Czestochowa Upland. Sycamore forests and beech woods grow on northern slopes which are cool and shady. Their undergrowth hides numerous species of mountain plants. The Upland is also proud of its unique stenothermic on-rock beech woods, also known as orchid ones as many orchids can be found in their undergrowth.

These beech woods, apart from this area growing only in Pieniny Mountains, occupy drier and more sunny slopes, especially in the medial part of the Upland. Among non-forest plants, one should mention colourful, species-rich kserothermic and on-rock grass.

There are also endemic plants (growing only in this region), e.g. Cochlearia polonica so far growing in the source area of Biala Przemsza river, now introduced in the area of Sigismund Sources in Zloty Potok and Centuria near Zawiercie, and Galium cracoviense growing only on rocks near Olsztyn.

The Upland's fauna, with 70% of Poland's species, also attracts tourists' attention.

Among its most interesting representatives are elk living in Dulowska Forest (Puszcza Dulowska), beavers transported to Prdnik, Rudna and Biala Przemsza Valleys, and a group of 19 bat species (out of 21 species living in Poland); as for birds, there are: eagle owls spotted in Sokole Mountains (Sokole Gory), black swans living in Ojcow forests and Wielki Las reserve, and rare Pernis apivorus, raven, brown owl, kingfisher and Lanius isabellinus.

A part from animate and inanimate nature, the Upland undoubtedly owes its popularity to the uniqueness of its cultural landscape - the relics of old settlements, architecture and art monuments, old arrangement patterns of green areas. The most attractive ones are masterpieces of the art of defence, i.e. castles and strongholds located on rocks, called 'eagle's nests' ("orle gniazda"). However, the cultural heritage of the Upland is defined by more than military architecture. It is also represented by a great number of significant historical monuments representing all architectural styles. Let us mention the most valuable ones: Romanesque churches in Wysocice and Gieblo, Gothic ones in Bolechowice, Raciborowice, Rudawa, Pilica, Olkusz, a 16th century sanctuary in Zarki-Lesniow, Baroque monastery complexes in Alwernia and Czerna, and late 18th century ones in Imbramowice, Mstow, not to mention Morawica whose origins go back to the 12th century or even earlier. One should also mention wooden churches, probably the last remains of old architecture characteristic to Polish countryside, including the oldest, 16th century ones in Modlnica, Zrbice, Paczoltowice and Raclawice. These churches'interior hide priceless Gothic and Renaissance paintings and sculptures.

This brief description should be completed with the mention of numerous manor houses and palaces located especially in the southern part of the Upland. There are the following objects: the oldest one - a Baroque manor house in Siedlec, 18th F or centuries, Jura has been the area of intense human activity. Forests were cut down to give way not only to mediaeval settlement but also to mining activities in Olkusz, Nowa Gora, Chrzanow and Zawiercie.

People collected limestone and other rocks; fast flowing streams provided fulling-mills, gunpowder mills, mills, paper mills, steelworks and other factories with energy. In the 19th century, the expansion of industry, especially excavation and metallurgy, together with simultaneous intensification of clearing methods led not only to further decrease in forest areas, but also to irrevocable changes in species composition of these forests, i.e. there were fewer local species: beech, fir, sycamore, elm, and, what follows, fewer flora and fauna species. What is more, land rehabilitation and melioration, broadly used not so long ago, made the soil turn into steppe, which century manor houses in Karniowice, Bolechowice, Modlnica, Trzebinia, Zloty Potok, 19th century ones in Krzeszowice, Zloty Potok, Mloszowa, Balice, Plaz, and more modest landowners' residences, also known as "Polish manor houses", deeply rooted in national tradition (e.g. Tarnawa, Glanow, Zloty Potok). For various reasons, several manor houses and palaces have not survived till our times (e.g. Wierbka, Wlodowice, Rokitno Szlacheckie), becoming one more historical ruin on the Jurassic route. Others left some traces in the shape of manor house architecture, e.g. 17th century granaries in Pisary and Garlics, or a wooden granary in Udorze.

T he Group of Jurassic Landscape Parks has been established to protect the nature and culture identity of Czstochowa-Cracow Upland. However, it is not going to bring positive results without understanding and involvement of local authority units, various organizations active in the region, and actually all of us.

In the first half of the 20th century, natural environment of the Upland was seriously endangered by heavy industry of Czestochowa, Cracow, and Silesia which polluted the air mainly with sulphur dioxide.

The need of Jura nature protection was already discerned in the 19th century, together with the development of scientific research, mainly environmental one. As time went on, Jurassic landscape and its uniqueness became the object of interest of bigger groups of society. Numerous press publications and the development of tourism contributed to that. In Ojcow, Jan Zawisza, who purchased it in 1878, began gradual purchase of nearby areas, thus protecting the forests of Prqdnik Valley against rampant clearing methods used by previous landowners, and its caves whose silt was used as manure.

Similarly, Karol Raczyriski, the heir of Zloty Potok, in 1907 put an end to clearing activities in the forests of Wiercica Valley.

The end of the 19th century witnessed the establishment of the first social initiative aiming at the protection of nature and culture treasures of Prqdnik Valley. Thanks to a writer, Adolf Dygasiriski, untiring admirer of the beauty of the Ojcow valley, a share company was established.