Góry Świętokrzyskie — some of the oldest mountains in Europe with block fields, the Fir Forest and the monastery on Święty Krzyż.
A gentle Palaeozoic range in the heart of Poland — Świętokrzyski National Park with the block fields on Łysa Góra, the highest peak Łysica above Święta Katarzyna, the monastery on Święty Krzyż, the Raj Cave near Chęciny, the royal castle at Chęciny and the bloomery furnaces at Nowa Słupia.
What to know before you go
The Holy Cross Mountains are one of the oldest ranges in Europe, in central Poland in the Holy Cross Province. Their rounded, gentle ridges are what remains of Palaeozoic uplift — low today, but with an exceptional geological history and rich forests. The highest chain is the Łysogóry, with Łysica (612 m a.s.l.) and Łysa Góra (594 m a.s.l.).
The heart of the region is Świętokrzyski National Park, created in 1950, which protects about 76 km² of the Łysogóry along with the relict Fir Forest and the distinctive block fields — screes of Cambrian quartzite covering the northern slopes of Łysa Góra. They are one of the emblems of the region and one of very few such landscapes in lowland Poland.
On the summit of Łysa Góra stands the monastery on Święty Krzyż with its relics of the True Cross — the oldest sanctuary in Poland, and the source of the range's name. At the foot of the mountains lie the bases for exploring: Święta Katarzyna and Nowa Słupia, and Nowa Słupia hosts the annual Świętokrzyskie Bloomery Days — demonstrations of ancient iron smelting.
The Holy Cross Mountains also hold a rich cultural and geological landscape: the Raj Cave with its formations near Chęciny, the royal castle at Chęciny above the surrounding country, Kielce with the Kadzielnia reserve as the gateway to the region, the open-air museum at Tokarnia and Henryk Sienkiewicz's manor at Oblęgorek. The region is easy to reach — it lies on the S7 from Warsaw to Kraków.
Places you should not miss
The most important sights of the region, each with its own guide — how to get there, when to go, practical info.
Święty Krzyż — the monastery and the block fields
The monastery on the summit of Łysa Góra (594 m) with relics of the True Cross and a viewing platform over the block fields — Poland's oldest sanctuary.
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Łysica and Świętokrzyski National Park
The highest peak of the Holy Cross Mountains (612 m) in the Łysogóry chain, inside the national park, reached by trail from Święta Katarzyna.
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The Raj Cave
One of the loveliest karst caves in Poland, richly decorated with formations, near Chęciny — guided visits only.
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The Royal Castle at Chęciny
The ruins of a medieval royal castle on a limestone hill above Chęciny, with towers and a panorama of the Holy Cross Mountains.
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Nowa Słupia — the Medieval Settlement and the Bloomery Days
The Cultural and Archaeological Centre at the foot of Święty Krzyż — demonstrations of ancient iron smelting and the Świętokrzyskie Bloomery Days festival.
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Kielce — Kadzielnia and the market square
The regional capital and the gateway to the Holy Cross Mountains — the Kadzielnia geological reserve with its amphitheatre, the historic market square and the bishops' palace.
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The Ethnographic Park at Tokarnia
The open-air museum of the Kielce Village Museum at Tokarnia — historic cottages, manor houses, a church and windmills from the Holy Cross countryside on a broad site.
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Henryk Sienkiewicz's manor at Oblęgorek
A manor house given to Henryk Sienkiewicz by the nation, today a biographical museum of the writer, at the foot of the Holy Cross Mountains.
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Krzemionki
Neolithic banded-flint mines with an underground visitor route — Poland's only archaeological UNESCO World Heritage site.
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List or submit a property →Góry Świętokrzyskie in every season
The Fir Forest turns green, the trails in Świętokrzyski National Park open and the slopes come into flower. A quiet, cheap time before the season.
The height of the season — busy trails up Łysica and to Święty Krzyż, the Bloomery Days at Nowa Słupia, bathing at the Cedzyna reservoir. Mornings are best.
Golden beech and fir in the Łysogóry, the block fields in autumn light and long views. The finest season for photographs.
Quiet and atmospheric in the Fir Forest, and the sanctuary on Święty Krzyż open all year. Limited skiing (Ameliówka, Telegraf).
How to get there and what to know
- Getting there
- On the S7 (Warsaw–Kraków) to Kielce; then the DW753 to Święta Katarzyna and Nowa Słupia, or the DK74 towards Święty Krzyż
- Trails
- The red Main Holy Cross Trail named after E. Massalski, over Łysica and Łysa Góra, plus a dense network of walking and cycling routes
- Świętokrzyski National Park
- The trails are ticketed; the block fields and the summit of Łysa Góra are reached by platforms and boardwalks
- On the water
- The Cedzyna reservoir near Kielce and bathing spots in the area
- A base for trips
- Kielce (the gateway to the region), Święta Katarzyna (below Łysica), Nowa Słupia and Huta Szklana (below Święty Krzyż), Chęciny
- The character of the region
- Old, gentle mountains, block fields, the Fir Forest and the monastery on Święty Krzyż
How far to the sights
Approximate straight-line distances from the centre of Góry Świętokrzyskie — calculated from real coordinates. By road it is often further.
- Święty Krzyż — the monastery and the block fields
- ~137 m from the centre Góry Świętokrzyskie (as the crow flies)
- Łysica and Świętokrzyski National Park
- ~3,0 km from the centre Góry Świętokrzyskie (as the crow flies)
- Nowa Słupia — the Medieval Settlement and the Bloomery Days
- ~3,8 km from the centre Góry Świętokrzyskie (as the crow flies)
- Kielce — Kadzielnia and the market square
- ~30 km from the centre Góry Świętokrzyskie (as the crow flies)
- Krzemionki
- ~34 km from the centre Góry Świętokrzyskie (as the crow flies)
- Henryk Sienkiewicz's manor at Oblęgorek
- ~39 km from the centre Góry Świętokrzyskie (as the crow flies)
- The Raj Cave
- ~40 km from the centre Góry Świętokrzyskie (as the crow flies)
- The Ethnographic Park at Tokarnia
- ~40 km from the centre Góry Świętokrzyskie (as the crow flies)
- The Royal Castle at Chęciny
- ~42 km from the centre Góry Świętokrzyskie (as the crow flies)
Where Góry Świętokrzyskie is
Frequently asked questions — Góry Świętokrzyskie
What is the highest peak in the Holy Cross Mountains?
What are the block fields?
Where is the best place to stay in the Holy Cross Mountains?
How do I get to the Holy Cross Mountains?
Do you run a property in Góry Świętokrzyskie?
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