Twardowski's Cave

Twardowski's Cave is a large karst cave in Kraków's Dębniki district, on the south-western edge of the Krzemionki Zakrzowskie hill. The entrance can be seen from the path running along the concrete fence of a military unit.

How the cave is built

The known parts are about 610 metres long, and the difference in level reaches just under 17 metres. It is a complicated, multi-level system of narrow passages and fissures, mostly impassable. The largest chamber is more than 30 metres long and up to 10 metres wide, but only 2-4 metres high. The cave has three entrances, of which the western one is currently filled in.

Origin of the name

The name comes from a legend. According to the tale, Master Twardowski, a Kraków nobleman and sorcerer of folk stories, had his alchemical workshop in the cave. This is purely a legend, with no confirmed facts behind it. The first written mentions of the cave date from 1865, and trial archaeological excavations in 1867 and 1878 yielded few finds.

Research by cave divers

Since 1966 cavers have been systematically digging out the collapsed sections. By 2019 the known passages had a total of about 500 metres. In the expedition of 2014-2015 the cave was connected to the neighbouring Niska Cave through a nine-metre chimney.

Nearby

From Krzemionki Zakrzowskie it is close to the Kościuszko Mound, and by the Vistula stands the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology, about 2.5 km away.

Practical information

• Location: Kraków, Dębniki district, Krzemionki Zakrzowskie, by the fence of a military unit.
• According to the Wikipedia entry the cave is publicly accessible, and entry is free.
• A large part of the passages is narrow or impassable, so from the outside you mainly see the entrance and its surroundings.