Kraków, Lesser Poland
Friday, 06 November 2026 PL / EN
Mountains

Hercules' Club

Sułoszowa
About Hercules' Club

A limestone rock about 25 m high in Pieskowa Skała, in Ojców National Park; climbing is forbidden.

Hercules' Club (Maczuga Herkulesa) is a rock club of hard massive limestone, standing in Pieskowa Skała in the municipality of Sułoszowa, within Ojców National Park, in the southern part of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. It is one of the most characteristic elements of the landscape of the Prądnik Valley and one of the best-known rocks in Poland.

How big the rock is and where it came from

The rock is about 25 metres high and stands on a rock terrace 8-12 metres high. It was formed by the karst action of water and the uneven resistance of limestone to weathering, which is why it remained as a club shape after the surrounding rock wore away.

On the west side stands the rock Fortepian, on which rises the castle in Pieskowa Skała. Fortepian is part of the same terrace as the Club. On the east side there are three more rocks: Mickiewicz Rock, Chopin Rock and Napoleon.

Old names and first ascents

The rock was also called Krak's Club, Falcon Rock and Devil's Rock. All these names are connected with medieval folk tales about heroes, falcons and sorcerers. The first confirmed ascent of the rock is considered to be the climb by Ludwik Ziemblic and Franciszek Żurek in 1913. In 1935 climbers who called themselves the Penitents completed the first genuinely climbing route.

Today climbing Hercules' Club is forbidden, which has applied since the national park was established and serves to protect the rock.

How to get there and what is nearby

A yellow tourist trail links Pieskowa Skała with Ojców through Sąspów and Sąspowska Valley. Ojców lies about 5 kilometres in a straight line, and there are Ojców Castle and the Ojców National Park Museum. In the area there are also caves: Łokietek's Cave lies about 5 km from the rock.

Practical information

  • Location: Pieskowa Skała, Sułoszowa municipality, Kraków County, Ojców National Park.
  • The rock stands next to the castle in Pieskowa Skała, about 300 m from it.
  • Climbing is forbidden. Check the rules for moving about the park and any fees on the website of Ojców National Park.
  • Check the exact course of the trail and the walking time on the PTTK trail map or the park's map before setting out.
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