Trail of the Jurassic Strongholds

The Trail of the Jurassic Strongholds (Szlak Warowni Jurajskich) is a blue hiking trail about 152 km long in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland (Polish Jura). It leads through 14th-century defensive watchtowers that were not covered by the Trail of the Eagles' Nests, so the two trails complement each other and cross several times. It was designed in 2012 by the Kraków branch of PTTK (Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society).

Route

The trail begins in Mstów in Silesian Voivodeship and ends in Rudawa in Lesser Poland (Małopolska). On the way it passes places such as Zawiercie, Wolbrom and Ojców, and the Będkowska Valley. In Wolbrom stands a Baroque parish church, and in Ojców National Park the ruins of a 14th-century castle and the Chapel on the Water from 1901.

Strongholds on the route

The route leads past the ruins of watchtowers in Suliszowice, Przewodziszowice, Łutowiec and Ryczów, and of castles in Ostrężnik, Morsko, Ogrodzieniec, Pieskowa Skała and Ojców. It also passes the monastery in Grodzisko. The trail crosses the nature reserves Ostrężnik, Góra Zborów and Smoleń.

Practical information

• Marking: blue, also designated SL-2 and KA-2.
• Start: Mstów, end: Rudawa, length 152 or 153 km depending on the source.
• When planning stages, check the current route on a PTTK tourist map.