Ciężkowice Waterfall

The Ciężkowice Waterfall, also called the Witches' Waterfall, lies in the Ciężkowice Ravine (Witches' Ravine) in Ciężkowice, in the Ciężkowice Foothills. It is a stepped waterfall with a total height of 14 m, with two sills of Ciężkowice sandstone.

What it looks like

From the ravine only the lower sill can be seen; the upper part is not visible. The falling water has carved evorsion potholes in the sandstone. The amount of water is sometimes small, and after a long drought the stream may dry up, but the height of the sill and the bare rock walls of the gorge make an impression. The waterfall looks best after heavy downpours, and in winter an ice fall forms on it. The name is linked to a legend about sabbaths of witches and devils in the ravine.

Getting there

The entrance to the ravine is on the left-hand side of the road from Ciężkowice to Staszkówka. Next to it are a small car park, a camping spot and a wooden gate. The blue trail leads to the ravine, the same one that runs through the Skamieniałe Miasto nature reserve, which lies right on the right-hand side of the road. The path goes down, secured with handrails, and the ravine begins beyond a footbridge over a tributary of the Ostruszanka stream. After a short walk it ends in a vertical rock wall over which the water falls.

Practical information

• Location: Ciężkowice, Tarnów County.
• After rain the path and handrails may be slippery, and in a drought the waterfall is sometimes dry.
• Also nearby is the Spa Park in Ciężkowice.