Ojcow
Poland
The outstanding natural beauty of the landscape surrounding Krakow should not be overlooked by visitors. Due to its close proximity (only 24 kilometres away), Ojcow National Park (Ojcowski Park Narodowy) is one of the easiest day-trips to make from Krakow, and certainly one of the most rewarding.
Despite being one of the smallest of Poland’s 23 national parks, Ojcow ranks with the best of them. Occupying the dramatic Pradnik and Saspowska river valleys, the landscape is characterised by thick woodlands, incredible limestone rock formations and deep ravines.
Peaks
Many of Ojcow’s iconic rock promontories have been assigned names and legends by the locals, the most notable among them being Hercules’ Club (Maczuga Herkulesa), Deotyma’s Needle (Igla Deotymy) and the Krakow Gate (Brama Krakowska).
Underground
Ojcow is also home to 400 registered caves (and the 15 adorable bat species that hibernate inside them), the two largest of which – the Dark Cave and Lokietek’s Cave - are open to the public.
Hand-made monumets
But it isn’t only natural monuments that make the area unique; cultural monuments within the park include two castles – Kazimierz Castle and Pieskowa Skala, the Grodzisko Church and Hermitage, and the wooden Chapel on the Water (Kaplica Na Wodzie).
Active rest
The sights are all connected by a large network of trails for hiking, biking or horseback, and Ojcow is also an incredibly popular playground for rock-climbers.
General info
The Ojcow National Park is essentially oriented around Kazimierz Castle and the small village of Ojcow at the centre of the valley. The main park entry point and parking lot are located here, and buses arrive and depart from near the foot of Kazimierz Castle.
In additional to the trailheads of all the park’s hiking paths, nearby you’ll also find the small, nap-worthy park museum, several places to sleep and eat, and the local salmon farm that supplies them with fresh fish.
Getting to Ojcow from Krakow
The quickest way to get to Ojcow is by car. However you will need a good map or navigator as it's easy to get lost if you don't know the area well. 24 kilometres from Krakow, the journey takes about 30-45 minutes. There is lots of parking available in the national park, and most of it is paid parking, which is some kind of a park entrance fee.
If you don't have a car, catch a bus from the private Unibus rank on Ogrodowa street just across from Galeria Krakowska. Tickets are purchased from the driver, and it drops you off at the parking area near Kazimierz Castle. For the most up to date bus schedules check park website www.ojcow.pl.
User comments
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Dennis
Nice natural park outside Krakow. You can not only see the caves, castles, and enjoy beautiful forest views, but also treat yourself with delicious fresh grilled trout raised in the local ponds.
Sanne
One of the best parks I've been. The valley is absolutely beautiful, looks like it belongs to a fairy tale. The best is the lack of crowds (like in Tatra, omg) and the short distances within the park. You can see the most sites in one day. Take the green trail for the best views, and don't forget the yellow trail to spot some beaver dams and maybe the animal itself. . :)
To get here by car , just navigate to the village Ojcow. It's part of the park, very cute with some shops and restaurants
Kai
Very nice national Park. In good weather you can spend the whole day there. Anyone who has a car is a clear advantage.
Krzysztof
The place you need to visit. A piece of fantastic, diverse nature.
Place must to see. The fantastic piece of diverse nature.
Floris
This a really nice park and definitely worth a visit. The easiest way to get there is by car, but if you don't have the luxury of that there is always public transport. I used the 210 busline and got off at czajowice. From there it's about a 10-15 min to the park. The park offers some nice things such as caves and some small remains of a castle (just the gate house). It has also a nice selection of restaurants at different places along the main road going through the park. All the (information) signs in the park are in almost exclusively in Polish. However the signs indicating walking routes are easy to follow. Do keep in mind that the extra activities (such as the caves) all cost money and they don't accept card, only cash. It's not that expensive though (one of the caves was 8 zloty and the gatehouse was 3 zloty). Also have some extra cash for the public transport, not all machines on the trams and busses accept card. The easiest thing would be to buy the tickets before you go (two 60-minutes tickets should be enough to go back and forth, these are five zloty each).
Artem
The park is big and the scenery is amazing. Especially that huge cliffs
Piotr
My favourite green zone within Krakow city limits. At the same time it's the gate to the amazing Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska. Lots of easy hiking trails. If you want to take some time off from the busy city life - this is the place.
Marcin
X-th Wonder of the World. Must-see on Krakow roundabouts.
Valerii
the smallest of all Polish national parks, but it hides a wealth of attractions and lots of geological, natural and cultural
Ivan
A national park in Krakow County, in southern Poland, established in 1956. It takes its name from the village of Ojcow. Chopin visited Ojcow in 1829. It is Poland's smallest national park, with an area of 21.46 km2.