Łysa Góra mountain (595 m above sea level)

The Świętokrzyski region with its wealth of geological structures is a real paradise for nature lovers who can admire unusual forms and shapes of rock and land formations and willingly listen to various legends and fantastic stories.

This is how many years scientists give hard rocks of quartzite sandstone, which build gołoborze - the most characteristic element of the landscape of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. You can view this unusual rubble on the southern slope of Łysiec from the observation deck. Metal openwork stairs will take you safely to the viewing platform suspended over a vast rock field. The platform is a kind of compromise between nature protection and the presentation of what is most valuable in the national park.

The very name "gołoborze" comes from folk traditions. Means places "bare of boron", i.e. unforested. And it is the fact that the Świętokrzyskie gołoborze occur within the forest, and not above its upper limit, which makes it unique and extraordinary. Although the rocks that make up the gołoborze come from the first period of the Paleozoic era (Cambrian era), the structure itself is relatively young - the gołoborze was formed during the northern Polish glaciation, i.e. from 75,000 to even 8,500 years ago. At that time, the temperature hovered around 0 degrees Celsius. The water that penetrated the rock crevices froze and increased in volume, bursting the rocks.

Gołoborze on Łysa Góra is the largest rock field of this type in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. Interestingly, it is slowly overgrowing. The first tree to take root in this inaccessible area is the rowan, the so-called mountain ash. While on the viewing platform, be sure to look up. Above the forest border, there is a view to the north of Łysogóry. You will see, among others, the reserve "Chełmowa Góra", Stara Słupia or Rudki.

Worth knowing

Not only by the hand of nature... Łysiec Peak is surrounded by a stone embankment made of quartzite sandstone. It was built by human hand around the 7th-9th century. For what purpose? Archaeologists disagree here. According to some, it had a defensive function. Others claim that in pagan times it served religious purposes, separating the sacred place from the everyday and profane zone. No wonder that the gołoborze and Łysiec himself have been igniting the imagination for years. There are many legends and stories about this place. The most frequently repeated theme is the sabbaths that take place here, i.e. the legendary witches' rallies.