Top 10 Nature & Parks in Swietokrzyskie Province, Central Poland

Established in 1958. Protects unique landscape of highest peak in the area, shaped by many centuries of extracting minerals.

One of the oldest nature reserves in Poland, now part of Swietokrzyski National Park. Famous for it's large numbers of european larch - Polish subspecies of larch was discovered here. Also enormous number of huge anthills.

Nature reserve established in 1982, covers nearly 25 ha of woods. Triassic sandstones on top have been used in prehistoric times as a kind of astronomic observatory and a holy site. The whole peak was closed with prhistoric stone circle.

One of two nature reserves of the same name in Poland, this one covers around 12 ha of forest in swietokrzyskie vojvodship. Pagan cultural stone circles, also earth trenches from the First World War, and a chapel from mid 18th century can be found in the reserve.

The establishment of the Botanical Garden is yet another major step towards promotion of tourist must-sees in the city of Kielce and Swietokrzyskie region as a geotourist and naturalist’s paradise, bringing education as well as geological and ecological experience to the visitor’s fingertips. The entire facility and green area complex have been designed on the axis of the historic road which led to the monastic complex and the natural reserve of Karczowka hill. Exhibition part of the Garden was fully opened in 2020, and located on the exposed hill slope. Here, individual sections of the Garden have been located, where homogeneous, specialised collections will be housed. Four water reservoirs have been designed for the purposes of presentation of aquatic and littoral vegetation. An interesting fact in the Garden are numerous rock exposures with caves observed in the ground. Moreover, the exhibition part shall contain children and teenagers’ teaching activity spots.

Kadzielnia is Kielce’s most famous old quarry. The area, as the Kadzielnia Park and Reserve, covers about 14 ha. The central part of Kadzielnia, the Skałka Geologów (Geologists’ Rock) is under legal protection as an inanimate nature reserve. The remaining part of the area is protected within the Kielce Protected Landscape Area. It is worth mentioning and emphasizing that in the vicinity of the reserve is located, among others, the famous amphitheater, where numerous entertainment events take place. A new and very interesting attraction in this area is the Underground Tourist Route. Kadzielnia is a place with an interesting history, rich resources of animated nature, but most of all, a place that you must visit when you are in Kielce. You can spend a nice time here, relaxing while walking among the rocks, where the history of the tropical sea from hundreds of millions of years ago has been recorded.

The quarries in Ślichowice exploited the lime raw material as early as the interwar period. During exploitation in the excavation, unique tectonic phenomena were discovered, and therefore, in 1949, a part of the discovery was protected as a monument to inanimate nature. The high scientific and didactic value of the discovery meant that on 18 June 1952 a strict nature reserve was established - the Jan Czarnocki rock reserve. The reserve protection included a rock perch separating the former excavations with an area of 0.55 ha. In order to better explore the quarries, Geopark Kielce has prepared paths where didactic boards have been placed, which are a source of knowledge about the facility.