Making use of the last days of my summer holidays I decided to go on a day trip out of my town. And it was a really great thing to do! Sometimes we live somewhere from our birth without knowing what’s hidden in our immediate surroundings. I haven’t spent my summer holidays abroad for two years, which favours exploring my neighbourhood. My friend talked me into visiting Pieskowa Skała Castle and some other interesting tourist attractions. Here are some of them!
1.Pieskowa Skała Castle
Pieskowa Skała Castle is a branch of Wawel Royal Castle and is situated in the valley of river Prądnik near Kraków, within the boundaries of the Ojców National Park. The castle was first mentioned in 1315, in the document published by Władysław I the Elbow-High, in which the castle existed under a German sounding name of Peskenstein.
What made the biggest impression on me? The whole place looked just beautiful. The old architecture has always stimulated my imagination, and it was the same this time. It’s worth paying attention to interesting seventeenth-century bastion fortifications, which make a real impression on the visitors. While looking at the building, I started wondering which parts of the castle were occupied by the representatives of gentry and upper class, and which parts were intended for servants, as well as other people working in the castle. The annex building, which included apartments of the burgrave and some guest rooms, was beautifully covered in the leaves of ivy, which added a somewhat irresistible air of mystery to this venue.
What would that mansion be without its gardens? Probably, it would lack some depth, that’s why the visitors have the opportunity to take a stroll along the paths of a small, yet a well-maintained garden following the sixteenth-century thought, which allows its tourists to travel back in time. This spot occurred to be very eagerly used for wedding photoshoots, as during our short stay there were two couples posing for moody wedding photos. Some other architectural treasures of this castle were a gothic bastille and an arcade courtyard.
Me and my friend chose tickets for 18 zl (for adults), which allowed us to see all the exhibitions and the garden. The expositions were very interesting, and every chamber was devoted to a different art period, which helped its visitors to get to know better the history of the castle. I was hugely impressed by the tapestry, furniture, paintings, sculptures, clocks and other objects of everyday use, which were preserved in a very good condition and surprised me with great attention to every detail.
It’s good to remember that from May to September admission to the castle is possible at different hours depending on the day. The ticket office is closed an our before the whole castle is closed for its visitors.
After finishing your visit to the castle, it’s a great idea to rest a little bit before continuing your trip. The ideal place for this purpose is Herbova Restaurant, in which one can eat well, as well as make use of the tables placed on the terrace, which allows you to drink a cup of coffee in the beautiful castle surroundings.
2. Hercules’ Club
While visiting Pieskowa Skała Castle you cannot forget about Hercules’ Club, which is nothing else than limestone stack, situated in Ojców National Park near Pieskowa Skała. You can get to that place if you follow a path leading from the castle straight to the Hercules’ Club. The whole walk takes just a few minutes, but it’s a good idea to change your sandals to sneakers for that short moment, as the path, which we chose, was quite steep. That’s why, it’s safer and more convenient to be equipped with more reliable shoes.
3. Ojców Castle
On the way back from Pieskowa Skała it’s a good idea to visit the ruins of the castle in Ojców. Maybe they are not as impressive as one could imagine, but it’s really worth visiting that spot. Those ruins can truly stimulate your imagination, as the whole construction is a bit stark and you can allow your creativity and imagination to run wild. The prices of the tickets aren’t too high both for kids and adults (2 and 4 zl).
4.The Błędów Desert
On our way home we also visited the Błędów Desert, which I imagined to look totally different. I thought that in front of my eyes would appear something similar to the Sahara Desert, and that I’ll step into a lonely wanderer’s shoes harried by fatamorgana and vultures flying just above my head. The Błędów Desert occurred to be a small piece of land covered in sand and surrounded by the forest and some thick brush. To compensate for this little disappointment we also visited a viewpoint called Flower of the Winds, whose wooden construction moved us to the seaside, and the only thing we missed was water and the calming sound of the waves.
If you don’t have much time for travelling, I encourage you to have a closer look at your immediate neighbourhood. Every place hides some mysteries, which are really worth being unraveled. I can truly recommend you visiting Pieskowa Skała Castle and Ojców National Park, which won’t only allow you to get to know some history, but also to stay in touch with nature and breathtaking scenery.
See you around!
Yours,
Passion Piece
Beautiful narrative...lovely pics indicate the beauty of the place...old world charm....the craftsmanship ..the gardens...all add to the mesmerising beauty... Thank you..
I'm really happy you enjoyed reading this text ... and that's right, it's really great when we know how to appreciate the past! :)
This looks like so much fun. I love traveling and wish I could do it more. I always appreciate when things are unexpected in a good way.
Sometimes we can get really surprised with the wonders which are offered by our neighbourhood! :)
This seems like a nice place. I love visiting places that display old architecture.
Me too ... it really helps me to get to know the past and travel back in time! :)
I agree on visiting local neighborhoods. Most of the time they are the ones in which you can totally feel the authenticity of the place. Wish you could post more and bigger photos so we can see more of the nice castle you've been to. Cheers for more travels!
I'd love to post bigger pictures, but I'm not a geek and I don't know how to change my settings here! Hope to travel more next summer! :)
What an awesome looking castle! I would love to have the opportunity to explore there, it looks like there is so much history there.
Oh there's lots of history there! Hope you'll have a chance to travel to Poland one day and see some of these amazing castles yourself! :)
I need to go here one day. I love exploring castles. I'm all about history.
Hope your dream will come true one day! :)
I love castles. Been to few of them, would love to visit here too.
There's no other way but to buy the plane tickets and come here for a visit! :)
I have always wanted to visit a castle. I will live through your experience for now.
I'm glad I could share something interesting with you! :)
These are such neat places to explore. All so unique and interesting. Thanks for sharing, your trip sounded wonderful!
I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed reading the article about my trip! Hope you'll visit such nice places too! :)
What a great place to visit! The garden looks so pretty!
I also loved the gardens ... it was a beautiful place for wedding photos! :)
Oh wow this place looks absolutely incredible. I could definitely see myself spending a full day exploring everything.
One would have lots of things to do there during a full day, as the neighbourhood of the castle was also amazing! :)
That is such an awesome looking castle. I love visiting old places that full of history. Thanks for sharing this.
All these full of history places remind us of the fact that there is so much to discover in the world and we should start from the past! :)
The castles you visited looks so gorgeous! So much history and architecture to see. I will try to travel more and explore my local neighborhood.
Hope you'll also find some fascinating places in your neighbourhood ... it's real fun to discover them! :)
I'd love to see the castle. That's always a favorite for us on travel stops because I don't know of any close to where we live!
If you live in the United States it may be a problem to find any castles ... Europe is just full of them! :)
I've never seen a castle before except in photos. It would be just amazing to see this one. I'm loving all of your photos.
That would be great if you found some time for travelling to the places which offer the abundance of castles and historic places ... it's real fun to visit them! :)
Love reading travel blogs. I wish the pictures you posted could be bigger....
I wish I could find out how to post them bigger! :)
What a beautiful place to visit! the castle is amazing! I am always fascinated by the history and architecture!
Me too! That's why, I just love exploring such places! :)
Pieskowa Skała Castle looks lovely and so does the architecture. I agree - it's always good to explore your neighborhood and not always go far hunting for peace.
It's a good idea to explore your neighbourhood when you lack time for long and exhausting trips! :)
Traveling is so much fun and it just reminds me that this world is huge and I have only experienced a portion of it. I would enjoy going to a castle.
That's so true, we will never be able to see and experience everything ... but we should at least try to see as much as it's possible for us! :)
I think you are right. Sometimes the greatest adventures can bee right in your back yard. I live in Florida and there is so much to see besides Disney it's pretty incredible. Slowly working through.
Florida is a wonderful place to visit and it's been on my bucketlist for a while! Hope I'll have a chance to explore it one day! :)
I am 1/4 Polish and always wanted to visit Poland. Thanks to the internet and great shares like yours I at least get to see what some things look like.
That's great that you've got some Polish origins ... hope you'll have a chance to visit Poland one day! :)
This seems like a nice place. I love visiting places that display old architecture. This is such an awesome looking castle.
I love admiring old architecture, as it differs so much from the contemporary way of building different structures. :)
I had no idea there were such beautiful castles in Poland. My grandparents would be so ashamed! I'm planning a trip to Poland early next year, I will for sure add this to the list!
That's great to hear that you're planning such a trip! Hope you'll enjoy your stay and your grandparents will no longer be ashamed! :)
That castle is so beautiful! It's always nice to see such beauty in today's world full of skyscrapers.
Skyscrapers have no soul! That's why, I love to come back to places which offer such attractions like this castle. :)
Such a getaway you had. Most especially, the desert fascinates me, I've always wanted to visit a desert and get some pictures too.
It was a very small desert and it wasn't as impressive as the Sahara, but it's great to have a look at such attractions!
Great read. It seems like you had a great time. I love traveling too. I wish to go to Ojcow Castle. Indeed, every place hides some mystery. We just need to explore that mystery.
The more we get to know about our history, the more fascinated we become with our country! :)
Love this! Traveling is so good for our soul! Ty for sharing looks like a great place to check out when we travel abroad!
Definitely! You should come here and explore Poland a bit! :)
what awesome getaway you had. I love all your pictures
That was an amazing time! :)
This looks like it was a very fun and beautiful trip.
It was! Can't wait to come back there in the future! :)
What a nice place to travel to.
It is worth visiting it! :)
I think castles are one of the coolest structures we have on Earth. They just fascinate me.
I was amazed with the way everything was built ... without any modern technologies it seemed to be an unreal structure!
I have always wanted to do these castle tours of Europe. And when we do, we shall wear costumes for full effect! :D
Hope you'll have such a chance ... and take your costumes with you! It will be real fun! :)