Things to do
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Hercules' Club
A limestone pillar about twenty five metres tall, wider at the top than at the base, standing below Pieskowa Skała castle beside the valley road. Local legend credits the devil with planting it there. It is a short walk from the castle car park, and climbing the rock is forbidden.
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Łokietek's Cave
A cave on the slope of Chełmowa Góra where, by legend, the future king Władysław the Elbow-high hid from his rival behind a spider's web. Guided groups follow a lit route through its main chambers, which stay chilly all year. The approach is a steep path from the valley road, and the cave closes in winter.
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Ojców Castle
The gate tower and wall fragments of a royal castle raised by Casimir the Great on a crag above the valley road, part of the chain of Jura strongholds known as the Eagles' Nests. The octagonal tower holds a small exhibition and a view down the valley. Entry is ticketed and seasonal, and the path up is short but steep.
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Ojców National Park
A small national park protecting the limestone cliffs, beech woods and hundreds of caves of the Prądnik valley. Short marked trails link the rock formations, castle ruins and caves, and most can be walked in a single day. The valley itself is open to walk, while the castles and caves are ticketed separately.
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Pieskowa Skała Castle
A Renaissance castle with an arcaded courtyard on a crag above the valley, rebuilt in the sixteenth century by the Szafraniec family. It is a branch of the Wawel royal collections, showing European painting and period rooms, with a terraced garden and café. Entry is ticketed, with shorter hours outside summer.
