Rezerwat przyrody Skamieniałe Miasto, Nature reserve in Ciężkowice, Poland
Rezerwat przyrody Skamieniałe Miasto (Petrified City) is a nature reserve set on a forested hillside just south of the center of Ciężkowice, in the Ciężkowice-Rożnów Landscape Park in southern Poland. The reserve contains four groups of sandstone rock formations shaped by erosion into unusual forms, linked together by a marked trail.
The area was recognized as a natural monument in 1931, and a formal reserve of just under 15 hectares was established in 1974. The name "Petrified City" comes from old folk tales that local people invented to explain the strange rock shapes around them.
The most recognized rock formation is called "Czarownica" (the Witch) because its shape recalls a female figure with a long nose. This image is so tied to Ciężkowice that it has become a symbol of the town and can be spotted from the main road bridge.
The reserve is open year-round with no set closing time, so visits are possible at any hour of the day. Sturdy footwear is recommended, as the trail crosses uneven ground and bare rock surfaces.
The largest rock group was once called "Piekło" (Hell) before being renamed in 1910 in memory of the medieval Battle of Grunwald. A plaque funded by a military officer still marks this dedication on the rock today.
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