Rezerwat przyrody Skałki Stoleckie, Nature reserve near Ząbkowice Śląskie, Poland.
The Rezerwat przyrody Skałki Stoleckie sits on the southern slope of Wapienna Mountain and displays limestone walls, small caves, and underground passages. The terrain is marked by rocky outcrops and irregular formations that resulted from centuries of stone extraction.
The area was placed under protection in the 1960s after limestone had been extracted there for centuries. This long history of quarrying shaped the landscape and led to its protection as a reserve.
The rocks here take their name from the nearby Stolec Castle, which has shaped this landscape for centuries. Visitors notice the close connection between the natural limestone terrain and the human structures that have developed in this region.
Two marked hiking trails reach the reserve, one from Szklary through Wzgórza Dobrzenieckie and another from Bardo via Ząbkowice Śląskie. Both routes are clearly marked and need standard hiking gear because the ground is uneven and rocky.
The area hosts insect species from southern Europe that live here at their northernmost range. Particularly notable is a bee species that builds clay nests on the limestone and exists only at this Polish location.
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