Grojec, Mountain summit in Żywiec, Poland.
Grojec is a mountain on the edge of Żywiec in southern Poland, made up of three separate peaks reaching up to 596 meters at the highest point. It sits at the meeting point of the Soła and Koszarawa rivers, overlooking the surrounding Beskid landscape.
A wooden castle stood on the summit until 1460, when it was taken down. After that, the hilltop was used as an execution ground for local outlaws, among them a bandit known as Marcin Portasz.
A steel cross on the summit of Średni Grojec was placed in memory of Pope John Paul II's visit to Żywiec in May 1995. Many visitors come here today to stop at the cross and mark that moment in a personal way.
A yellow hiking trail leads from central Żywiec up to the peaks and passes viewpoints looking out over Lake Żywieckie and the Beskid Mountains. The path is clearly marked and can be done without any special gear.
The southern slopes of the mountain hide a cave and support rare plants like round-leaved sundew, a carnivorous species that grows in the high peat bogs there. Most hikers pass through without noticing any of this.
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