If you treat a mountain bike or trekking bike as an extension of your legs, and suburban excursions on two wheels are your favorite leisure activity, Poland’s Jura will win your heart from the very beginning of your journey.
Small forested valleys full of rocks line the unforgettable trails here, and the plateau above pampers you with wonderful views of distant mountains.
The proximity to the city also does its part. The Ojców National Park, located just outside Kraków, can be reached by bicycle from the center of Kraków in two hours, as can the other valleys near Kraków.
Also, the northern, closer to Częstochowa, part of the Jura is a great area for cycling enthusiasts. Cycling routes even encircle a unique, sandy area on the western edge of the Jura- the Błędowska Desert!
Below is a proposal for a one-day trip, during which you will see the most interesting attractions of the Ojców National Park and neighboring valleys.
Bicycle route around Ojców
Length: 40 km (the route can be shortened by half)
Length of the journey: 4-5 hours
The route stretches along the most scenically beautiful section of the Prądnik Valley and looks into the neighboring Błędów Valley, popular with climbing enthusiasts. You will pass, among other things, a beautiful forest descent along the old road to Ojców, see the most famous Jura rock – the Hercules Mace and the renaissance castle in Pieskowa Skała, watch the struggles of climbers on the 100-meter-high Sokolica rock, and if you have enough time you will also visit the longest cave in the region – Wierzchowska Cave.
On the way you can stop for a delicious lunch at the fish ponds in Ojców (see: Ojcowski Trout) or at the Brandysówka shelter in the Będkowska Valley.