Krzemionki
ul. Parkowa / ul. Krzemionki
Standing tall in the southern part of Kraków, this limestone hill is a picturesque place brimming with secrets, which has not yet been engulfed by civilisation. The very geological structure has always provided an extraordinary backdrop for the place, and one of the versions of the legends has the sorcerer Twardowski running his famous studio of magic here.
The complex of limestone rocks known as Krzemionki dominates the landscape of the Podgórze district, reaching nearly 270 m (885 ft) at its highest point. In 1896 a landscape park opened in the former stone quarry, to be later named after the main initiator of its construction, Wojciech Bednarski. Unfortunately, the intensifying traffic forced the construction of the multilane al. Powstańców Śląskich (1977–78), which bisected Krzemionki (later reconnected with a foot and cycle bridge). The picturesque King (or Prince) Krak (or Krakus) Mound, which commands an unbroken view over Wawel Hill, the Church “on the Rock”, and plenty of other historical architecture of Kraków on one side, while the other boasts the church and fort of St Benedict, and a beautiful, somewhat wild meadow. A peculiarity of the thoroughfare from the side of the fort is a mural from 2007 commemorating the 750th anniversary of the chartering the city.
generally accessible