“Kadzielnia” nature reserve

Kadzielnia is a former quarry surrounding a huge rock formation called the Skałka Geologów (Geologists’ Rock), the highest part of which, having a natural character, is legally protected as the Kadzielnia nature reserve with an area of 0.6 ha. It is also a remnant of the top of the Kadzielnia Mountain (295 m above sea level), which gave its name to the whole Kadzielnia Range, extending in the southern part of Kielce and composed mainly of Upper Devonian limestone rocks. These rocks were mined and burnt in lime kilns at Kadzielnia from 1770 until 1962, when the “Kadzielnia” nature reserve was established and the quarry and lime works officially ceased operation. The most important testimony to industrial history is the excavation of a former quarry managed by Geopark Kielce and made available for recreational, tourist and educational purposes as part of the so-called Kadzielnia Park. In addition to educational paths and vantage points, the park also features an underground tourist route of about 145 metres in length, providing access to the following caves: Odkrywców, Prochownię and Szczelina na Kadzielni, located at the foot of the eastern wall of the quarry. The route is open to the public from April to October (https://geopark-kielce.pl/jaskinie/).

The southern part of the excavation site is where the Kadzielnia Amphitheatre, with over 5,000 seats, is located. It is a modernised version of the first amphitheatre built in this place in 1971. The tourist attractions of Kadzielnia are complemented by a zip-line, making it possible to make one of the longest slides in Poland. The most important geotourist attractions of Kadzielnia are: the profile of Upper Devonian limestones, marls and shales with numerous fossilised remains of marine animals; numerous examples of tectonic faults and the mineralisation associated with them (e.g. calcite, barite, galena); the largest accumulation of caves in the Holy Cross Mountains region (25 recognised caves and rock shelters); a unique post-mining landscape with the monumental Skałka Geologów (Geologists’ Rock); some of the best vantage points in the Holy Cross Mountains region.