Holy Cross

Holy Cross combines nature experiences with a wide variety of discoveries: in Świętokrzyski National Park, the focus is on marked hiking trails and places designated for educational activities; elsewhere, topics range from prehistoric flint mining to a bison safari. When choosing a hotel or other accommodation, it is therefore worth first considering which experiences you want to shape your trip.

Plan your time in nature and on the trails

Świętokrzyski National Park protects the highest mountain range in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains and its surroundings. Visitors are permitted only on marked hiking trails or at places designated for educational activities. This restriction is part of the planning: shape your exploration of nature around the permitted trails and designated places. There is also a scree field on the summit of Łysa Góra. It formed during a glaciation from quartzite sandstone dating back around 500 million years.

If you want to plan your hikes in advance, you can use the “Świętokrzyskie szlaki turystyczne” platform. It lets you search hiking trails and plan your own trips using an extensive map feature. One specific example of a longer hiking route is the 20-kilometre red trail from Kielce to Chęciny: it begins at Karczówka Hill in Kielce and ends at the market square in Chęciny. Jaskinia Raj lies along this trail. Its passages and chambers display mineral formations in shades of white, beige, brown and rusty reddish-brown, covering the ceiling, floor, walls and detached boulders.

Cyclists will also find a clearly described route: the Czerwona Pętla Rowerowa is a 60-kilometre circular route with a stated duration of six hours. It passes through Chęciny Rynek and Podzamcze Chęcińskie, among other places, and through further locations in the Chęcinsko-Kielecki Landscape Park. The hiking trail and the cycling loop offer different ways to explore the area actively; you can take their lengths and stated duration into account when planning your day.

History and regional discoveries

In Krzemionki, prehistoric flint mines bear witness to the extraction of banded flint. They were in operation during the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, from around 3900 to 1600 BC. The prehistoric mining region was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019. Those interested in early mining history will find a distinctive focus for their trip here.

The Royal Castle of Chęciny offers a different historical perspective. It was built at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries as a hilltop castle on a rise 360 metres high. The Ethnographic Park in Tokarnia, by contrast, focuses on rural and small-town buildings. They are presented in natural settlement groupings, including sections of villages, a mill, a windmill and a smithy. In Sandomierz, the Underground Tourist Route offers another way of telling stories: its attractions include a multimedia exhibition about legendary figures from the city.

Experiences for different interests

In Kurozwęki, visitors can watch bison on a safari from a Western-style wagon that enters the enclosure. Qualified guides explain the history of the herd and the habits of the bison. Kurozwęki Palace also has a long historical connection: its history dates back to the 14th century. If you want to give different weight to wildlife observation and architectural history, you can take both topics into account when planning your trip without combining them into a single visit programme.

Other excursion destinations offer different highlights. In Bałtów, visitors can take raft trips on the Kamienna River; the Bałtów complex is located on the Świętokrzyski Archaeological-Geological Trail. The complex includes a dinosaur park under the supervision of palaeontological scientists. New discoveries lead to changes to the dinosaur figures or their display locations. The Leonardo da Vinci Centre teaches about the human body through interactive stations inside the building and in the garden. The experiences described therefore range from river trips and palaeontology to interactive learning.

Hotels, holiday apartments and holiday homes are different types of accommodation; which one is right for you depends on your own travel plans. The destinations and activities described provide pointers to the focus of your stay. When choosing, consider which experiences will be the deciding factor for your trip.

Discover other subregions

Additional pages about the subregions: Buski, Staszów, Włoszczowa, Kielce, Opatów, Ostrowiec, Starachowice, Końskie, Jędrzejów, Kazimierza, Pińczów, Skarżysko and Sandomierz County.