Historic sites
medieval stronghold on the highest hill of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, on the Trail of the Eagles' Nests
Museums
a reconstructed 12th-14th century stronghold on a rocky hill near Ogrodzieniec
Churches and monasteries
a chapel by a rock in Podzamcze, where an image of Mary is said to have appeared in 1818
Mountains
a rock shelter with four openings and traces of human presence since the Upper Palaeolithic
For children
models of the Eagles' Nests castles at 1:25 and replica siege engines
Things to do in Podzamcze: the ruins of Ogrodzieniec Castle, the Birów Hill stronghold, a miniature park and a shrine by a rock.
Podzamcze lies in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland and draws families, castle lovers, anyone planning a day outdoors and visitors looking for places for rainy weather. The five sites on this list cluster around the castle and Birów hill.
Everything revolves around Ogrodzieniec Castle, what is left of a medieval fortress, reached from ulica Zamkowa. The ruins crown Zamkowa Hill, which at 515.5 m above sea level is the upland's top elevation, and the castle belongs to the Eagles' Nests system of strongholds. The people who run it describe it as the biggest castle complex in Silesia and the best-known stop along the Eagles' Nests Trail. Visitors can walk through the ruins.
At the foot of the castle, also on ulica Zamkowa, is the Miniature Park in Ogrodzieniec. It shows the castles and strongholds of the Eagles' Nests Trail at one twenty-fifth of their real size, from Kraków to Częstochowa, including Olsztyn, Siewierz and Będzin. There are also replicas of siege engines. It is a good choice for families with children.
The article Ogrodzieniec Castle: from the Włodek Sulimczyk family to the ruins cameras love covers the place too, if you want its history before you go.
On Birów hill stands the reconstructed Birów Hill Stronghold, open to visitors since 2018, with an exhibition of archaeological finds. A shallow basin at the top is ringed by rock outcrops that form steep cliffs on the outside, so the place was easy to defend and was settled in many eras. The exhibition offers shelter from the rain.
In the rocks of Birów there is also the rock shelter in Góra Birów, known as Cave IV: a natural cave with four openings and a valuable archaeological site. It lies in the Ogrodzieniec commune, in the Częstochowa Upland.
Yes. The Shrine of Our Lady of the Rock is a Marian place of worship by a limestone rock, beside provincial road no. 790, close to the castle. According to tradition, on 14 October 1818 an image of the Virgin Mary appeared here to a local resident.
For the full list of places, see the page on what to do alone in Podzamcze.
The ruins of Ogrodzieniec Castle, the Birów Hill Stronghold, the Miniature Park, the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rock and the rock shelter in Góra Birów.
To the Miniature Park by the castle, where models of the castles on the Eagles' Nests Trail and replicas of siege engines stand.
Choose the exhibition in the Birów Hill Stronghold or the Miniature Park. The castle is a ruin, so most of the visit takes place outdoors.
The Eagles' Nests Trail in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, on the highest hill of the region.
