Rock Shelter in Góra Birów near Podzamcze (North)

The rock shelter in Góra Birów near Podzamcze (North), also called Cave IV, is a natural cave in the Birów rocks, on which the Birów Hill Stronghold stands. It lies in Podzamcze in Ogrodzieniec municipality, on the Częstochowa Upland.

What the shelter looks like

The shelter has four openings: western, middle upper, middle lower and eastern. It is located in the rocks known as the Birów Pillar and the Turnia nad Obozem. A spacious corridor runs between the eastern and western openings, and above the middle opening rises a tall, partly open chimney. Between the western and the middle upper opening there is a rock gateway.

The interior is almost entirely light, dry and airy. Dripstone formations have survived on the walls: moonmilk, calcite flowstone and mushroom-shaped deposits.

Archaeological site

The first scientific research began in 1990 and lasted several years. It turned out that the shelter is among the most valuable cave archaeological sites in Poland. People lived in it, with breaks, from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Middle Ages, and the finds include objects of the Aurignacian culture, rare in Poland.

Nearby

The Birów rocks form the hill on which the Birów Hill Stronghold stands. Not far away are also the ruins of Ogrodzieniec Castle, and the whole area lies on the Trail of the Eagles’ Nests.

Practical information

• Location: Podzamcze, Ogrodzieniec municipality, Zawiercie County.
• The shelter lies in the rocks by the Birów Hill Stronghold; check the rules of entry and any restrictions with the stronghold’s manager before your visit.
• The interior consists of corridors, a chimney and rock thresholds, so sturdy footwear will be useful.