Dolina Bedkowska

The Krakow-Czestochowa Jura is a belt of Jurassic limestone running north-west from Krakow, and where streams have cut into it the valleys have white crags standing out of beech woodland - Dolina Bedkowska is one of the best of them, about four kilometres long with rock on both sides and a stream on the floor. Its significance is climbing: the Jura crags around here, and Bedkowska in particular, are where Polish rock climbing developed and where a great deal of the country's hard sport climbing still happens, with hundreds of bolted routes across the walls, including some of the harder lines in Poland. Non-climbers walk the valley floor, which is easy and pleasant, past the Brandysowka meadow, a small waterfall and formations including the Sokolica needle. Ojcow National Park with its own valleys is a short distance east and the whole Jura carries a chain of ruined castles known as the Eagles' Nests trail.

What you actually see

• White crags in beech - Jurassic limestone standing out of the woodland on both sides.
• A climbing heartland - hundreds of bolted routes and where Polish sport climbing developed.
• An easy valley floor - four kilometres of level walking past meadows and formations.
• The Eagles' Nests - the Jura's chain of ruined castles running north from here.

When to go

April to October. A day.

Honest expectations

Weekends bring climbers and Krakow day trippers in numbers. There is limited parking at the valley mouth. Rockfall below the crags is a real hazard when parties are on them. Facilities are one or two seasonal places.

Nearby

Ojcow National Park is east; Krakow is south-east.