Gora Zborow Reserve

Gora Zborow, also called Berkowa Gora, is a 462-metre limestone hill in the middle of the Krakow-Czestochowa Jura whose top is a scatter of white rock outcrops standing out of thin grassland and juniper - open enough that the view runs across the whole Jura plateau, which is unusual here, since most of the range is wooded. It is a nature reserve for its rock flora and its outcrops, and it is also one of the main Jura climbing areas, with bolted routes on the towers. Underneath is Jaskinia Gluboka, a show cave of about two hundred metres opened to visitors with lighting and a guided route, with formations and a history of excavation that produced Palaeolithic material. The Podlesice side has a car park and a cluster of accommodation. It sits on the Eagles' Nests trail between the ruined castles at Mirow, Bobolice and Ogrodzieniec.

The landscape

• Open limestone outcrops - white rock in grassland with a rare open Jura view.
• Jaskinia Gluboka - a lit show cave of about two hundred metres beneath the hill.
• A climbing area - bolted routes on the towers on the summit.
• The Eagles' Nests - the castle trail running past between Mirow and Ogrodzieniec.

When to go

April to October. Half a day, with the cave.

Things to know

The cave is charged, guided and cold - and closes in winter for bats. The summit is exposed with no shade. Weekend crowds from Silesia are heavy. Rock underfoot is slippery when wet.

Nearby

Mirow and Bobolice castles are north; Ogrodzieniec is south.

Key facts