Świętokrzyskie is a land of ancient mountains and stone legends where the earth is older than anywhere else in the country. This region is the center of the **Holy Cross** mountains scenic drive through a landscape of dark pine woods and grey rock fields. You can hike to the top of **Łysa Góra** to see the stone walls of an old pagan site and a monastery that holds a holy relic. The road takes you to the **Chęciny** Castle where three stone towers look out over the hills from a high rocky ridge. You can visit the Paradise Cave to see a world of white stone needles and underground pools that look like a dream. The landscape here is full of history with prehistoric flint mines and massive ruins like the **Krzyżtopór** palace that once had stables with marble troughs. Nearby the town of **Sandomierz** sits on a high bank above the river with a maze of tunnels dug deep into the soft earth below the streets. You can walk through the loess gorges where the roots of the trees create a natural roof over the path. This region is a place of magic and old stories where the rocks speak of a time before the first humans walked the land.

Świętokrzyskie highlights

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The Scenic Route

The Heritage Drive

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History of Świętokrzyskie

Świętokrzyskie is a land of stone legends where mountains are some of the oldest on the planet, dating back over **500 million years**. The grey rock fields, known as **gołoborze**, were formed during the ice age and have stood still for centuries. This ancient past is the spirit of the **Holy Cross mountains scenic drive** through a landscape of dark pine and hidden caves. The region was a center of early industry where the first humans mined striped flint stones in **Krzemionki** over **5,000 years ago**. Later, in the **1630s**, the lords of the land built the massive **Krzyżtopór** palace. This giant ruin was built as a stone calendar with **4** towers for the seasons, **12** halls for months, and **365** windows for the days. The monks of the **Holy Cross** built their abbey on a high peak in the **11th century** to guard a piece of the holy wood. The site became a place of journey that drew thousands of travelers across the rugged hills for centuries. From the white needles of the **Paradise Cave** to the stone towers of castles, this region is where the history of the earth is written in rock.

Świętokrzyskie