Piłsudski Mound, Camaldolese Hermit Monastery and Vineyard Views Trek
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Piłsudski Mound |
Mounds are a big thing in Kraków! There are four of them to be explored - the Krakus Mound, the Wanda Mound, the Kościuszko Mound and the Piłsudski Mound. The latter is the biggest and tallest standing at 35 metres high and 111 metres wide. Set in the Wolski Forest (Las Wolski) it offers a rewarding jaunt into rural tranquillity with stunning panoramic views. A visit to this area can also be combined with exploring the Zoo, Camaldolese Hermit Monastery and the Srebrna Góra Vineyard.
Getting to the Piłsudski Mound
There are various ways to get to this area. The easiest is to jump on the 134 bus to the Zoo. These leave fairly frequently from Cracowia Stadium (ul. Józefa Kałuży). This link will help you master buying tickets and navigating public transport in Kraków.
Alternatively you could actually trek all the way to this area from the city centre. This link will guide you on how to do this. You could also cycle from the city centre using this same route.
Once at the Zoo, there is a red trail marked that will take you all the way to the Piłsudski Mound.
The Kopiec Piłsudskiego (Piłsudski Mound)
Józef Piłsudski was a Polish patriot, military leader and statesman who was directly engaged in the Polish independence movement and armed resistance against the Russians. A well known figure by the outbreak of World War1, he formed the Polish Legions, which ultimately became Poland's State Military. The Legions won several battles, and after the Armistice, Piłsudski effectively became a founding father of the Second Polish Republic. He went on to become the Chief of State and continued his struggle against the Russians by waging battles to try and re-establish what he considered to be Poland's rightful borders, even forcing them to surrender in 1921. Despite becoming the Polish Legion’s military dictator until his death in 1935, he is still one of the most revered heroes in Polish history.
The mound itself was conceived in 1934 by the combatant organisation of Polish Legionaries who wanted to find a way to commemorate the Polish struggle for independence by creating a man made mound. After his death, it was decided to name it after Józef Piłsudski. Soil from all the World War I battlefields on which Poles fought were laid in the mound.
During World War 2 and the communist regime, the authorities tried to play down Piłsudski's role in creating the independent Polish State, and the mound itself was unfortunately left to deteriorate with trees planted to try to obscure and destroy it.
Today however, it has undergone several restorations with the cross of the Polish Legions restored on a granite tablet at the top and Polish flags fluttering in the breeze.
The route to the top is much easier than you think as the paths follow a very gentle and gradual gradient upwards. At the top you are rewarded with a fantastic panorama of the city, the Wolski woods, the foothills to the south of the city and, if clear, the dramatic jagged outline of the Tatra Mountains beyond. There are also some lovely open picnic areas at the base, as well as a children's playpark.
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| Polish flags fluttering at the top of the mound |
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| Views over the woods to the city beyond |
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Picnic areas, playpark and very gradual path meandering its way upwards |
The Tatra Mountains to the south
Trekking from the Kopiec Piłsudskiego to the Camaldolese Hermit Monastery
From the Piłsudski Mound, a rewarding trek is to make your way to the Camaldolese Hermit Monastery (Klasztor Kamedułów). This monastery is also called the 'Silver Mountain Hermitage,' and is where the Camaldolites, a branch of the Benedictine monastic orders, reside in tranquility and seclusion. The founder, Mikołaj Wolski, who the surrounding forest is named after, acquired the land from Sebastian Lubomirski in 1604 after arriving from Italy in 1604.
The Camaldolites' reclusive lifestyle piques the interest of outsiders because of their secretive and isolated existence. Cloaked in white hooded robes, with bushy beards, these monks adhere to strict self-imposed principles such as ‘Ora et labora’ (‘Pray and work’) and ‘Memento Mori’ (‘Remember you must die’). They refrain from speaking unless essential and only interact during specific prayer periods. Short verbal exchanges are permitted thrice a week, with contact beyond the monastery limited to only five days annually. Each monk dines on simple vegetarian meals in the seclusion of their modest hermitage between prayer and work. This place of residence, adorned with minimal décor, may ghoulishly include the skull of the inhabitants predecessor.
The Camaldolese monks, known for their extreme seclusion, strict practices, and devout lifestyle, number fewer than 60 worldwide, with 7 of these residing in Las Wolski.
Visiting
If you are thinking you can just waltz into the monastery as a visitor - forget it. Unfortunately there are fairly strict rules governing this.
Men can visit the monastery daily during 10:00-11:00 and 15:30-16:30. In contrast, women are only allowed entry on specific days each year: February 7th, the Annunciation, Easter Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, Pentecost Monday, Corpus Christi, June 19th (St. Romuald's feast day), the Sunday after June 19th, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15th), Birth of the Virgin Mary (September 8th), The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary (December 8th), and Christmas Day (December 25th).
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| Klasztor Kamedułów viewed from across the river |
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| The entrance to Klasztor Kamedułów |
Getting there from the Piłsudski Mound
Use the map above to negotiate the forest trails from the Piłsudski Mound to Camaldolese Hermit Monastery. Look out for the World War 1 bunker en route.
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| World War1 bunker |
Srebrna Góra Vineyard
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| Srebrna Góra Vineyard |
From the Camaldolese Hermit Monastery, a short stroll downhill brings you to the Srebrna Góra Vineyard. As you make your way along the asphalt road, broad vistas of vines open out on your left and right with the walk punctuated with information boards detailing the history of the area, and its vineyards.
The vineyard itself has its roots intertwined with Krakow's wine history dating back to the early 10th century. Indeed, evidence discovered at the Wawel Castle reveals ancient winemaking traditions practiced by monks in the area. The original 3-acre vineyard at Srebrna Góra, planted in 1660, continues to flourish today with the modern-day Srebrna Góra Vineyard that we see today officially opened in 2008.
The wines themselves are crafted in the ancient farm buildings of neighbouring Camaldolese Monastery then whisked into shiny steel tanks for a touch of modern charm. From Gewürztraminer to Zweigelt, the wines follow a tradition of centuries of grape-growing magic in Galicia. And keeping a watchful eye over it all is Agnieszka Rousseau, one of Poland's leading ecologists.
As you thread your way between the fields of vines you will presently happen upon the vineyard shop and tasting room with lovely terrace and café. If you want to arrange a vineyard tour, contact the vineyard with this link.
From the monastery, through the vineyards to the tasting room, shop and café
After enjoying sampling wines, or simply sipping a coffee whilst admiring the undulating views of the surrounding vines and the Vistula valley beyond, it is a short skip to catch one of the many buses back into Kraków.
Location of bus stop back into Kraków
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