2 stops in walking order

Castle

Pieniny Castle, also known as the Castle of St. Kinga, is a ruined medieval Polish castle located near Krościenko nad Dunajcem, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in the Pieniny mountains. The stronghold was most likely built in the early 1280s. Its construction is associated with Saint Kinga, who is believed to have commissioned it as a refuge for the Poor Clares' monastery in times of conflict. The duchess and the nuns took shelter there during the third Mongol invasion of Poland. The castle's subsequent 14th-century history is poorly documented. While recent research suggests that it remained in use in the 15th century, the prevailing view among researchers holds that it was likely abandoned in the 14th century and destroyed during the invasion of the Hussites or the forces of Stibor of Stiboricz at the beginning of the 15th century. The building is one of the oldest masonry castles in Poland and is an example of high-mountain castle architecture.

~20 min at this stop

Nature

The Dunajec River Gorge runs through the Pieniny Mountains in the south of Poland and the north of Slovakia (as Dunajec is the border river between the two countries in the area). The gorge is characterized by some of the most interesting geological and geomorphological structures and area-specific natural ecosystems with little anthropogenic influence. It is featured on UNESCO's Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in Poland. The Gorge makes 7 loops in its length. The surrounding rock reaches 300 m in height almost all the way through.

~20 min at this stop