The Trail of the Eagles' Nests ( pl, Szlak Orlich Gniazd) of south-western Poland, is a
marked trail along a chain of 25 medieval castles between
Częstochowa
Częstochowa ( , ; german: Tschenstochau, Czenstochau; la, Czanstochova) is a city in southern Poland on the Warta River with 214,342 inhabitants, making it the thirteenth-largest city in Poland. It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship (adm ...
and
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula, Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland un ...
.
The Trail of the Eagles' Nests was first marked by
Kazimierz Sosnowski. Since 1980, much of the area has been designated a
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
known as the
Eagle Nests Landscape Park ( pl, Park Krajobrazowy Orlich Gniazd).
The castles date mostly to the 14th century, and were constructed probably by the order of
King of Poland
Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electable position in Europe (16th ...
Casimir the Great
Casimir III the Great ( pl, Kazimierz III Wielki; 30 April 1310 – 5 November 1370) reigned as the King of Poland from 1333 to 1370. He also later became King of Ruthenia in 1340, and fought to retain the title in the Galicia-Volhynia Wars. He w ...
.
The trail has been named the "Eagles' Nests", as most of the castles are located on large, tall rocks of the
Polish Jura Chain featuring many limestone cliffs, monadnocks and valleys below. They were built along the 14th-century border of
Lesser Poland
Lesser Poland, often known by its Polish name Małopolska ( la, Polonia Minor), is a historical region situated in southern and south-eastern Poland. Its capital and largest city is Kraków. Throughout centuries, Lesser Poland developed a ...
with the province of
Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Silesia, Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. S ...
, which at that time belonged to the
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia ( cs, České království),; la, link=no, Regnum Bohemiae sometimes in English literature referred to as the Czech Kingdom, was a medieval and early modern monarchy in Central Europe, the predecessor of the modern Czec ...
.
The Trail of the Eagles' Nests is considered one of the best tourist trails in Poland, marked as No. 1 on the official list of most popular trails in the country. It encompasses all 25 castles and watchtowers, and is long (the bicycle trail is long). Most of the sites can also be reached by bus.
[Eagle-Nest Castles - Tourist attractions.](_blank)
2011, ''KrakowInformer.com''
The castles of the Eagles' Nests
The Eagles' Nests castles ( pl, Orle Gniazda), many of which survived only in the form of picturesque ruins, are perched high on the tallest rocks between
Częstochowa
Częstochowa ( , ; german: Tschenstochau, Czenstochau; la, Czanstochova) is a city in southern Poland on the Warta River with 214,342 inhabitants, making it the thirteenth-largest city in Poland. It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship (adm ...
and the former Polish capital
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula, Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland un ...
. The castles were built to protect Kraków as well as important trading routes against the foreign invaders. Later, the castles passed on into the hands of various Polish aristocratic families.
::
Picture gallery
File:Olsztyn(js)1.jpg, Olsztyn
Olsztyn ( , ; german: Allenstein ; Old Prussian: ''Alnāsteini''
* Latin: ''Allenstenium'', ''Holstin'') is a city on the Łyna River in northern Poland. It is the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, and is a city with county rights. ...
Castle
File:Zamek w Będzinie.jpg, Będzin Castle
File:Ogrodzieniec_zamek_MG.jpg, Ogrodzieniec Castle
File:Zamek w Mirowie 12.08.08 p4-k.jpg, Mirów Castle
File:Zamek w Ojcowie a1.jpg, Ojców Castle
File:Zamek w Rabsztynie3.jpg, Rabsztyn Castle
File:Zamek Bobolice 2010.jpg, Bobolice Castle
File:Pieskowa Skała 1.jpg, Pieskowa Skała Castle
File:Siewierz - Zamek 01.jpg, Siewierz
Siewierz is a town in southern Poland, in the Będzin County in the Silesian Voivodeship, seat of Gmina Siewierz.
History
Siewierz was first mentioned in 1125, and was administered by the Castellan of Bytom. In 1177, Casimir II of Poland grant ...
Castle
File:Teczyn2.JPG, Tenczyn Castle
File:Przewodziszowice (js)1.jpg, Przewodziszowice Castle
File:Lutowiec2(js).jpg, Łutowiec Castle
File:Smolen castle 20070503 1506.jpg, Smoleń Castle
File:Korzkiew zamek 20080426 3180.jpg, Korzkiew Castle
File:Pilica (js)1.jpg, Pilica Castle
File:Dankow1 (js).jpg, Danków Castle
File:Ryczow castle 20070503 1248.jpg, Ryczów Castle
File:Zamek Lipowiec 8 maja 2010.jpg, Lipowiec Castle, Babice
:''Note: the photos above may include structures located just outside the marked Trail of the Eagles' Nests.''
See also
*
Dunajec river castles The Dunajec river castles is a chain of thirteen medieval castles (some of which do not exist any longer), built in southern Lesser Poland, along the Dunajec river. The castles protected the border between the Kingdom of Poland and the Kingdom of Hu ...
References
* Eagles' Nests Trail online map
Waymarked Trails ''Poland'' by Neil Wilson, Tom Parkinson, Richard Watkins Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books.
History Early years
Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 1972, they embark ...
List of castles
{{Coord missing, Poland
Hiking trails in Poland
Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Silesian Voivodeship