MACIEJ DZIĘGIEL Górnośląska Wyższa Szkoła Handlowa, Ul
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Acta Geoturistica volume 4 (2013), number 1, 1-9 Monadnocks and Ogrodzieniec medieval castle ruins - an example of geotourism locality in the Cracow – Częstochowa Upland (Southern Poland) MACIEJ DZIĘGIEL Górnośląska Wyższa Szkoła Handlowa, ul. Harcerzy Września 3, 40-659 Katowice, Poland (E-mail: [email protected]) ABSTRACT The paper is on a very picturesque karst landscape of Upper Jurassic carbonate buildups and the Ogrodzieniec medieval castle ruins integrated into them at the vil- lage of Podzamcze situated on the Cracow – Częstochowa Upland. Those two ob- jects are the essential examples of geotourism locality in the most typical karstland in Poland. Around the Ogrodzieniec Castle are very numerous magnificent karst Upper Jurassic limestone monadnocks, which could be very useful geosites for sci- entific research. Geotourism around Podzamcze could be easily developed when some educational trails, visitors’ centre with geological information and geopark around Podzamcze are created. Key words: geotourism, Upper Jurassic limestone, karst, monadnock, castle ruins INTRODUCTION the enlargement of joint, gravitational dis- placements of rocky mass, cave levels and Upper Jurassic carbonate buildups com- rocky-shelters with traces of different pre- plex and the Ogrodzieniec medieval castle historic cultures. The ruins of medieval ruins integrated into them situated at the castles crowning rocky hills are enriching village of Podzamcze are ones of the most the natural landscape in Jura Chain repre- spectacular and picturesque monadnocks senting the most typical karstland of Po- and cliffs on the Cracow - Częstochowa land. It used to be visited by tourists for a Upland. Podzamcze is located in the middle very long time ago. That massive Jurassic part of the upland in the eastern part of the limestone is a very essential example of Upper Silesia Region close to its border geotourism attraction (Słomka, Świderska with the Małopolska Region (fig. 1). The 2004, Migoń 2012). The diversity of the village belongs to the Ogrodzieniec munic- karst rocks around the Cracow – Często- ipality and Zawiercie county. Those charac- chowa Upland makes some possibilities of teristic monadnocks around the village are the tourism’s different types development built of Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian) lime- there. It can follow especially as geoprotec- stones with its numerous karst features, tion is developed just there too (Ale- which can be observed. Podzamcze’s sur- xandrowicz 2006a, 2006b, Migoń 2012). rounding is in the area of Eagle Nests Juras- sic Landscape Park, which extends from Mstów, east of Częstochowa to Błędów GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE Dessert and Rabsztyn (Żerański 2003). AROUND PODZAMCZE The ruins of the Ogrodzieniec medieval castle are situated on the top of Janowski’s The Polish Jurassic Terrain where Pod- Mountain, the highest rocky hill on the Cra- zamcze is situated in the southern part of cow - Częstochowa Upland (515,5 m a.s.l.). large tectonic unit - the Silesian – Cracow Its role was defensive in the medieval Monocline – built of Triassic, Jurassic and times. Cretaceous sediments and extending NNW Very nice landscape of diversified land- – SSE (Stupnicka 2007). The underground forms shaped by karst processes generated of Podzamcze is composed of Triassic, Ju- 1 Acta Geoturistica volume 4 (2013), number 1, 1-9 Fig. 1 Localization of the geotouristic objects around Podzamcze rassic, Cretaceous and Quaternary sedi- asian) are composed of gravels, clays, fire- ments. There are also some vertical faults proof clays, quartzites and quartzit con- among them (fig. 2) (Kaziuk et al., 1956). glomerates. Its total thickness is up to 26 m. Triassic formation around Podzamcze Middle Jurassic Beds include gray marls comprises Middle and Upper Triassic lay- and marly limestones thick on up to 30 cm. ers. Middle Triassic (Muschelkalk) for- They contain some phosphorites and bel- mation comprises lower and upper Gogolin emnites (fig. 2), (Bednarek et al., 1978). Beds, Olkusz Beds and the layer of crystal Upper Jurassic – Lower Oxfordian series and diplopora dolomite. Upper Triassic is composed of thin bedded creamy lime- formation occurs as the Rhaetian layer in- stones with some scyphian and sponge – cluding clays, claystones and mudstones tuberolite marls. They contain plenty of with conglomerates (fig. 2). Lower Gogolin ammonites and their thickness is up to 2,5 Beds are composed of yellow and grey cri- m (fig. 2). The series of the border between noid and wavy limestones, locally marly Lower and Middle Oxfordian Beds include upwards passing into cellar limestones or bedded marly limestones and some scyphi- grey dolomites. Upper Gogolin Beds are an and sponge – tuberolite marls. Grey mainly composed of crystal and pelitic limestone beds are 1 m thick and grey marls wavy and organogenic limestones. Total - 30 cm. They also contain some brachio- thickness of the Gogolin Beds is up to 35 m pods, ammonites, belemnites and flints (fig. (fig. 2) (Bednarek et al., 1978). The Olkusz 2). Middle Oxfordian Beds are composed of Beds are composed of bright grey, beige bedded sponge – tuberolite limestones. and yellow dolomites and dolomite lime- Those are bright creamy granular lime- stones containing some inserts of granular stones containing some flints and ammo- and pelitic limestones. Their thickness is nites. Upper Oxfordian Beds include mainly not more than 50 m. On the ceiling of the massive limestones which are the most es- Muschelkalk are crystal and diplopora do- sential exposing rocks at Podzamcze (fig. lomites, which host some zink ores locally 2). These rocks create a typical and pictur- (fig. 2), (Bednarek et al., 1978). Upper Tri- esque karst landscape for Cracow – Często- assic Formation, Rhaetian layer is com- chowa Upland. Its thickness varies from 20 posed of clays, claystones and cherry or till 30 m and the total for all Oxfordian se- green mudstones containing some quartz ries is above 300 m (Bednarek et al., 1978). conglomerates. The thickness of this series Quaternary coverage around Podzamcze is not more than 110 m (fig. 2) (Bednarek et comprises Pleistocene and Holocene sedi- al., 1978). ments. Pleistocene includes thin gravel, Jurassic litostratigraphic profile comprises water and glacier sands with some lime- six rocky series. First two are Lower Juras- stone and siliceous crumbs of the South sic (Liasian) and Middle Jurassic – Kelowej Polish Glaciations. The thickness of Pleis- sediments but four next ones - Upper Juras- tocene sediments is up to tens of meters. sic – Oxfordian. Lower Jurassic Beds (Li- Lower glacial sediments at Podzamcze are 2 Acta Geoturistica volume 4 (2013), number 1, 1-9 Fig. 2 Geological map of the area of the vicinity of Podzamcze (Kaziuk et al., 1956) locally covered by weathered sands con- ide circulating in the rock (Dowgiałło et al., taining some crumbs of the underground 2002). In result, intensive karstification in rocks. Their thickness does not exceed a Upper Jurassic limestones is observed, dozen meters. Holocene sediments are in mainly in the form of vast morphological the form of river sands with some clays depressions around Podzamcze (fig. 3c-d). (fig. 2) (Bednarek et al., 1978). Much diversified shape of the carbonate monadnocks was caused by the limestone’s facial diversity and resulting differences in THE RELIEF AROUND PODZAMCZE resistance against weathering there. Those massive limestone rocks, known as the The area of the Cracow – Częstochowa most characteristic monadnocks in the Upland is a plateau of rather low elevation Polish Jura Terrain were preserved mainly (300 – 515 m a.s.l.) and insignificant rela- in result of its highest resistance against tive heights. The relief around Podzamcze weathering (Matyszkiewicz 2008, Krajew- is highly diversified. The landscape is cre- ski, Matyszkiewicz 2009). ated mainly by structurally controlled pla- nation surface with Upper Jurassic lime- stone massifs and hills capped by spectacu- THE OUTLINE OF THE lar cliffs (fig. 3c-d) (Nita 2004). OGRODZIENIEC CASTLE HISTORY The origin of the monadnocks rising from the plateau around Podzamcze is erosional The Ogrodzieniec Castle is situated on the (Pokorny 1963). They were created by top of Janowski’s Mountain among the Up- limestone rocks’ dissolution by water con- per Jurassic limestone buildups (fig. 3a-e, taining a high concentration of carbon diox- 4) in the southern part of Podzamcze (fig. 3 Acta Geoturistica volume 4 (2013), number 1, 1-9 Fig. 3 Pictures of the Ogrodzieniec castle ruins and monadnocks of its surrounding (Photo: Author): a - view of the castle from the ward, b - Convicts Tower (on the left), Kredencerska Tower (on the right), c - Bear and Doll monadnocks, d - Convicts Tower, in the distance - Camle monadnock, e - Hen's Foot 1). It is the most beautiful and imposing wars in 1655 and 1702 the castle was dam- object on the Cracow – Częstochowa Up- aged so seriously that it could not regain its land. The castle was built on the site of a former glory any more. Last owners left the wooden fortified settlement in the XIVth castle around 1810, because of the danger century during the reign of the King Casi- of breaking ceilings. Since then, it was left mir the Great. In the medieval times their uncared and served as source of building role was Cracow’s protection, which was materials. In consequence of that, that the capital of Poland then and state border mighty fortress was reduced to an abiding from any raids. ruin. Only after the Second World War the The castle changed hands many times. castle has undergone some architectural, When the Boners inherited it, they rebuilt reconstructive, and protective works per- the building in 1530 – 1545 so that it grew formed by state. Due to that, the castle ruins up to an imposing Renaissance defensive (fig. 3a-e, 4) have been available for tour- residence. It consisted of four wings ar- ists up to now. A large number of outdoor ranged around an arcaded courtyard. Next events, tournaments for example, are organ- owners, the Firlejs (Boner’s descendants) ised on the ward (fig.