Jaskinia Ciemna

Dark Cave


Useful Information

Location: South of Ojcow. In the Ojcowski National Park. 20 km Northwest of Cracow.
Ticket office: green trail in the Prądnik valley. 400 m walk to the cave.
(50.197564, 19.830052)
Open: 18-APR to SEP daily 9-17.
OCT daily 9-16.
Last admission 1 h before closing.
[2021]
Fee: Adults PLN 14, Children (3-16) PLN 7, Children (0-2) free, Students PLN 7, Seniors PLN 7, Disabled PLN 7.
[2020]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst Cave. Upper Jurassic Limestone.
Light: candle lighting
Dimension: L=186 m, A=410 m asl.
Guided tours: L=120 m, D=20 min.
Photography:  
Accessibility:  
Bibliography:  
Address: Jaskinia Ciemna, Ojcowski National Park, 32-047 Ojcow, Tel: +48-12-4239063.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

17th century visited by the Polish King.
1691 first described in Świat podziemny blisky (The Close Undergound World).
1787 visited by the last Polish King Stanisłav August Poniatowski.
190? first Polish cave with electric light.

Description

Jaskinia Ciemna is a very old show cave, as the first official cave tour was made during a visit of the Polish King in the 17th century. For another royal visit in 1787 paths and stairs with railings were built to the cave entrance, the cave floor was planked, and the cave was brightly lit. This made this cave a show cave in the modern meaning of the word. The visitor was King Stanisłav August Poniatowski, the last Polish King. For him a special triumphal arc was erected inside the cave and a brass band played. In the nearby castle an exhibition of cave minerals was shown.

The archaeological remains in this cave are very important. Paleolithic finds date back 120,000 years.

The cave is rather small, but the biggest chamber measures 80 m long and 20 m wide.