Olkusz: Mining history, culture and active discoveries

Olkusz brings together traces of mining, art, historic buildings and opportunities for active days. In the Old Town, an educational and historical trail and a town game lead you through the area; museums and exhibitions add their own highlights. Those looking to fit in some exercise will also find routes of different lengths and activities—from a town game to cycling routes across the municipality of Olkusz.

Traces of mining in the Old Town

The Silver Juggler Trail of Olkusz runs through the Old Town and features 18 miner figures. There are also more than 130 replicas of Olkusz trojaks set into the pavement: coins bearing the image of King Sigismund III Vasa. The mining theme is reflected both in the figures and in the details of the street paving.

The “Zagadki olkuskiej starówki” town game also leads through the Old Town and is about 1.5 kilometres long. A different kind of route is offered by the “Od olkuskich gwarków do rabsztyńskich rycerzy” cycling game: its 14-kilometre circular route runs from Olkusz to Rabsztyn Castle and back. The distances and activities provide a clear basis for deciding how to fit these two options into your plans.

Church and underground exhibitions

The Gothic Basilica of St Andrew in Olkusz was built at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. Its late Gothic winged altarpiece dates from the late 15th century and is one of only four altarpieces of this kind in Poland. The building period and the altarpiece reflect different chapters in the town’s history and provide two distinct highlights of its ecclesiastical art.

“Podziemny Olkusz” includes an exhibition in the cellars of the former 14th-century town hall. A second exhibition is housed in the cellars of the former Royal Quarter, where the Olkusz mining authorities once had their headquarters. Visitors can set models and replicas of historic mining equipment in motion themselves. The exhibition venues and interactive displays offer a historical and vivid perspective on the mining theme.

Art, firefighting history and minerals

The permanent exhibition of GSW BWA in Olkusz features around 300 works of contemporary Polish art, mainly paintings, prints, sculptures, ceramics and photographs. The Museum of the Works of Władysław Wołkowski is housed in the 19th-century Machnicki Manor and holds the largest collection of his works in Poland. The two collections offer different perspectives: contemporary art on the one hand, and the work of a single artist on the other.

The main attraction at the Firefighting Museum of the Olkusz Region is a historic fire engine from the Second World War named “Jaśek.” Another collection comprises several thousand exhibits on the mineralogy of the Olkusz Region and fossils from the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. On display are valuable ores and minerals, as well as limestone dating back 150 million years.

Active recreation in Olkusz

The “Silver Park” leisure and landscape park offers opportunities for active recreation for children, teenagers and adults. At the leisure pool complex, one of the specific attractions is the “Anakonda” water slide: it is 64 metres long and ends in a one-metre-deep run-out pool. So, alongside history and culture, there are also activities for visitors looking for an active stay.

Cycling and educational trails in the municipality of Olkusz

At the municipal level, the 38-kilometre blue “Okrężny” cycling route links historical and natural attractions, including the ruins of Rabsztyn Castle, Januszkowa Mountain and the sources of the Sztoła River. Januszkowa Mountain covers 56 hectares and is part of the “Jaroszowiec” Natura 2000 site. The green-marked “Wschodni” cycling route explores the northeastern parts of the municipality and, together with the blue “Okrężny” route, forms a 19-kilometre circular route.

Other types of routes round out the selection: the black “Szlak Kordonu Granicznego” cycling route is a 20-kilometre loop, while the red PTTK Eagles’ Nests Trail runs through the municipality of Olkusz. A five-kilometre educational trail leads through Pazurek Nature Reserve. In the wider region, the Velo Przemsza walking and cycling route links the main attractions of Olkusz County.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Zawada, Olkusz, Osiek, Bukowno, Małyszyce, Małobądz, Wolbrom, Klucze, Jeżówka, Dłużec, Zabagnie, Golczowice.

Go to the main travel overview: Lesser Poland.