Ostrzyca

Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 51.05607°N / 15.76281°E
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

 
The cone of Ostrzyca from the south trail The cone of Ostrzyca
 
Basalt rocks... Summit basalts
 
Educative sign on the foot of the stairs to Ostrzyca Nature reserve
Polish volcanoes ! Who would have thought ? Yes indeed, Poland has its volcanic region. OK, nothing like Stomboli, Teide or Etna, just remains of extinguished volcanoes, basaltic organs and chimney necks, a bit like the french Auvergne. Ostrzyca is what we call a dead volcano. It is located in South West Poland, on the piedmont of the Sudetes, in the region we call Kaczawa mountains. The full name is Ostrzyca Proboszczowicka as it is located near the village of Proboszczów (there is another Ostrzyca near Dalków). Ostrzyca means "sharp", just like its former German name, "Spitzberg" (whose etymology matches the real Arctic Spitzberg...). Ostrzyca is 501m high, but its prominence over the surrounding terrain is only of 120m. It is the volcanic feature of the Kaczawa region whose conic shape suggest the most explicitly a volcano, and due to this gave the local surname of Fuji-Yama of Lower Silesia. Despite a modest height, it is a splendid viewpoint, from where we get a panoramic view of the Kaczawa mountains, as well as pieces of the Karkonosze mountains here and there behind in the skyline. On the top itself, there is like a circular balcony carved in the rocks, in which five or six person can fit. Walking the summit rocks is worth doing, one can observe basaltic columns running parallel and falling on the opposite side of the summit. Some rare plants are found between the rocks, like Festuca Pallens, Hepatica Nobilis, or Allium Strictum, a remain of the glaciation ! For this reason the entire summit is a natural reserve (no rubbish, fires and so on...)
Southern panorama from Ostrzyca South panorama

Getting there

 
Summit basalts of Ostrzyca Summit basalts
 
Basaltic Organs on Ostrzyca Basaltic Organs
 
The stairs to Ostrzyca Stairs
 
Summit basalts of Ostrzyca Summit basalts
 
A dwarf forest... A dwarf forest
 
Ostrzyca - the past volcano... Seen from North
When leaving the A4, Proboszczów is reached most conveniently from the Legnica exit and then Złotoryja. If coming from the South (CZ for example), it is recommended via Jelenia Góra and/or Świerzawa.
Larger map
Summit basalts of Ostrzyca Summit basalts

Routes

 
The trail to Ostrzyca Base trail
 
The stairs to Ostrzyca Stairway to heaven
 
Deers on the slopes of Ostrzyca Deers
 
Summit basalts of Ostrzyca West view
It is possible to approach it from all sides, but the summit part is easily reached only by the steps that were build in the rock located on its north slope. The closest way to approach it by car is from the road between Bełczyna and Proboszczów. Near the spot where the road is the closest to the volcano, a track goes to it between two fields, and end into a terrain where cars usually park. A little forest trail cicumvents the hill and reaches the foot of the stairs. Another possibility is a little road going from Proboszczów to a second car park west from the mountain, from which the stairs are reached too.
Greetings from Spitzberg Greetings from Spitzberg

Accomodation

 
Some little village from the top of  Ostrzyca Bełczyna from the top
 
Some little village from the top of  Ostrzyca Proboszczów from the top
There is an excellent accommodation near Świerzawa to explore all the region: Villa Greta, known as one of the best agroutourism B&B in Lower Silesia.
Sunrise on the trail to Okole. Ostrzyca Proboszczowicka in the distance Fuji Yama in the distance

Additions and CorrectionsPost an Addition or Correction

Viewing: 1-5 of 5
yatsek

yatsek - Feb 22, 2013 3:32 pm - Voted 9/10

Little things

1 Ostrzyca is the highest hill of Pogórze Kaczawskie, which is not part of the Kaczawa Mts. but their foothills. 2 The height is 501m. 3 It's a volcanic neck rather than a "dead volcano". 4 "Ostrzyca Proboszczowicka" translates as "Proboszczów Ostrzyca", not the other way round. 5 Red Tape chapter? 6 Why don't you embed more of the pix?

visentin

visentin - Feb 22, 2013 5:06 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Little things

7 why don't you let me finalize the page ? :D Red tape ? do you see any red tape ?

yatsek

yatsek - Feb 23, 2013 6:36 am - Voted 9/10

Re: Little things

7 I hope it'll look more like your Gromnik page. I've already cast my vote since there's no "under construction" label. 8 As to red tape, there's a nature reserve somewhere there.

visentin

visentin - Feb 23, 2013 4:27 pm - Hasn't voted

Re: Little things

The page is complete, you can now transform your sixs into sevens, your sevens into eights, eights into nines and... oh my god, no. Not a ten ! :D

yatsek

yatsek - Feb 24, 2013 3:05 am - Voted 9/10

Re: Little things

OK :)

Viewing: 1-5 of 5


Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.

SudetesMountains & Rocks