ST. ANNE SANCTUARY AND PARK

St. Anne's Mountain (404 metres above sea level) is the highest elevation of the Silesian Upland. Situated on the Chełm Hump, it was the farthest volcano in Silesia! Due to the unique geological features, on more than a half of the area the St. Anne Mountain National Geopark was established,

one of three geoparks in Poland. With hikers and cyclists in mind, a 10-kilometer walking and biking geological trail with 11 geosites with information boards was created. Here you can learn about - among other things - the beginnings of volcanism, how fossils are formed, about tectonic phenomena and life in a reef. It takes the minimum of 6-7 hours to traverse the trail. The following trails run through the park: the Xawery Dunikowski walking trail (4 km), the Flora and Fauna Trail (15 km), the Third Silesian Uprising Trail (23 km), the John Paul II Trail (10 km), the Robert Oszek Trail (34 km), the Silesian Insurgents Trail (98 km).

The most valuable woodlands are: the Lesisko reserve, Boże Oko ("God's Eye"), Grafik and Biesiec, "Krowiok" Valley, Ligota Dolna quarry, and "Ligota Dolna" xerothermic vegetation reserve. Also worth noting is the rock amphitheatre built by the Nazis in the 1930s on the site of a former quarry. In its heyday it had approximately 7,000 seats on the lower platform and 20,000 spots for a standing audience on the upper one. According to sources, the amphitheatre could hold even 300,000 spectators, which made it one of the largest amphitheatres in Europe.

Within the park is also one of the most famous pilgrimage sites in all of Silesia - the Sanctuary of St. Anne on St. Anne Mountain. It is worth exploring its interior and learning about the history and the feelings of millions of pilgrims who have come here over many centuries. The sanctuary's greatest treasure is the 15th century wooden figure famous for its graces - the Virgin and Child with Saint Anne reliquary. The ceilings and walls of the basilica are covered with numerous paintings depicting scenes from the life of St. Anne, biblical motifs, and images from the Franciscan monastic life.