Olkusz: Mining History, Art and Active Experiences

• The Silver Juggler Trail is an educational and historical trail in the Old Town featuring 18 miner figures and more than 130 replica coins set into the pavement.
• The Gothic Basilica of St. Andrew was built at the turn of the 14th century, in the late 13th or early 14th century.
• The city game “Zagadki olkuskiej starówki” takes you around the Old Town on a route of about 1.5 km.
• The permanent exhibition at GSW BWA comprises about 300 works of contemporary Polish art.
• A cycling game follows a 14 km circular route from Olkusz to Rabsztyn Castle and back.

In Olkusz’s Old Town, the Silver Juggler Trail combines an educational and historical trail with 18 miner figures. It also features more than 130 replicas of Olkusz trojaks set into the pavement. These coins bear the image of King Sigismund III Vasa. The figures and coin motifs offer two concrete ways to explore the town’s mining history.

Another way to explore the Old Town is the city game “Zagadki olkuskiej starówki.” It is about 1.5 km long and takes you through Olkusz’s Old Town. You can consider it a separate planning option alongside the themed trail: the game specifies the route length, while the Juggler Trail focuses on the miner figures and coin replicas.

The Basilica of St. Andrew is a Gothic church dating from the turn of the 14th century, in the late 13th or early 14th century. Its most valuable work of art is a Gothic winged altarpiece from the late 15th century, one of only four such altarpieces in Poland. The architecture and altarpiece represent two distinct historical periods that you can experience together during a cultural visit to Olkusz.

“Podziemny Olkusz” comprises an exhibition in the cellars of the former 14th-century town hall. A second exhibition is located in the cellars of the former Royal Quarter, which once housed the Olkusz mining authorities. At “Podziemny Olkusz,” visitors can also set models and replicas of historical mining equipment in motion themselves. The exhibition thus combines historical themes with an interactive activity.

Art and regional collections also focus on different subjects. The permanent exhibition at GSW BWA in Olkusz comprises about 300 works of contemporary Polish art, mainly painting, graphic art, sculpture, ceramics and photography. The historic 19th-century Machnicki Manor houses the Museum of the Works of Władysław Wołkowski, which holds the largest collection of his works in Poland.

The Olkusz Land Firefighting Museum names the historic “Jaśek” fire engine from the Second World War period as its main attraction. Another collection is devoted to minerals from the Olkusz region and fossils from the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. It comprises several thousand exhibits, including valuable ores and minerals as well as 150-million-year-old limestone. When choosing cultural attractions, you can therefore distinguish between art, urban and mining history, firefighting history and natural history.

The “Silver Park” recreational and landscape park in Olkusz offers opportunities for active leisure for children, young people and adults. The leisure pool complex in Olkusz also includes the 64 m-long “Anakonda” water slide, which ends in a 1 m-deep plunge pool. The park and leisure pool are separate attractions.

For a cycling trip with a named route, try the cycling game “Od olkuskich gwarków do rabsztyńskich rycerzy”: its 14 km circular route runs from Olkusz to Rabsztyn Castle and back. At the level of the surrounding municipality, the 38 km blue “Okrężny” cycling trail connects historical and natural attractions, including the ruins of Rabsztyn Castle, Januszkowa Hill and the springs of the Sztoła River.

Other route details also refer to the municipality. The green “Wschodni” cycling trail explores its northeastern areas and, together with the blue “Okrężny,” forms a 19 km circular route. The red PTTK Trail of the Eagles’ Nests runs through the municipality of Olkusz; the black “Szlak Kordonu Granicznego” cycling trail forms a 20 km circular route. A 5 km educational trail also passes through the Pazurek Nature Reserve. The stated distances help you compare different route options; they do not all describe the same location or type of outing.

When planning your hotel stay, start by deciding what will shape your visit: cultural attractions in Olkusz, active options in the town, or longer cycling and educational trails in the surrounding municipality. When choosing a specific place to stay, consider its address and the attractions you plan to visit. This will help you keep the distinction between attractions in Olkusz and routes in the municipality clear as you plan your trip.

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

What can you see on the Silver Juggler Trail?

The educational and historical trail in Olkusz’s Old Town features 18 miner figures. More than 130 replicas of Olkusz trojaks set into the pavement bear the image of King Sigismund III Vasa.

How long is the cycling loop from Olkusz to Rabsztyn Castle?

The cycling game “Od olkuskich gwarków do rabsztyńskich rycerzy” follows a 14 km circular route from Olkusz to Rabsztyn Castle and back.

Which art forms are included in the permanent exhibition at GSW BWA?

The approximately 300 works of contemporary Polish art are mainly paintings, graphic art, sculptures, ceramics and photography.

What does Silver Park offer?

The recreational and landscape park in Olkusz offers opportunities for active leisure for children, young people and adults.

Go to the main travel overview: Lesser Poland.