Another site to check is Lake Dobczyce on the border of the Wieliczka and Wiśnicz Foothills. This water reservoir was created due to the accumulation of the Raba waters and, as in the case of Lake Czchów and Lek Rożnów, its establishment solved in the area the problem of flooding. Not everyone knows about it, but water from Lake Dobczyce is a drinking water reservoir for Krakow.
But lakes are only a natural introduction to the green attractions of this region. We invite you to Jamna, a mountain with a height of 530 metres asl, and more precisely: to the Chatka Włóczykija hostel. The place offers wonderful views of the Foothills, and in good weather you can also see the Tatra Mountains. It is close to the Devil Rock reserve in Bukowiec, which was established to protect the outcrops of the Ciężkowice sandstone. According to legend, the rock was brought from Hungary by the devil himself. The site is a bit smaller than Stone City in Ciężkowice, but equally interesting.
The Stone City Reserve is the biggest natural attraction of the Ciężkowice-Rożnów Landscape Park. Rock outcrops built of heavy sandstone, scattered over a length of 700 m, starting with “Witch” and “Town Hall” rocks to the highest situated “Skałka” (367 metres asl) are under protection. The most famous outcrop is the “Witch” visible from the provincial road 977. Indeed, when we look closely, we will see in it the outline of a human face. They say it is a witch that was turned into rock because she insulted the priest who was going to see a sick person. Since we are already in the Stone City, it is impossible to ignore the Ciężkowice Waterfall. To reach it, you have to go along the Witches Gorge. Its name comes from the legend according to which witches used to celebrated here Sabbaths with devils.
20 km south of Ciężkowice you will find the Beskid Morskie Oko. Located on the slope of Maślana Góra (753 metres asl), it is a landslide lake that was created in 1784. It lies very close from Jelenia Góra (684 metres asl), where there is a reserve protecting mountain sycamore, Carpathian beech and fir.
Let's stay in Ciężkowice Foothills and go to the Brzanka Range Landscape Park, famous for habitats of European beaver, otter, crested newt, Carpathian newt and yellow-bellied toad. The highest peak of the park is Brzanka (536 metres asl) and it is worth climbing there, because on the top of it there is a viewing platform from which you can perfectly see the whole area of Foothills and, in good weather, the Tatra Mountains as well.
The reserve located in the Styr mountain massif was created to preserve the natural forest communities typical of the Carpathian Foothills. The Cisy w Mogilnie reserve on the northern slopes of Jodłowa Góra (715 metres asl) is located near Nowy Sącz. On the area of 56 ha, common yew (cis in Polish, hence the name of the reserve) is protected here. Interestingly, it was this tree species that was protected as the first one in Poland, and it happened during the reign of King Władysław Jagiełło.
Let's now move to the Wiśnicz Foothills to see the Wiśnicz-Lipnica Landscape Park. The “must see” list includes rock outcrops known as Brodziński Stones, the wooden church of St Leonardo inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Kamień-Grzyb Nature Reserve and the Bukowiec Reserve.
From the Wiśnicz Foothills we shall go to the Wieliczka Foothills, and more precisely: to the Mogilany region. We come here to see the Kozie Kąty nature reserve, which protects a mixed stand with fir and the Cieszynianka floristic reserve protecting the island position of Hacquetia epipactis.