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Do you know that there are 5 natural reserves in Kielce? It is worth visiting all of them, but today I invite you to get to know one better. Vist the Ślichowice Reserve!
As a child, I was interested in geology and collecting minerals and fossils was my hobby. I regularly visited Kadzielnia, often Wietrznia, and Ślichowice was a less frequent attraction due to the distance. Check why it is worth going there!
Location and accessibility
Natural Reserve Ślichowice im. Jana Czarnocki is located on the estate of the same name. It is located in the western part of the city, about 5 kilometres from Main Square.
If you are going by car, you will find a lot of parking places in the area. Right next to the reserve there is a bus terminal, which you can reach from various points in the city by public transport.
It is possible to go down the pit (the bottom is flooded with water), but before going down it is worth getting footwear other than flip-flops;)
History
Ślichowice became a natural monument in 1949. and from 1952 they became a reserve. It was the first inanimate nature reserve in Poland, established according to the principles of the new act on nature protection. It is the smallest nature reserve in Kielce (0.55 ha). When it was created, it was located outside the administrative borders of Kielce. The reserve area includes the former quarry on Mount Ślichowica (303 m above sea level).
The geologist whose name the reserve bears and who promoted this place was Jan Czarnocki – a researcher of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains. Mining was carried out until 1970.
Many materials from the past contain the name of the place Śluchowice, although the name Ślichowice is currently in force. The origin of the name is not fully known.
Geology
The Ślichowice Reserve is a place that often appears in educational materials (textbooks and other publications). It is not surprising because the tectonic phenomena that reveal themselves in the reserve are unique.
In the western wall of the western quarry there is the so-called “fold overthrown”. This is a unique example of rock folding.
In addition to the fold, in the reserve, you can observe various types of fossils (brachiopods, daylilies, trilobites, etc.) and minerals (calcite, quartz, pyrite, galena, etc.). Due to the fact that it is a reserve, it is forbidden to obtain them.
Gold
So far, only once has gold been found in our region, but do not let it discourage you from looking for other minerals and fossils, because their range is very wide. It is worth adding that the piece of gold found in Kielce was microscopic and invisible to the eye, and it came from the Ślichowice quarry.
Worth to visit?
The Ślichowice Reserve is not located in the city centre and you don’t get there by accident, but it is worth including it in the itinerary of Kielce. It is impressive both in size and in tectonic phenomena that can be observed in it! You must visit!
Efficient observers will also find interesting specimens of vegetation in Ślichowice, among them the steppe cherry, wild roses and barberry.
