Ostrzyca Proboszczowicka

Ostrzyca is a cone-shaped, volcanic-origin peak in the Kaczawa Foothills, in the Pielgrzymka municipality, about 2.5 kilometres south-west of Proboszczów. It is 501 m above sea level and is the highest elevation of the Kaczawa Foothills. Because of its regular, conical shape the hill is sometimes called the Silesian Fuji.

A former volcano

Ostrzyca was an active volcano more than 5 million years ago. Its summit is made of basalt, forming a neck, the solidified remains of a former volcanic vent. The lower slopes of the hill are made of red Permian conglomerates and coarse-grained sandstones, while the upper part consists of Miocene basanite, a dark rock rich in olivine. It is this erosion-resistant volcanic rock that gave the hill its clearly conical shape, and on the eastern slope an additional rock formation called Little Ostrzyca is visible.

Nature reserve on the summit

The summit part of the hill, above 450 m above sea level, is covered by the Ostrzyca Proboszczowicka nature reserve, covering 3.81 hectares. The reserve protects the characteristic basalt rocks and the rock-dwelling vegetation that accompanies them. The slopes are covered with a varied forest of maple, ash, lime, elm, oak, spruce and birch, whose composition changes depending on the exposure of the individual slopes to sunlight.

Trails to the summit

The shortest and most popular trail leads from the village of Proboszczów, marked in yellow - it is a section of the Trail of Extinct Volcanoes. The last stretch of the ascent is more than 400 basalt steps. A green trail also leads to the hill, part of the Route of Piast Castles, as does a red trail from Dworek to the summit. Entry to Ostrzyca and the reserve area is free, and the summit itself is on the list of peaks of the Crown of the Polish Sudetes. In favourable conditions, Ostrzyca is visible even from the Karkonosze (Giant Mountains), despite its relatively modest absolute height.

Nearby

A few kilometres from Ostrzyca lie the castle in Wielisław Złotoryjski and the palace in Soboty. Towards Wleń, on the route of the green trail, there is also the rope park in Twardocice.

Practical information

• Location: Proboszczów, Pielgrzymka municipality, Złotoryja County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship
• Access: shortest ascent via the yellow trail from Proboszczów
• What to expect: a steep climb up stone steps, basalt rocks on the summit, free entry