In the northwest part of the Wałbrzych Foothills, between the towns of Świny to the south and Kwietniki to the north, rises the forested massif of Swarna (389 m) and Popielowa (364 m). It is built from rhyolites – acidic volcanic rocks of Permian age, documenting the second volcanic period in the history of the region known as the Land of Extinct Volcanoes.
The elevations have an inselberg character, owing their existence to the greater resistance of rhyolites to weathering and erosion compared to the sedimentary rocks in the area of Permian age such as conglomerates, sandstones, and mudstones. The occurrence of natural rock formations is noteworthy—something rare in the elevations of the Kaczawskie Foothills built from Permian volcanic rocks. At the summit of Popielowa, there is a rock wall with a length of over 20 metres and a height of up to 3.5 metres. In the vicinity of the main rock, there are several smaller ones, with heights of 2–2.5 meters and varied shapes, transitioning into rocky debris. Many boulders and blocks resemble irregular plates, sometimes even standing at an angle.
Rhyolites often exhibit parallel cleavage, resembling layering, with layers of several centimeters in thickness. This texture is the result of laminar flow of lava in a lava stream, solidified in the appearance of the rock after its consolidation. The elevations are in places covered with acidic submontane oak forest. A convenient starting point for reaching the Popielowa rocks is the forest car park along the road leading from Bolków to Jawor.
Description: Piotr Migoń
Approach from Kwietniki
(It is also possible, and significantly shorter, from the car park along road 320 between Bolków and Jawor)
