Myślibórz Organ at the Rataj Hill
The inconspicuous from a distance basalt hill Rataj (350 m) in the eastern part of the Kaczawskie Foothills within the ‘Chełmy’ Landscape Park hides one of the most spectacular geological exposures in the region. The eastern slopes of the hill are cut by the excavation site of a former quarry. It features a radially oriented system of fractures – columnar jointing, formed during the solidification of lava in a volcanic chimney, resulting in a reduction in volume. The fan spreads downward.
In the central part of the quarry, on the cliff undercutting the summit, vertically standing columns are visible, forming a wall approximately 20 metres high, with column thickness ranging from 20 to 30 cm. In the lateral sections of this cliff, the columns are inclined towards the central part. In the southern wall of the quarry, the columns are visible in cross-section, lying horizontally. The cracking into columns occurs in a plane perpendicular to the cooling surface, which in this case was the wall of the volcanic chimney. The preserved complete arrangement of the inverted fan indicates the small size of this chimney and single-phase volcanic activity.
In the summit area of Rataj, there was a large defensive complex from the middle ages, the remnants of which are two belts of defensive embankments separated by moats. In the late Middle Ages (13th–15th centuries), a small castle-watchtower stood on the summit, of which practically no traces remain, except for a small fragment of a wall built from local basaltic stone.
Description: Piotr Migoń
Trip route
Trip from nearby Myślibórz. The car park next to the Myślibórz Gorge, paid in the season. The route to Myślibórz Organ – to the east of the parking area (opposite direction to the Gorge). The ascent via the red trail is easy.
(the map indicates a one-way route, return via the same path)
