Krucze Skały near the railway station in Jerzmanice-Zdrój are the most spectacular geological site in the Kaczawskie Foothills, showcasing the Late Cretaceous sandstones. They are partially of natural origin and partially anthropogenic. Naturally, the rocks have been exposed, rising from the upper bend of the Kaczawa Valley slope, forming angular pinnacles, pulpits, and cliff series. The most impressive tower, separated from the main cliff by a narrow passage, has a height of 6 metres.
Below the rocks, directly near the railway station, the slope has been transformed by the extraction of sandstone for building stone, resulting in impressive, smooth cliffs with a height of up to 25 metres and a total length of 120 metres. Further northward, the slope of the Kaczawa Valley retains its natural character and is intersected by several dry gullies, each several dozen metres long. These gullies are separated by rocky ridges – several-metre-high sandstone outcrops.
The extraction of sandstones in Jerzmanice-Zdrój has been carried out since at least the 18th century, but it was concluded before World War II, and the area was made accessible to visitors. On the southern edge of the former quarry, stairs have been carved into the rock, leading above the cliff. A path has been marked near the edge, which then passes through a narrow passage past a freestanding tower and among sandstone rocks, descending to the bottom of the valley. At the foot of the sandstone cliffs on this side, the Skalne Źródło (Rocky Spring) has been established, surrounded by a neoclassical structure that has been preserved to this day.
Description: Piotr Migoń
