Trekking in Góry Stołowe

The Stołowe are flat-topped sandstone tables that have split into mazes over a few million years. At Błędne Skały you walk between walls with a metre of sky above; at Szczeliniec you climb stairs cut into a rock city with named formations and a view over three countries.

It is the least Polish-looking landscape in Poland, and the only entry here you could do properly in a weekend.

Flat-topped sandstone tables split into mazes over a few million years — the least Polish-looking landscape in Poland.

At Błędne Skały you thread between rock walls with barely a metre of sky above and passages narrow enough that a large pack has to come off; at Szczeliniec Wielki you climb stairs cut into a rock city of named formations with wide views over the borderland.

The walking is short and undemanding, well within a family's range, but the two showpiece sites run one-way systems and timed entry in peak season. It is a compact weekend of genuinely strange scenery a couple of hours from Wrocław.

Base near the park — Kudowa-Zdrój or Karłów — an easy drive of about 110 km from Wrocław, and plan two unhurried days to cover both Błędne Skały and Szczeliniec Wielki.

There is a park entry fee, and in summer Błędne Skały runs a one-way system with a road barrier that meters cars in, so arrive early or accept a wait for a slot.

Wear shoes with grip for the cut-stone steps, and travel light — some passages are tight enough to force a big rucksack off your back. Spring to autumn is the season; midweek is far quieter than weekends.