Firstly I need to share thoughts about some things lost in translation. I wanted to underline that two polish words zamek and zamczysko mean almost the same – “castle” in English. Although “zamczysko” has some more sinister tone to it. For example, you would say that count Dracula lived in zamczysko rather than he lived in zamek. First word creates more gothic-style atmosphere. There are no actual castles made from stone or bricks in the mentioned sites, but remains of walls and names that preserved to this day allow us to think that some kind of structures were there in the medieval times.
Tale begins
Around 11km from The Bald Mountains range, between roads 74 and 764 lies Orłowińskie mountain range that starts near Łagów town and ends near Daleszyce town. Close to it, on south, there is another mountain range called Cisowskie. Both ranges create the Cisów-Orłowiny Landscape Park. It’s one of five such parks that, in a way, surround and protect The Holy Cross National Park.
In the Landcape Park there are four nature preserves. Two of them “Białe Ługi” and “Słopiec” protect peat-moors. A preserve “Cisów” takes its name from a polish name “cis” which means a yew-tree (taxus). A fun fuct about this preserve is that there are no yew-trees there… But some specimens can be found nearby next to a church in a village named… Cisów.
But it’s not only one misleading aspect of this Park. Fourth protected area that can be found here is the “Zamczysko” (Castle) preserve with remains of archaeological monuments. To make things simpler 3km south from this place there is another site with some archaeological structure. It is named… Zamczysko. But it’s not a preserve but a mountain.
But let’s start from beginning…
Zamczysko as one of the Sacred Slavic Mountains
In today’s Holy Cross province there are a few old embankments walls near peaks of hills and mountains. They are believed to be remains of Slavic cults that predate Christianity in Poland. The most famous ones are those around a peak of Bald Mountain, a place where The Holy Cross Monastery is now placed. The best way to see them is from a platform and stairs leading to the the stone-run.
Another remains of old embankment walls were found on Grodowa Hill near Tumlin village, not far away from Kielce, within boarders of a preserve “Kamienne Kręgi” which means “Stone circles”. After the WWII three circles of walls made of stones were also discovered on Dobrzeszowska Mountain. The fourth place is the already mentioned “Zamczysko” preserve.
In the 80’s of XX century “Zamczysko” was explored by archaeologists. Unfortunately, a full study from that research was never published. Nevertheless, we know there are three circles of embankment walls with two terraces. They were created probably by leveling a peak of the hill. According to an archaeologist Eligia Gąssowska, entrances and passages in the structure have a characteristic outline seen also in other similar objects. The place was probably built in IX-Xth century.
Which gods were worshiped in those sites? We will never know this for sure as illiterate believers of old Slavic religions who lived on Polish soil did not leave any written texts.
We have some foreign language sources from Rus’ people tribes, or reports from a Danish chronicler Saxo Grammaticus who described a sanctuary of the god Świętowit in Rugia Island in today’s Germany.
Without texts, the only path left for historians and archaeologists is to make some hypotheses based on analogies. Those related to the “Zamczysko” stated that:
On the top of Bald Mountain there was a main cult centre. In the “Zamczysko” Mokosh, the goddess of fertility, the Great Mother was revered. The close vicinity of both sacred places led researchers to a conclusion that they were in some way connected to each other. Why there is an assumption that people there prayed to Mokosh? It is deduced from a similar name of a village at the foot of the hill named Makoszyn.
What about the second Zamczysko?
On Zamczysko Mountain that raises over Widełki village there are also remains of structures, fortifications, but those were used for military purposes and are few hundred years younger than those from the “Zamczysko” preserve. We assume there were two wooden defensive tower connected with some form of an embankment walls. They are dated to XIII/XIVth century. The place was used as an observation post since it’s still a great viewpoint. It enables us to see the Ocioseckie mountain range, road leading to Raków and the village itself. Raków was once known for its famous Academy established by Polish Brethren, members of protestant church in XVI/XVIIth century Poland.
There is also a legend that connects this mountain with a band of brigands from XIXth century led by Jewish ruffian Tewel who had a hidout near the top of Zamczysko. He stole a devil’s hand from a church in Cisów village, an item that supposedly brought luck to the owner. It seems that it was true because his fellow brigands were captured, while Tewel was able to escape a manhunt and find a safe haven in Hungary. It wasn’t the only devilish artefact Cisów’s church has in store. But it’s a tale for another time.
How to find and tell one Zamczysko from the other?
The preserve “Zamczysko” is situated on Wysokówka mountain over Makoszyn village. Can I show you some pictures from that place? Unfortunately no, since there is a law in Poland that one can enter protected areas such as preserves or National Parks only if an officially marked trail leads there. There is no such one right now so it’s unavailable for any visitors. Some time ago a yellow marked hiking trail went through the preserve and maybe it’s time to bring it back for tourists.
The Zamczysko mountain lies by a blue marked trail that leads from Łagów town through Daleszyce, Kielce to Chęciny. This trail is 69 kilometers long and you can complete it with a normal pace in 3 days. But if you really up for some fast-walking it’s 2 days hike. If it’s still not good enough, you may try to do it ultramarathon-style in just one day. To each their own.
This actually sums up the tale of two castles whose close vicinity and an identical name cause some troubles and misunderstandings.
Remedy for future problems
There are more similar or identical names of places in the province. Near Zamczysko Mountain lies Huta Nowa village and close to Holy Cross Mountain we can visit Nowa Huta. Some time ago a group of tourists were staying at the first village. I was only able to plan a hiking tour for them after I realized during a phone talk with the group’s leader that we were talking about two different places.
The first-comers to the Holy Cross Province often mistake Łysa Góra (Bald Mountain) for Łysica (also includes a form of a word “Bald”).
How to solve all those puzzling similarities of local names? Well, the best way to do it is to hire a tour guide who is familiar with this subject. At your service.
Links to a polish portal with maps based on laser scanning (I recommend opening them on a PC or a laptop):
The Zamczysko preserve with clearly visible one of the embankment walls.
Fortifications on Zamczysko mountain. Are those holes left by two wooden towers and some kind of a wall between them?
Pictures from a trail
Orłowińskie mountain range from Makoszyn Trees canopies near the “Zamczysko” preserve A tree on a trail to Zamczysko Mountain 
Rocky road to Dubl… to the top 
The cross on the top marking a place where a band of brigands were caught View from Zamczysko Mountain 
Zamczysko Mountain. Look from south 
Orłowińskie mountain range. Look from south 
At the end, my favourite mountain. Łysica and clouds, as seen from Makoszyn.
