Five thousand years ago, people in these low wooded hills in the Świętokrzyskie region were digging down into the ground for a stone that looked like nothing else. Striped flint, with its bands of grey, brown and cream, is a rarity, and it was prized for making polished axes that were traded across a large part of central Europe. The mines at Krzemionki, along with sites at Borownia, Korycizna and Wierzbica, make up one of the most extensive prehistoric mining landscapes known, and UNESCO listed the group in 2019.
The mining began in the late Neolithic and continued for a long time, perhaps from around 3900 BC to about 1600 BC, with miners sinking shafts into the limestone and following the seam of flint through underground galleries. The tools were simple, made of antler, stone and wood, and the miners worked in near darkness, hauling out the nodules in baskets. They left behind thousands of pits and tunnels, and the surface above is dotted with hollows, now covered in oak and pine forest. The flint travelled hundreds of kilometres as axe heads, a symbol of status and skill, and you can find them in museums from the Baltic to the Carpathians.
The area is gentle, with low sandy hills, mixed forest, farmland and small villages, and it smells of resin on warm days. It is a quiet region, and a fine place for a slow picnic. The nature around the site is rich, with woodpeckers, orchids in spring and bats that winter underground.
The ride in from the capital is mostly fast, flat road through the Mazovian plain, then through gentler country as you approach the hills. Surfaces are generally good, but the last kilometres are on small roads, sometimes narrow, with farm vehicles, cyclists and the occasional horse cart. Summer thunderstorms are common, and the roads can be slick after rain. Take care at level crossings and on blind bends.
For fuel, Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, about nine kilometres away, is the larger town, with stations, supermarkets and cafes, and the villages nearby, such as Bałtów and Ćmielów, have little. Fill up there and bring water.
The best time is late spring or early autumn, when the forest is green or golden and the heat is mild. Allow time to walk, as the interest lies in the slow understanding of what the land holds.