In the shade of a thousand year old oak tree

It's worth  choosing to go to the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, located not far from Warsaw. This is an unusually attractive region in central Poland - a long, soft mountain range, with slopes that are covered in forests and cut by large flat valleys.
This creates a splendid terrain for hiking, horseback riding, or riding in carts and skiing in winter. Along the marked tourist trails, there are many rarities of nature, monuments of architecture and art, which are inscribed in the Kielecka Land. There is also no lack of modern tourist attractions here. Every tourist will find something for him or herself.
At the foot of Łysica Mountain (612 m), in the clearing of Jodłowa (FirTree) Forest centuries ago a hermit settled and later there was a hermitage of Bernardine monks. At the end of the 14th century a cloister was built in this place which, after a fire in 1847, was completely rebuilt. Today the biggest attraction of the cloister is the figure of St. Katarzyna (Catherine), sculpted in cypress wood and veiled in numerous legends. One of them says that it was exactly in front of this statue that the miraculous return to health of Royal Prince Władysław IV, later king of Poland, took place.
Polish tourism in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains was born in the village of St. Katarzyna. It was here that, in 1910, Polish Touring Society built the first shelter for tourists in Poland. At that time a wooden shelter was constructed for tourists, which still was in use until last year. At present, after a complete renovation, the 'Jodełka' Rest Centre has been located there and this is an excellent point of departure for a hiking excursion.
In the woods, on the trail to Łysica Mountain, it's worth stopping at the 14th century wooden chapel of St. Franciszek (Francis) to drink the wonderful spring water from the source, which is there. It has curative properties. This is good place for a further expedition to the highest peak of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains.
After the Middle Ages, there only remained a stone embankment of the pre-Christian sanctuary on the Święty Krzyż (Holy Cross) Mountain, with a length of 1,5 kilometre. Stories of Witches' Sabbaths are connected to this place. On the second peak of Łysica Mountain (595 m) there is a sanctuary with relics of the Holy Cross (five small pieces of the Cross) on which, according to the Gospels, Jesus Christ was crucified in Jerusalem. Thousands of pilgrims from all over Poland come to this place. Centuries ago veneration was given by Polish kings to these holy relics and two of them, Władysław Jagiełło and Kazimierz Jagiellończyk passed along this way to the sanctuary up to seven times.
It's worth repeating this 'royal route' in order to visit the Museum of Nature and Forest and the Museum of the Mission of the Oblate Fathers, with exotic exhibits that come from Africa. On entering the 'royal route' don't forget to stop in front of the stone of the unknown 'Pilgrim'.
When you are in the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, it's worth bowing down before 'Bartek' the oldest oak tree in Poland, which is still growing and producing nuts although it is 700 years old and, according to legend, even 1200 years old. 'Bartek' is 30 metres high, its crown is 20 to 40 metres large and the circumference of its trunk is almost 10 metres. They say that the first Polish kings and King Jan III Sobieski, after his return to Poland from his victory over the Turks in Vienna, rested in the shade of this enormous tree. They also say that Sobieski hid a bottle of wine and a sabre in the hollow of the oak. Today we may not find the wine and the sabre, but perhaps someone will be lucky.
Another interesting object in this region is the palace in Oblęgorek, which is surrounded by a beautiful park that was built in the 19th century. Here in the years 1902-06 lived the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature Henryk Sienkiewicz, who was author of the world famous novel 'Quo Vadis'. It was in this palace that he received the news of the awarding of the Nobel Prize. Today there is a museum here dedicated to this distinguished writer.
After a mountain hike and visits to interesting places in the Kielecka Land there is time for relaxation and recuperation of strength. The best way to do this is in the 'Perła', one of the most modern swimming pools in Poland, located in Nowiny, 3 kilometres to the south of Kielce and 300 metres from the route between Warsaw and Cracow. The biggest attraction here is the 93-metre long spiral slide. There is also a Finnish sauna and biological- regeneration rooms, as well as cafes and a restaurant, if you want to regain lost calories.