The Pieniny Klippen Belt Fieldtrip
Kraków-Myślenice – Nowy Targ – Białka River (Kramnica-Obłazowa Rocks) – Sromowce Kąty – (Dunajec Gorge Rafing) – Szczawnica – Jaworki (Homole Gorge) – Mszana Dolna – Kraków
The field trip starts in Kraków (Cracow) at the AGH University of Science and Technology, passes hill of Wawel, with the Polish Royal Castle and continues through Carpathian Foredeep filled with Miocene molasse deposits. Subsilesian, Silesian and Magura Nappes, of Outer Carpathians, reaching Pieniny Klippen Belt south of the city of Nowy Targ. The will participants observe the morphology of the Beskidy and Gorce Mts reaching 1310 m a.s.l. This mountains belong to the Outer Carpathians built of Jurassic-Paleogene flysch deposits. The beautiful panorama of the Tatra Mts with highest Gerlach peak (2625 m a.s.l.) is visible from the Gorce Mts, as well as isolated cone of the Babia Góra Mt (1725 m a.s.l.), the highest mountain of the Polish Outer Carpathians. Nowy Targ is located partly on the slopes of Gorce Mts within the intramountain Orava – Nowy Targ, depression filled by Late Miocene, Pliocene and Quaternary fresh-water deposits.
The Pieniny Klippen Belt is a strongly tectonized structure about 600 km long and 1-20 km wide, which stretches from Vienna to Romania. It is situated at the boundary of two ranges: Inner Carpathians and the younger ones, known as the Outer or Flysch Carpathians. Pieniny Klippen Belt is composed of several successions of mainly deep and shallow-water limestones, covering a time span from the Early Jurassic to Late Cretaceous. The participants will visit the Białka and Dunajec river valleys within the Pieniny Klippen Belt. The picturesque valley of Białka. River is incise in Jurassic-Cretaceous limestones forming two high klippen: Kramnica and Obłazowa. The cave in the Obłazowa Rock is a site of archaeological investigarions, where the oldest known boomerang was discovered.
The trips on the Dunajec River were established in XIX century and are very popular nowadays. Dunajec boat trip (rafting) starts at Sromowce Kąty entering at Sromowce Niżne within Pieniny Klippen Belt, where the magnificent limestone walls of Trzy Korony Mt (982 m a.s.l.), are visible, begins the most beautiful part of the Pieniny Mts – the Dunajec River Gorge. The Dunajec River is winding frequently within the gorge allowing spending view of the numerous klippen, including famous Sokolica Mts. The rafting ends at Szczawnica, spa town famous for its mineral waters. The well-known Homole Gorge is located east of the Szczawnica. In Jaworki village the participants can admire here beautiful limestone rocks, which erosion carve a picturesque gorge, as well become acquainted with fascinating geological history of the area. At the Jaworki village participants can see the traditional sheep cheese production and buildings belonging to the local people culture including the Karczma (inn) where the dinner is scheduled. The passage Szczawnica-Kraków leads along the Dunajec River through Magura Nappe flysch rocks turnig later northwestwards through the Gorce Mts and Mszana Dolna tectonic window to Krakow.