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Wieś Klucze
Róża Wiatrów is a viewing platform set beside the Błędów Desert, the largest area of loose sand in Poland, often called the Polish Sahara. It lies near the village of Klucze in the Olkusz County, on the edge of the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland.
The desert was formed by centuries of human activity, mainly the felling of forests for the needs of local mining and metallurgy. Today it is a protected area where measures are taken to stop the sands from becoming overgrown, and the viewpoints let you see it without stepping into the fragile habitats.
The object was designed as a reference to a wind rose. Seven arms radiate from the central platform, each pointing in a different direction, so the sandy landscape can be admired from many perspectives without leaving the structure.
Benches and information boards describing the desert, its origins and its unusual nature have been placed on the individual decks.
This is one of the few viewpoints that are genuinely accessible to everyone. The approach to the platform has been adapted for wheelchair users, and the gentle route also works with small children and a pushchair. Dogs are welcome here.
A hardened road of about one kilometre leads to Róża Wiatrów from Bolesławska Street, and a signpost marks the turning. The walk takes a dozen or so minutes and is interesting in itself, because along the way the landscape gradually turns into the open expanse of sand.
