This hilltop monastery got its name from the segment of Jesus’ cross that was supposedly kept here. The abbey is at the top of Łysa Góra (595m). It has a fascinating history going back nearly a millennium. Besides the 2km hike up from the Nowa Słupia entrance, there's access from the west via the village of Huta Szklana. While you can drive up, many prefer to park and hike up the moderately steep and bucolic 1.8km road to the monastery.
There are sweeping views of the region from the monastery grounds. Get a beer and a sausage from the snack stand and enjoy the view from a picnic table.
Most sources estimate the complex was built in the 11th century on an 8th- and 9th-century pagan worship site. In more recent times, with the abolition of the Benedictine Order by the Russians in 1819, the abbey was converted into a prison. After a brief period of restoration, under Nazi Germany the buildings were reconverted into prisons. The Gestapo tortured many monks here before transporting them to Auschwitz-Birkenau, and many Soviet prisoners of war were executed and buried in mass graves near the peak. Under communism, the abbey was transferred to the national park and renovations commenced.
