Pieskowa Skala (Pieskowa Rock), is a limestone cliff in the valley of river Pradnik, Poland, best known for its Renaissance castle. It is located within the boundaries of the Ojcow National Park 27 km north of Krakow, near the village of Suloszowa. The castle was first mentioned before 1315 as "castrum Peskenstein" in Latin documents of Polish king Wladysław I the Elbow-high (Władyslaw Lokietek).

Pieskowa Skala castle built by King Kazimierz Wielki, is one of the best-known examples of a defensive Polish Renaissance architecture. It was erected in the 1st half of the 14th century as part of the chain of fortified castles called Orle Gniazda (Eagles Nests), along the Highland plane of Polish Jura (Polish: Jura Krakowsko-Częstochowska) extending north-west from Kraków to the city of Częstochowa.

The castle was renovated and donated in 1377 by king Louis I of Hungary to Piotr Szafraniec of Łuczyce, according to a more modern interpretation of the 15th century chronicler Jan Dlugosz, but the family gained the full ownership rights of the castle only in 1422 from King Władyslaw Jagiello in recognition of the faithful service at the Battle of Grunwald by Piotr Szafraniec, the chamberlain of Krakow.

The castle was rebuilt in between 1542-1544 by Niccolò Castiglione with participation from Gabriel Słonski of Krakow. The sponsor of the castle's reconstruction in the mannerist style was a calvinist Stanislaw Szafraniec, voivode of Sandomierz. At that time the original medieval tower was transformed into a scenic double loggia decorated in the sgraffito technique. Between 1557-1578, the trapezoid shape courtyard was surrounded at the level of two upper storeys by arcades, embellished with 21 mascarons. The arcade risalit above the gate is a 17th century addition.
The last owner of the castle of Szafraniec family was Jedrzej, Stanislaw's son, who died childless in 1608. After his death the estate was purchased by Maciej Lubnicki and later by the Zebrzydowski family. In 1640 Michal Zebrzydowski built the bastion fortifications with baroque gate and a chapel. The castle changed hands many times over the centuries. In 1903 it was bought by the Pieskowa Skala Society led by Adolf Dygasinski and with time turned over to the Polish state and meticulously restored.

Entrance into a restaurant

Interior of restaurant

Stairs

Restaurant

Restaurant

Restaurant

Dish with Trout

Restaurant's window with view on Castle