- Where did the Park’s name come from?

- Stołowe (Table) Mountains is a name which perfectly describes the landscape here. The tall rocks with steep, almost vertical walls and flat surfaces are called tables and the process of their formation took millions of years. Erosion resistant layers are found at the top which protects the lower, less durable formations from the process. Stołowe Mountains Range was formed from rocks which were being deposited at the bottom of the sea during the so called Cretaceous period.

- We’re walking on a former sea floor?

- Precisely! The geological history of the region is recorded in the rocks and we can see plenty of evidence here of the sea’s existence. At the bottom of a shallow sea which was present in this area about 90-100 million years ago, sands and mud were brought here by streams and rivers from local hills and mountains. Sands remained closer to the shore, while the more distant areas were being covered by smaller rock fragments – mudstone and claystone.

- Were there diverse lifeforms in the sea?

- Yes, millions of years ago numerous species of plants and animals used to live in the local sea. Their remains were left at the bottom of the sea, and we can see fossils in the rocks. They are mostly represented by mussels and much rarer cephalopods and sea urchins.