The Kotuńka Rock is a prominent rock found in the centre of the current of the river

Dunajec The Dunajec (); Goral dialects: ''Dónajec'') is a river running through northeastern Slovakia and southern Poland. It is also regarded as the main river of the Goral Lands. It is a right tributary of the Vistula River. It begins in Nowy Targ at t ...

just before the entry into Szczawnica. Built from

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

, the rock is well seen from the road and is a characteristic landmark in the area. Just above the rock the

Grajcarek Grajcarek is a minor river, a stream, running between foothills of the Lesser Pieniny and Beskid Sądecki. It starts at Jaworki, as the confluence of the Biała Woda and Czarna Woda streams. The river flows through Jaworki, Szlachtowa, and flows ...

flows into the

. On from the rock is a bridge, after which begins the Pieniny Trail Road which heads to a border crossing. Around the Kotuńka rock the

river rapid is very strong and creates a swirl. This water feature is used by mountain kayakers, which often train in the area, to the left of the Kotuńka rock are embedded gates for such activities. As with many Pieniny rocks, the Kotuńka rock also has a legend. According to the legend, the devil carried a rock which he tried to bring to the Pieniny Castle on the Castle Mountain in the Pieniny, before which in the Tatra Mountains Kinga of Poland was hiding in. However along the way a rooster crowed and the devil's energy went away. The rock fell from the devil's hands and tumbled down into the river without getting anybody hurt. This is the most famous of the legends about the rock. Kotuńka rock has a height of 9.5 metres, and the tip of the rock is situated at a height of 438 metres. In the years 1875 to 1912 there was a sculpture of a

Goral The gorals are four species in the genus ''Naemorhedus''. They are small ungulates with a goat-like or antelope-like appearance. Until recently, this genus also contained the serow species (now in genus '' Capricornis''). Etymology The original ...

, which welcomed visitors heading to Szczawnica, in the year 1997 a similar statue was placed.

Jadwiga Łuszczewska Jadwiga Łuszczewska (pen name: ''Deotyma'' ( Diotima); 1 July 1834 – 23 September 1908) was a Polish poet, novelist and salonniére. She was born and died in Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abb ...

in the year 1869 wrote "we call it Kotuńka rock, because it creeps out of the water, like a sly cat lurking".

References

Sources

# # Geology of Poland {{NowyTarg-geo-stub