<p>Mount Ślęża is a distinctive solitary hill (inselberg) rising in front of the Sudetes range in SW Poland. Its relative height is approximately 500&#xa0;m and the surroundings are nearly flat, except much lower ridges to the south. Geologically, it is a part of mid-Palaeozoic ophiolitic complex, with gabbro rocks building most of the inselberg. Other rocks present are amphibolites, serpentinites and granites, which later intruded the ophiolitic structure. During inland glaciations in the Pleistocene the hill rose above the ice surface as a nunatak, allowing for efficient periglacial transformation of relief in the uppermost parts. This included formation of extensive blockfields on slopes, as well crags and cliffs, now all forested. The solitary position of the hill, along with peculiar rock landforms on its slopes, were the background of many legends and stories, aiming to explain the origin of the hill and interpreting periglacial landforms in the human context. Mt. Ślęża has always had symbolic meaning for people living in its vicinity, being a cult site already in the prehistoric, pre-Christian times. Many early interpretations and cultural associations had a strong religious component, whereas the modern ones are more esoteric. Of particular significance is the eighteenth to nineteenth century misinterpretation of Mt. Ślęża as an extinct volcano, apparently caused by the appreciation of visual similarities between it and active volcanoes of Italy, arising in the minds of travellers undertaking Grand Tour to Italy. Preserved archaeological remains (stone ramparts, stone sculptures, engravings) and unusual rock landforms add to the mystical aura of Mt. Ślęża. With the support of a few other examples from Germany and Czechia it is argued that large and distinctive solitary hills, which host minor rock landforms, have natural predisposition to be generators of myths and legends, some of which have persisted until today.</p>