Natural Beauties of Poland

Main information Main information in Poland we have:  23 national parks  122 landscape parks  1481 nature reserves  385 protected landscapes areas  990 Natura 2000 sites  9 Biosphere Reserves  14 World Heritage Sites

Białowieski National Park Białowieski National Park The oldest national park in Poland The last piece of primeval forest of Europe, existing to our days In 1972 park was added to UNESCO World Heritage list

More facts:  You can find 12 thousand species of animals and 3,5 thousand species of plants.  It is home to the world's largest population of European Bison (Polish: żubr).  In Białowieski Park Narodowy you can find: deer, boar, doe, fox, lynx, moose, wolf, ermine, otter, fitchet, marten, beaver, crane, black stork, woodpecker and many, many more …

Mazury The land of thousand lakes Areas created years ago Śniardwy and Mamry - the biggest lakes in Poland Great place for practising water sports

More facts:  The Biebrza Marshes are the most precious part of Mazury.  Mazury area protects vast and relatively untouched fenlands with a unique variety of several communities of plants, rare wetland birds, mammals (such as elk and beaver) and other animals. The Biebrza wetlands are very important centres for birds’ nesting, feeding and resting.

Moving dunes Unique on the European scale Moving dunes are a part of Słowiński National Park Speed of movement – 3,5m-10m per year Willingly visited by tourists

More facts:  In the past, the park's area was a Baltic Sea bay. The sea's activity, created dunes which then separated the bay from the Baltic Sea. Some dunes are quite high - up to 30 metres.  Forests in the park are mainly made of pine. There are also peat bogs of several types.  The most numerous group of animals are birds with 257 species. The most interesting species are: erne, eagle, eagle owl, crow, many kinds of ducks.  Among the mammals: deer, wild pigs and hares.

Tatry – Tatrzański National Park The highest mountain chain in Poland Rysy (2499 m) – the highest peak in Poland The landscape consists of sharp- edged peaks and hollows with numerous rock formations The mountains were added to UNESCO World Heritage list

More facts:  There are around 650 caves in the park. Wielka Śnieżna cave system is the longest (18 km) and the deepest (maximum depth 814 m).  There are several streams and waterfalls. The highest waterfall is Wielka Siklawa at 70 m. The park has over 30 mountain lakes. The largest and the most popular lake is: Morskie Oko (area of 349,000 m²).  In the Tatras you can encounter many plant species: silver fir, European beech, European spruce, Swiss pine, edelweiss, stemless carline thistle, crocus and many more.  Animals include: the Tatra chamois and marmot, brown bear, lynx, wolf, otter, lesser spotted eagle and falcon.

Bieszczady Broad areas without presence of people Peaceful and quiet place The biggest beech forests in Poland In 1992 part of Bieszczady became part of the UNESCO East Carpathian Biosphere Reserve

More facts:  In Bieszczady we have Bieszczadzki National Park which is mostly covered with forests. The woods are mainly natural and in some cases they have preserved their pristine character. The highest peak in the park, Tarnica (1,346 m).  Animal life is abundant with several species of endangered animals. Among them we can encounter: bears, wolves, wildcats, wild boars, otters, lynxes, deer, moose and European bison. The Park also contains interesting birds, including eagles and owls.  The area of the Park is sparsely populated (less than 1 person per km²), which means that animals can roam freely. Around 70% of the Park’s area is regarded as strict preserve.

Pieniny Pieniny is a mountain range in the south of Poland and the north of Slovakia The Pieniny mountains consist mainly of the limestone and dolomite rock In Pieniny you find Pieniński National Park

More facts:  The Pieniny mountains create picturesque and impressive, almost perpendicular walls which go down towards the Dunajec River. The most famous summit - Trzy Korony (Three Crowns) is 982 m.  Pieniny National Park is located in the Dunajec river basin, and the river occupies important position among factors that influence Pieniny’s look. Even though the Park is small, on its area there are lots of species of plants, including 640 kinds of mushrooms.  So far around 6500 animal species have been proven to live in the Pieniny. There are numerous birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians as well as mammals. The most important predator is the lynx.  There are 34 km of tourist walking trails in the park, from such peaks as Sokolica and Trzy Korony. The Park’s main attraction is a river trip on wooden rafts, very popular among all tourists.

Świętokrzyskie Mountains The Świętokrzyskie Mountains (the Holy Cross Mountains) are the oldest ranges in Poland Their outlines are gentle, and their altitudes are not impressive They fascinate by an extremely original structure, diverse vegetation and animal life

More facts:  The Świętokrzyskie are the oldest mountains in Poland, dating back 400–520 million years. Their present appearance was influenced by movements of the Earth around 300 million years ago. Around two million years ago the range was covered by a glacier.  The Park (which covers Świętokrzyskie Mountains) is famous for its trees, of which 674 are regarded as monuments of nature and are under protection. Now there are around 1300 of yew trees. Most of Park’s area is forested, mainly with pines and beeches. Less numerous are fir and oak trees.  Park’s fauna is represented by more than 4000 species of invertebrates and 210 species of vertebrae(including 187 protected).

Wolin It is an island in the Baltic Sea The island has an area of 265 km2 and its highest point is Mount Grzywacz at 116 m In the middle there is Woliński National Park

More facts:  Over 1300 vascular plant species have been recorded on the Wolin Island. Many of the species are rare and protected. The most dominant tree species is pine, but you can also spot beeches and oaks. The best preserved beech forest communities are under strict protection.  The fauna of Wolin is very differentiated and richly represented by rare species. Over 230 bird species have been recorded within the Park, e.g.: white- tailed sea eagle, aquatic warbler, dunlin and red- breasted flycatcher. The park is particularly important for preserving habitats of waterfowls. Waters of the Pomeranian Bay are biotopes of many species, particularly fish, and sea mammals becoming more and more rare - grey seal and harbour porpoise.

Bory Tucholskie Bory Tucholskie are located in our region The Tuchola Forest, also known as Tuchola Pinewoods It contains the Tuchola Forest National Park, which is at the core of the Tuchola Forest Biosphere Reserve, designated by UNESCO in 2010 With 3,200 km² of dense spruce and pine forest, the area is one of the biggest forests in Poland and Central Europe

More facts:  The area of the Tuchola Forest was shaped by the Scandinavian Glacier; and now it is covered by sandy plains. These plains are diversified by numerous dunes and lakes. The lakes are long and narrow, creating long channels, of which the longest is 17 km. Numerous species (around 25) of fish can be found here as well as European beaver. The soil in the park is of poor quality.  The national park is a heaven for birds - there are 144 species of them, including crane and eagle owl. The symbol of the Park - wood grouse - until recently was common in the area, especially in the Forest District of Klosnowo. Now, authorities of the national park, plan to reintroduce this bird. A particularly important part of fauna are bats - several species of them thrive in the Park.

Places of natural beauty presented by us are only part of our beautiful country. You should come and see them by yourselves. Impressions will not certainly be forgotten and will remain in your memory forever. You're welcome ! :)

Sources:            

The end Thanks for watching