Bartek Oak

In 1934 a jury led by the botanist Władysław Szafer named the Bartek Oak "the most magnificent tree in Poland" — and the fame has stuck, even though older trees grow elsewhere in the country. This ancient pedunculate oak in Bartków near Zagnańsk now has eight main boughs held up by steel props, a trunk almost 10 metres round, and a history that includes a fire, a lightning strike and decades with a cement plug in its trunk.

How old is Bartek?

Between the wars the oak was thought to be as much as 1,200 years old, and one legend claims that King Casimir the Great held court beneath it. A study published in 1992 by Cezary Pacyniak gave an age of 654 years, which means the tree is probably just under 700 years old today. The exact age cannot be established because the inside of the trunk has rotted away — in places the living wood is only 5 cm thick.

According to 2013 measurements, Bartek is 28.5 m tall. The trunk measures 9.85 m round at 1.3 m above the ground and as much as 13.4 m at its base. The crown spreads roughly 20 by 40 metres.

Keeping Bartek alive

In 1829 the oak had fourteen main boughs; eight remain. In 1906 it was damaged by a fire in nearby buildings, and in 1920 its hollow was filled with cement — the plug was not removed until 1978, when it was replaced with resin filler disguised with bark. On 3 June 1991 the tree was struck by lightning, and a lightning conductor was later fitted. In 1997 the wooden props under the boughs were replaced with telescopic supports. Bartek has been a protected natural monument since 1954. In June 2025 a storm broke one of the boughs on the south-east side.

Legends and curiosities

• Legend has it that King John III Sobieski, returning from his victory at Vienna, left a bottle of wine and a captured Turkish sabre in the hollow. Another tale speaks of treasure hidden here by the king and his wife Marysieńka — both are folklore, not documented history.
• On the east side of the oak lies a stone from 1933, unveiled for the 25th anniversary of two pre-independence paramilitary organisations, the Union of Active Struggle and the Riflemen's Association. It lay face down for more than 30 years and was set upright again only in 1984.
• Bartek drew crowds even before the war — in 1937 alone about 2,000 tourists came to see it, some from abroad.

Tripto tip

The oak stands beside regional road 750 from Zagnańsk to Samsonów, some fifteen kilometres north of Kielce. You view it from outside, with no ticket; walk all the way round, as each side shows a different arrangement of boughs and props. In September 2026 a new visitor complex opened next to the oak, with a car park, tourist information point, restaurant, toilets, a covered terrace overlooking Bartek and a brine graduation tower; the facilities are open Wednesday to Sunday, 9:00–17:00. The oak itself needs only 20–30 minutes — with children, add time for the nature trail and playground. The green-marked trail from Bliżyn to Zagnańsk passes nearby, so it is easy to add a walk in the Świętokrzyska Forest.