Olsztyn City Forest

From the High Gate in Olsztyn, a red-marked trail leads straight into a forest where it is easy to forget you are still in a city. Olsztyn City Forest covers 1,415.87 ha, entirely within the city limits, and Olsztyn describes it as the largest forest complex inside a city in Europe. The Łyna river runs through the middle, in places through a deep valley, and in one clearing stands a stadium where a world record was set in 1960.

History: a forest from the town charter

The town received these woods in its founding charter of 1353 – a strip between Olsztyn and Dywity, up to the Wadąg river, together with the old village of Sądyty. A forest guard was set up in the 17th century; the archives even hold a description of the ceremony for swearing in a guard, in municipal records dated 22 December 1807. In the early 20th century a forest stadium, a tuberculosis sanatorium, a restaurant and a café were built here. Since 1991 the forest has been managed by a municipal body, Las Miejski w Olsztynie.

What to see

• The Łyna valley – the river is 264 km long, 13 km of it in Olsztyn, and the longest stretch runs through the forest. The prettiest spot is where the Wadąg flows into the Łyna.
• Smętek Bridge (Most Smętka) – a trail junction over the Łyna with a map board and a rest area just beyond the bridge.
• Nature reserves – the Mszar peat bog (4 ha) and Redykajny (10 ha).
• The Sanditten (Sądyty) hillfort – an archaeological site of a former settlement.
• Forest Stadium (Stadion Leśny) – opened in 1920 in the Jakubowo district, now derelict and unfit for competitions.

Interesting facts

On 5 August 1960, at the Polish championships in the Forest Stadium, Józef Szmidt jumped 17.03 m in the triple jump. He was the first person in the world to pass 17 metres, beating the world record by 33 cm, and the mark stood for eight years. Back in the interwar period, Helmut Hirschfeld had already set a world shot-put record in the same stadium.

Pine covers more than 80% of the forest, and many trees are over 140 years old. 69 bird species have been recorded; you may see wild boar, roe deer, foxes and squirrels, beavers leave their marks along the Łyna, and the odd elk wanders in.

Trails and activities

Four marked PTTK walking trails (red, yellow, black and blue) cross the forest. The red Copernicus Trail starts at the High Gate and runs 5.3 km within the city. Trailheads are placed at city bus terminals and stops. There are cycle routes too – for example an 8 km route from Jakubowo past the "Łyna" hydro plant to Bałtycka Street – plus cross-country ski tracks in winter and three sledging runs. Canoe rallies have been held on the river for years, from the castle park to the Wadąg confluence.

Tripto tip

• Entry is free all year. Allow 1.5–3 hours for a loop from Smętek Bridge.
• The path right along the Łyna, built by foresters, is the most scenic, but in winter and early spring some sections can be closed – then stick to the wide forest roads, which also suit pushchairs.
• Getting there: on foot from the centre along the red trail from the High Gate, or by city bus to a terminal at a trailhead. Drivers can use the forest car parks on the edge.
• Combine the forest with the Old Town and a walk along the Łyna through the park below the castle.