Nadbużański Landscape Park

Introduction

The Bug is not a river that stays neatly in place.

Across the Nadbużański Landscape Park it still bends through broad meanders, cuts into sandy banks, creates islands and sandbars and leaves old channels behind as oxbow lakes. This constantly changing river landscape is the main reason to come here.

The park covers 73,732.3 hectares and protects almost 120 kilometres of the Bug River as well as about 40 kilometres of the lower Narew. Forests, floodplain meadows, peat bogs, inland dunes and old river channels create an unusually varied landscape.

This is not a place to visit in one hour. Choose one section, walk slowly and bring binoculars.

Why is the park special?

The park protects one of the most natural large river valleys in this part of Poland.

The Bug still forms meanders, oxbows, sandy islands, beaches and eroded riverbanks. Behind the river lies a mosaic of wet meadows, riparian forests, pine woods, peat bogs and dry inland dunes. Forest covers about 36% of the park.

The contrast can be striking. On the short Kules Peatbog Trail, for example, visitors can move between a wet peatland and dry sandy dunes during a walk of only 1.6 kilometres.

History

The idea of creating a protected landscape park along the Bug River was proposed by Polish naturalist and travel writer Lechosław Herz in 1976.

The first part of the park was formally created on 30 September 1993. Additional sections followed in 1994 and 1998. The original concept was much more ambitious: the proposed park and buffer zone would have covered more than 222,000 hectares.

Since 2024 its official name has been Nadbużański Landscape Park named after Wojciech Bogumił Jastrzębowski, a Polish botanist, naturalist and educator.

Wildlife

Park inventories have recorded more than 190 bird species, making birdwatching one of the best reasons to visit.

The river valley supports terns, plovers, snipes, corncrakes, kingfishers and sand martins. Cranes, black storks and white-tailed eagles can also be found in the wider landscape.

The park is also home to 49 recorded mammal species, including moose, deer, wild boar, beavers and otters.

Its plant diversity is equally impressive: surveys have identified around 1,027 species of higher plants and about 161 plant communities.

Best places for a first visit

Kules Peatbog Trail

The easiest introduction to the park.

The 1.6-kilometre loop near Zieleniec and Sadowne Węgrowskie combines pine forest, peat bog and inland sand dunes. It can also be reached by train via Sadowne Węgrowskie station.

In the Land of Bug River Meadows

This 10-kilometre walking and cycling trail starts at Wywłoka.

The route crosses open meadows, wetlands and oxbow lakes. A section on the flood embankment provides wide views across the Bug valley. Cars can be left near the start of the trail.

Jerzyska – Szumin

Another 10-kilometre route, this time combining the forests near Jerzyska with an impressive sandy river bank near Szumin.

It is a particularly good choice if you want to experience both the forest and the river during one trip.

Track of the Moose

A roughly 16-kilometre trail through the Kamieniecka Forest in Stoczek municipality.

Information panels explain how to recognise moose tracks, behaviour and habitat.

What to look for

Look for old river channels separated from the main Bug, sandy bars emerging from the river, steep nesting banks used by kingfishers and sand martins, traditional pollarded willows, beaver signs and inland dunes.

Above all, pay attention to the landscape itself. The river is constantly reshaping it.

Practical information

Admission: free.

Opening hours: there are no general opening hours for the landscape park.

Recommended time: at least half a day; a full day is much better.

Best way to explore: walking, cycling and kayaking.

Train: the Kules Peatbog Trail is easily accessible from Sadowne Węgrowskie railway station.

Cycling: many routes use unsurfaced and sandy roads, so a trekking or gravel bike is usually more comfortable than a road bike.

Kayaking: the Bug is a natural river with variable depth, current, sandbanks and islands. Conditions should always be checked before a trip.

Suggested equipment: walking shoes, binoculars, drinking water, sun protection and insect repellent.

Tripto tip

Do not try to cross the entire park in one day.

For a first visit, concentrate on the Łochów–Szumin–Wywłoka area and add the short Kules Peatbog Trail if you have enough time.

The combination gives you the best introduction to what makes the park special: the Bug River, wet meadows, forest, peat bog and inland dunes.