Fairy-Tale Garden in Międzygórze

On the slope above Międzygórze, at about 700 metres, wooden figures from fairy tales stand among junipers and yews: Hansel and Gretel, Puss in Boots, Polish cartoon goat Koziołek Matołek, the Moomins and the Little Mole. Pride of place goes to the Spirit of the Mountains, Rübezahl, in his hut of twigs. The garden is almost a hundred years old and was born out of gratitude.

History

The garden was started by forester and botanist Isidor Kriesten, who built himself a house in Międzygórze just after the First World War. According to local legend he began collecting wooden carvings as a tribute to the Spirit of the Mountains, who was said to have saved his life. The figures were made from roots, bark and sticks over some 20 years, and locals named the place the "Fairy-Tale Garden".

After 1960 the garden fell into neglect. In 1974 scouts from Poznań began restoring it and cared for it until 1981. Since 1985 it has been run by the local branch of the Polish Tourist Society (PTTK); new figures were added by Jerzy Drążkowski and sculptor Czesław Zawojski. In 2008 the carvings were painted in bright colours.

What to see

• The Spirit of the Mountains' cottage – a hut of branches and roots, the garden's signature piece.
• Characters from tales and cartoons – including Pinocchio, Hansel and Gretel, Puss in Boots, Gargamel with his cat, the dwarf Koszałek Opałek, Bolek and Lolek, and Snufkin.
• Miniature buildings, among them little castles and a model of a lookout tower.
• Wooden boards with aphorisms by Czesław Zawojski.
• Plants – junipers, Lawson cypresses, yews, azaleas and Swedish whitebeam on about 0.25 hectares.

Tripto tip

From the bus stop in Międzygórze the Dwarf Trail, opened in spring 2009, leads to the garden, and the trail up to Igliczna with the Church of Our Lady of the Snows passes right by. The garden lies above the village centre, so the approach is uphill. Half an hour is enough for the garden itself, but it works best as a stop on the way up Igliczna. It makes a good goal for a walk with children.