National parks

Roztocze National Park

Roztocze National Park is the most heavily forested national park in Poland — woods cover 95.5% of its area (8,483 ha; established 10 May 1974). It lies in the Lublin region on Central Roztocze, where the hills rise no higher than 350 m above sea level. The Polish horse (konik polski) is the park's emblem.

Stawy Echo and the Polish horses

The best-known spot is Stawy Echo, a set of ponds on the upper Wieprz river. Local lore has it that trout swim to the shore at the warden's whistle — which is how the ponds got their name. Around them and on Biała Góra roams a herd of konik polski horses: the breeding programme was launched in 1982 by Prof. Mirosław Kownacki, and today the animals live on 180 ha with virtually no human interference, fed only in winter.

From the Zamoyski game enclosure to a national park

Nature protection here goes back to the 16th century, when Chancellor Jan Zamoyski built a game enclosure ringed by a fence some 30 km long, home to red deer, lynx and tarpans. The first nature reserve, Bukowa Góra, was designated in 1936, and the park itself was created in 1974 on 4,801 ha. Today it contains five strict nature reserves, including Bukowa Góra, Czerkies and Nart.

What you will see and when to come

The forests — mainly upland mixed fir forest and fertile Carpathian beech woods — harbour about 750 vascular plant species and over 190 bird species, 130 of which nest here regularly: lesser spotted eagle, black stork, white-backed woodpecker. The European pond turtle also lives here. Zwierzyniec, with its educational centre and museum, is the most convenient base; the Florianka forest study centre operates nearby. May to autumn are best for the hiking and cycling trails.