Wolica Kozia Observation Tower

From below you see only pine trees; from the top, a green belt of riverside floodplain forest, oxbow lakes and the roofs of Hermanów across the valley. Wolica Kozia Observation Tower stands in the northern part of the village, beside one of the Nordic walking routes of the Żerków-Czeszewo Landscape Park, and offers a rare view from above of the floodplain forests next to the Dębno nad Wartą nature reserve.

A park in the Warta valley

The Żerkowsko-Czeszewski Landscape Park was established in 1994 and covers about 15,795 ha of the Warta river's floodplain and that of its tributary, the Lutynia, with numerous oxbow lakes. Its greatest treasure is riverside and oak-hornbeam forest of an almost primeval character, with huge old trees and plenty of deadwood – the park calls it the "Białowieża of Greater Poland", after Poland's famous primeval forest. The park's symbol is the black stork, whose first nest here was found in 1965. About 150 bird species breed in the park, and more than 200 have been recorded in total.

The view from the top

According to the Greater Poland landscape parks authority, the tower looks out over Hermanów and its surroundings and over the floodplain forests along the Warta. In summer the treetops partly block the view, so the widest panorama opens in early spring and late autumn, after the leaves have fallen. In good visibility, look for flooded meadows and oxbow lakes – they are what attracts waterbirds and birds of prey.

Tripto tip

Routes to Wolica Kozia include the green hiking trail (the "Mickiewicz trail") from Lisewo via Żerków and Śmiełów, the Warta Cycle Route from Szczodrzejewo via Czeszewo and Dębno (about 13.5 km within the park), and the Warta Way of St James. The tower is easiest to visit on a bike ride – the stop itself takes 15–30 minutes. It is an open-air wooden structure, so check the condition of the steps and any closure notices before climbing; forest paths can be muddy after rain. Nearby, visit the Forest Education Centre in Czeszewo, the Czeszewski Las reserve and the Adam Mickiewicz Museum in Śmiełów.