Bison Enclosure in Jankowice

In Jankowice near Pszczyna, in the middle of the Pszczyna forests, the Bison Breeding and Forest Education Centre runs a demonstration enclosure open free of charge. On 10 hectares — a pasture at the front and forest at the back — lives a herd of 7 bison, while another 40 or so graze in semi-free conditions deeper in the surrounding woods.

The history of the Pszczyna herd

Bison were brought here in 1865, when Prince Jan Henryk XI Hochberg exchanged twenty Pszczyna deer with Tsar Alexander II for four animals from the Białowieża Forest. The breeding was so successful that after the First World War the Pszczyna bison helped rebuild the almost exterminated Białowieża herd. The Jankowice enclosure itself remained closed to tourists from the Second World War onwards — opening it required building an entire infrastructure.

The trail among the bison

The enclosure and adjacent forest are covered by an educational loop trail about 2 km long, largely on boardwalks; walking it takes about 30 minutes. Information boards and benches line the route, and a shelter by the pasture allows visitors to watch the animals in bad weather. Bison are seen most often in the morning, when they graze on the pasture. A multimedia room has been arranged in the old forester's lodge, and the centre is the first ecological education centre in southern Poland.

Practical information

Entry is free, with a free car park by the front pasture. May–September: Tue–Fri 10:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–20:00; October–April: Tue–Fri 10:00–16:00, Sat–Sun 10:00–17:00. Closed on Mondays.