The Lower Silesian Wilderness

If you asked someone which of the forest complexes in Poland is the largest, probably the most common answers would be either Bialowieza Wilderness, Augustow Wilderness or Notec Wilderness. All these answers are wrong! Because these are Lower Silesian Forests (Lower Silesian Wilderness) that are truly the largest ones. They are located in two voivodships: Lower Silesian and Lubuskie, and, though amazing, they are still very little known as a tourist region. In Lower Silesian Forests, pine is the dominant species but there are also many varieties of oak, beech and other deciduous trees. The flat landscape is diversified by hills, the highest of which is Czartowska Mountain, in Wegliniec commune, 247 m above sea level. There are meandering river valleys, including the Nysa Luzycka, Kwisa or Bobr rivers, cut off old river beds and numerous mid-forest ponds as well as small deserts (Kozlowska and Strachowska), inland dunes and peat bogs. Lower Silesian Forests are known for their great abundance of mushrooms and berries, as well as numerous regional products, of which heather honey is the most famous one. Thanks to the large area of unpopulated backwoods, you can find many species of birds of prey (white-tailed eagle, hawk, black kite) and large mammals (deer, roe deer, wild boar). Wolves also venture there more and more often. The forests are a zone of centuries-old intertwining of the Wendish (or Lusatian) and Silesian cultures, which is visible in architecture and construction. You will find here both prehistoric strongholds and buildings in almost all styles: magnificent castles, simple rural farms, facilities depicting historical industrial activity and historic technical constructions. The most important of them can be admired in Boleslawiec, Kliczkow and Zgorzelec.