Małopolska National and landscape parks, nature reserves Małopolska 8 UNESCO sites 250 attractions on the Wooden Architecture Route Wadowice – town of birth of Pope John Paul II Salt mines in Wieliczka and Bochnia 9 spa resorts 6 national parks 4 geothermal pools Rafting down the Dunajec gorge 2600 km of bicycle trails 3360 km of mountain trails 250 ski runs www.visitmalopolska.pl EUROPEAN UNION EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND Project co-financed by the European Union within the Malopolska Regional Operational Programme 2007–2013 Rejkiawik IS Małopolska Capital of the region: Kraków Major cities: Tarnów, Nowy Sącz, Oświęcim Surface area: 15,190 km2 (about 5% of the surface area of Poland) Population: 3.28 mil. (about 8% of the population of Poland) Landscape: FIN Helsinki the tallest peak – Rysy: 2499 m asl N Oslo S mountains – Tatras, Beskids, Pieniny, Gorce Sztokholm Tallin EST RUS foothills – Carpathian Foothills Ryga uplands – Kraków-Częstochowa Upland LV Dublin DK lowlands – Vistula valley IRL Kopenhaga LT Wilno main rivers – Vistula, Dunajec, Poprad, Raba, Skawa, Biała GB RUS Mińsk NL water reservoirs – Czorsztyński, Rożnowski, Czchowski, Dobczycki, Londyn BY Amsterdam Klimkówka Berlin Bruksela Warszawa D PL the highest located, cleanest lakes – Morskie Oko, Czarny Staw, the lakes B Kijów L Praga KRAKÓW of the Valley of Five Polish Lakes Paryż Luksemburg UA the largest and deepest cave – Wielka Śnieżna Cave: over 22 km CZ SK Bratysława of corridors, 824 m deep F FL Wiedeń Berno MD Vaduz Budapeszt CH A H Kiszyniów Lublana SLO RO Zagrzeb San Bukareszt Marino HR AND Monako BIH Belgrad P E MC RSM Andora Sarajewo SRB Lizbona I Madryt MNE Sofia Priština BG Rzym Podgorica RKS Skopje V Tirana MK AL Publisher GR TR Department of Tourism, Sport and Promotion Ateny at The Office of the Marshal of the Małopolska Province Regional Tourism Information System Team ul. Basztowa 22, 31-156 Kraków M [email protected] www.visitmalopolska.pl Text Iwona Baturo Photos P. Fabijański, S. Gacek, T. Gębuś, J. Gorlach, J. Mysiński, A. Niedźwieńska, P. Witosławski, M. Zaręba, D. Zaród, iStockPhoto.com photo archive, UMWM photo archive Publishing Amistad Sp. z o.o. – Program ul. Stolarska 13/7, 31-043 Kraków tel./faks: + 48 12 4229922 Wysowa-Zdrój [email protected], www.polskaturystyczna.pl Production management: Agnieszka Błaszczak, Małgorzata Czopik Project coordination: Katarzyna Thor Publishing concept: Anna Niedźwieńska Editor: Aurelia Hołubowska Proofreading: Agnieszka Szmuc Cover design, graphic design: PART SA Maps: Wydawnictwo Kartograficzne Daunpol sp. z o.o. Typesetting, preparation for print: Michał Tincel Translation and proofreading: EuroInterpret Dominik Moser Kraków 2010, ISBN 978-83-61355-89-2 The authors and publishers have made every effort to ensure the text is accurate, however, they cannot be responsible for any changes that took place after the materials have been prepared for publishing. Materials prepared as of 29 October 2010. MAŁOPOLSKA National Parks, Landscape Parks and Nature Reserves Setting off for nature ałopolska is an outstanding region, especial- ly in respect of its natural resources. From the fanciful monadnocks and hot desert sands, the scenic sash of the Vistula and the Duna- Mjec forcing its way between the rocks, the green Beskids and the bare summits of the Tatras, the dark caves and roaring waterfalls…. As much as 53% of the Małopolska area is protected. There are 6 national and 11 landscape parks, 10 areas of protected landscape, 84 nature reserves and also 2189 natural monuments. The Babiogórski and Tatrzański National Park – two areas unique on the world scale and of special natural value – have also been recog- nised as UNESCO biosphere reserves. Such a variety of landscape must favour a rich diversity of flora and fauna. It is only in the national parks that over half of all the plant and wildlife species living in Poland have been categorised. Truly unique are the sections of for- est whose primeval character still remains in the Pieniny, the Babia Góra massif, the Tatras and the Beskid Sądecki mountain range. These forest complexes are also habi- tats to a number of rare and endangered animals listed in the Polish Red Book of Threatened Species. Indeed, it is Małopolska which is home to all the Polish large predato- ry mammals: the bear, wolf, lynx and wild cat. It is also in Małopolska, exactly in the Tatras, where you can spot edel- weiss and chamois – symbols of an environment unspoiled by human activity. Małopolska’s natural treasures can be admired on many hiking, cycling and bridle trails. However, you should re- On the trail – the Tatras, photo by J. Gorlach member that in national parks and reserves, where the en- vironmental protection is a priority, it is forbidden, among other regulations, to deviate from the way-marked trails. You must also not feed animals or pick plants, even incon- spicuous-looking flowers. You should also not dislodge any rocks. Nature doesn’t like noise or litter either. Please respect these rather minor demands. NAtional PArks Babiogórski National Park, photo by D. Zaród On the peak of Babia Góra, photo by D. Zaród Babiogórski National Park Tourists on the trail, photo by D. Zaród The half-wild and lofty Queen of the Beskids, as Babia Góra is often called, became protected as a national park in 1954. This not too vast but high mountain range (the highest in the Eastern Beskids) catches your eye from afar. The north faces, marked with gullies and rock debris, drop steeply down while the more flattened southern ones slope gently into valleys.Diablak (1725 m asl) is Babia Góra’s highest peak. The European watershed runs through the Babia Góra ridge, meaning that the waters flowing down the massif’s north slopes empty into the Baltic Sea whereas those on the south slopes end up in the Black Sea basin. The well-preserved alpine flora, complete with all the natural altudi- nal vegetation zones, was the reason to include the Babiogórski National Park to the Natura 2000 network and to inscribe it among the UNESCO biosphere reserves in 1977. Only areas unique on the world scale and unspoiled by human activity are ranked as biosphere reserves. The high altitude of the Babia Góra massif and the consequent diversity of the climatic conditions al- lowed the formation of vegetation zones similar to those in the high mountains, such as the Tatras. The majestic forests growing in the lower parts of the range (the lower subalpine zone) are a remnant Interesting sights of the ancient natural Carpathian Forest. There, a lot of rare and protected plants can be found in the undergrowth. In the upper subalpine zone, dominated by spruce, a natural curiosity is the Polish La- PTTK (Polish Tourist and Sightseeing serpitium archangelica, a plant which occurs only in the Babia Góra massif and has become the park’s Society) Hostel in Markowe symbol. Here, a strip of dwarf pine is a kingdom of bushes while the highest alpine zone is dominat- Szczawiny, located just shy of the ed by small green plants clinging to the ground or rocks. The Alpine chickweed, an inconspicuous central point of the park. plant decorated with white flowers, is another endemic (found only in particular areas) species living Diablak, the highest peak of the here. Rising higher still, the very peak of Diablak is covered with rock debris. park, can be reached by two trails: the This unspoiled flora is a haven to many animals. Apart from the common fauna, representatives of al- yellow trail, called Perć Akademików ready rare species still inhabit the park, such as the lynx, wolf and brown bear in the mountains. Also, (Academics’ Path), and the red trail. approximately 100 bird species, such as the Western Capercaillie, and the Black and Hazel Grouse, Zawoja, a holiday resort, where have their breeding nests here. you can see a church built in 1888, situated along the Wooden Architecture Route, as well as the Babiogórski National Park, trail admission fee: May–Oct, 1-day PLN 5, concessions: PLN 2.50, Garden of Babia Góra Plants. free admission for children under 7 years old, / www.bgpn.pl. 2 3 NAtional PArks Planning the trip, photo by D. Zaród Through the meadows of Gorczański National Park, Gorczański National Park photo by D. Zaród Gorczański National Park extends over the central and north-east parts of the Gorce Mountains, which Gorczański National Park, photo by D. Zaród belong to the Western Beskids. The park was established in 1981 and comprises two mountain ridg- es stretching from Turbacz (1310 m asl) towards the peak of Gorc (1228 m asl) and the peak of Kudłoń (1276 m asl). Jaworzyna Kamienicka (1288 m asl) is the highest summit of the park. These relatively low mountains are of particular interest to tourists with a taste for hiking thanks to a variety of trails suited to everyone’s enjoyment. Importantly, the area was also included into the Natura 2000 net- work, being a habitat to rare European birds, such as the Western Capercaillie, the White-backed Woodpecker, the Eurasian Pygmy-owl and the Ural Owl. The mountains are covered with beautiful forests, themselves the remnant of the once primeval Car- Interesting sights pathian Forest. The areas least affected by man are situated in the lower parts of the mountains made On the Jaworzyna Kamienicka up by mixed forests called beech woods. There, should you visit, one can find centuries-old beech and glade one may find an interesting fir trees in antique splendour. A true curiosity of flora is the Lanceleaf grapefern, a fern known to grow feature, the small Bulandowa only in the Gorce Mountains and now, sadly, completely threatened with extinction.