Bolimów Forest

Bolimów Landscape Park

A landscape full of life.

Woodland, wetlands, river backwaters, peat bogs and forest clearings form a varied landscape in central Poland. Established in 1986, the park and its buffer zone cover 23,614 hectares, over 60% of which is forest.

It is a refuge for protected plants and animals. Species described on the Patoki websites include beavers, otters, black storks, kingfishers, white-tailed eagles and cranes. Wildlife watching takes patience; every encounter is left to nature.

The Rawka and Chojnatka valleys

Follow the beavers and woodland streams.

The Rawka River nature reserve covers almost 500 hectares. Just 2 kilometres from the Observatory, you can explore the river landscape, its backwaters and beaver habitats.

The domes themselves stand in the Chojnatka valley, beside a tributary of the Rawka. Rivers, woodland streams, backwaters and wetlands are an important part of the park’s natural character.

Marshy meadows and backwaters provide habitats and breeding grounds for waterbirds. Rather than a single attraction, this is a changing landscape of water among trees, open clearings and traces of beaver activity.

History in the woodland

Traces of old forests and their settlers.

The park’s boundaries recall the old forests of Mazovia. Today’s landscape also bears the marks of human work: much of the woodland is managed, while village names preserve the story of earlier settlements.

The word “Budy”, found in names such as Budy Grabskie and Budy Zaklasztorne, recalls woodland settlers who produced tar, charcoal and tannins while living in temporary huts. Some of these settlements survived and grew into villages.

On foot, by bicycle or on horseback

Explore the forest at your own pace.

Woodland paths, walking routes and cycle trails lead through clearings, river valleys and traces of local history. The area also lends itself to horse riding and kayaking on the Rawka.

Educational trails offer a closer look at the forest, while longer routes explore its varied landscapes. The Forest House stands beside two cycle routes; this location detail applies to the house, not the domes.

Along the way are manor houses, parks, roadside shrines and remnants of the First World War, including trenches and former artillery positions. Choose a route suited to your abilities; less accessible places are best explored with a guide.