Świętokrzyski National Park (Polish: Świętokrzyski Park Narodowy) is a national park located in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship in central Poland. It includes the highest part of the Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) Mountains, called the Łysogory, which has two tallest peaks: Łysica at 612 meters (2,008 feet) and Łysa Góra ("Bald Mountain") at 595 meters (1,952 feet). The park also includes parts of the Klonowski Ridge and the Pokrzywianski Ridge. The park's main office is in Bodzentyn.

History

The history of protecting this area of Poland began before World War I. In 1921, the first forest reserve in the Swiętokrzyskie Mountains was created. This reserve, called Józef Kostyrko's reserve on Chełmowa Góra, covered an area of 1.63 square kilometers. The next year, two parts of the Łysogory were added to the protected area, totaling 3.11 square kilometers. In 1932, the reserve's size was officially increased to 13.47 square kilometers. However, a National Park was not established until 1950. At that time, the park covered 60.54 square kilometers, but it has since grown to cover 76.26 square kilometers (29.44 square miles). Of this area, 72.12 square kilometers are covered by forests. There are also five areas with strict protection rules, which together cover 17.31 square kilometers.

Landscape

The Świętokrzyskie Mountains are the oldest mountain range in Poland. They were formed during three different times when the Earth's crust moved. These mountains are located in the Małopolska Upland, between the Pilica and Vistula rivers. Their shapes are gentle, and they are not very tall. However, they are special because of their unique structure, many types of plants, and a wide variety of animals.

Flora

The park is well known for its trees, 674 of which are considered natural monuments and are protected. Park officials successfully brought back yew trees here, and now there are about 1300 of them. Most of the park is covered with forests, mostly made up of pines and beeches. Fir trees are fewer in number, as are forests that mix oak and fir trees. Among the park's interesting features are the fir wilderness, which is found only in this area, and areas of Polish larch on Chełmowa Góra.

Fauna

The park has more than 4,000 species of invertebrates and 210 species of vertebrates, 187 of which are protected. One of the most valuable features of the park's wildlife is that many species are mountain-dwelling. These animals typically live in the strictly protected areas and deep within the forests.

Architecture

In addition to natural features, the park and the area around it have many important historical buildings, most of which are religious. The most valuable is the Benedictine Holy Cross Abbey, built in the first half of the 12th century, located on the top of Łysa Góra. It is likely that the oldest known example of written Polish language, the Kazania Świętoktrzyskie (Holy Cross Sermons), was created there. The area also has many small chapels near roads.

Other notable buildings are found outside the park. These include a women’s monastery at Św. Katarzyna (built in 1633), churches in Bielice (17th century) and Bodzentynów (15th century), the ruins of a castle in Bodzentyn (14th century), parts of an ancient wall around Łysa Góra (9th century), and a museum of metallurgy in Słupia Nowa, where visitors can sometimes see traditional methods of making steel. The park also contains many historical monuments linked to Polish uprisings and the period of Nazi occupation.