Tuchola Forest National Park (Polish: Park Narodowy Bory Tucholskie) is a national park in Poland, established on July 1, 1996. It spans an area of 46.13 square kilometers (17.81 square miles), including forests, lakes, meadows, and peatlands. The park is located in the northern part of Poland, within Chojnice County in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, at the center of the Tuchola Forest, which is the largest woodland in Poland. It is surrounded by a larger protected area known as Zaborski Landscape Park. The park serves as the central part of the Tuchola Forest Biosphere Reserve, which was designated by UNESCO in 2010.
Area
The first plan stated that the national park would cover 130 square kilometers. However, after talking with local officials, they decided the park's boundaries would only include the area called Seven Lakes Stream (Struga Siedmiu Jezior). All the land added to the national park was owned by the government, not by private people. Forests, meadows, and peatlands were part of Forest Preserve Rytel. The lakes were managed by the State Agency of Agricultural Land.
Features
The Tuchola Forest was shaped by a glacier from Scandinavia. Most of the area has sandy plains. These plains have dunes and lakes. The lakes are long and narrow, forming channels. The longest channel is 17 kilometers long. The soil in the park is not very rich.
There are more than 20 lakes in the park. Some lakes have clear, clean water, such as Gacno Wielkie, Gacno Male, Nierybno, and Gluche. About 25 types of fish live in the park, along with European beavers.
The park is home to 144 bird species, including cranes and eagle owls. The wood grouse is the park's symbol. It was once common in the area, especially in the Klosnowo Forest District. Now, park officials plan to bring the bird back. Bats are an important part of the park's wildlife. Several bat species live there.
Tourism
The most important tourist areas in Tuchola Forest are near Charzykowskie and Karsinskie lakes. In recent years, agro-tourism has grown in popularity, such as in the village of Swornegacie. The Brda River is used for kayaking.
Charzykowy is known as the birthplace of Polish inland sailing. Lake Charzykowy provides good conditions for sailing during both summer and winter. Bicycle trails allow visitors to explore the attractions of Tuchola Forest. Additionally, the forest includes walking trails, such as the Kaszubski Trail, which connects Chojnice to Wiela.