Dziewicza Góra, Greater Poland Voivodeship
Encyclopedia
Czerwonak
Czerwonak is a village in Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Czerwonak...
, a few kilometres north-east of the city of Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
in western Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. It lies at the south-western extreme of Puszcza Zielonka Landscape Park
Puszcza Zielonka Landscape Park
Puszcza Zielonka Landscape Park is a protected area situated to the north-east of the city of Poznań in Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland. It was set up in 1993 and covers an area of . It is made up of parts of the gminas of Czerwonak, Kiszkowo, Murowana Goślina, Pobiedziska and Skoki...
, and is the Park's highest point, at 143 metres (469.2 ft) above sea level.
Its name (originally Dziewcza Góra) literally means Virgin Hill. It derives from the Cistercian nuns
Cistercian nuns
Cistercian nuns are female members of the Cistercian Order, a religious order belonging to the Roman Catholic branch of the Catholic Church.-History:...
who were granted the hill in 1242.
An observation tower, with a height of 40 metres (131.2 ft), was built at the summit of the hill in 2005. This is used for forest fire observation, and is also open to the public at certain times, offering wide views of the surrounding countryside and the city of Poznań.