Puszcza Zielonka Landscape Park (Park Krajobrazowy Puszcza Zielonka) is a protected area

Protected area

Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...

 (Landscape Park

Landscape Park (Poland)

A Landscape Park is the name given in Poland to a type of protected area, of lower status than a National Park and with less stringent restrictions on development and economic use....

) situated to the 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 Greater Poland Voivodeship

Greater Poland Voivodeship

Wielkopolska Voivodeship , or Greater Poland Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, or province, in west-central Poland. It was created on 1 January 1999 out of the former Poznań, Kalisz, Konin, Piła and Leszno Voivodeships, pursuant to the Polish local government reforms adopted in 1998...

, 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 was set up in 1993 and covers an area of 114 square kilometres (44 sq mi). It is made up of parts of the gmina

Gmina

The gmina is the principal unit of administrative division of Poland at its lowest uniform level. It is often translated as "commune" or "municipality." As of 2010 there were 2,479 gminas throughout the country...

s (administrative districts) of Czerwonak

Gmina Czerwonak

Gmina Czerwonak is a rural gmina in Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. Its seat is the village of Czerwonak, which lies approximately north-east of the regional capital Poznań....

, Kiszkowo

Gmina Kiszkowo

Gmina Kiszkowo is a rural gmina in Gniezno County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. Its seat is the village of Kiszkowo, which lies approximately west of Gniezno and north-east of the regional capital Poznań....

, Murowana Goślina

Gmina Murowana Goslina

Gmina Murowana Goślina is an urban-rural gmina in Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. Its seat is the town of Murowana Goślina, which lies approximately north of the regional capital Poznań. The gmina consists of Murowana Goślina and the countryside and villages...

, Pobiedziska

Gmina Pobiedziska

Gmina Pobiedziska is an urban-rural gmina in Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. Its seat is the town of Pobiedziska, which lies approximately north-east of the regional capital Poznań....

 and Skoki

Gmina Skoki

Gmina Skoki is an urban-rural gmina in Wągrowiec County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. Its seat is the town of Skoki, which lies approximately south of Wągrowiec and north-east of the regional capital Poznań....

. It consists mainly of the Puszcza Zielonka forest (80% of the area of the landscape park is forest). It includes five nature reserve

Nature reserve

A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...

s, several lakes, and villages including Zielonka

Zielonka, Poznan County

Zielonka is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Murowana Goślina, within Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately east of Murowana Goślina and north-east of the regional capital Poznań. The village has an approximate population of...

, Kamińsko

Kaminsko, Greater Poland Voivodeship

Kamińsko is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Murowana Goślina, within Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Murowana Goślina and north-east of the regional capital Poznań...

, Dąbrówka Kościelna

Dabrówka Koscielna, Greater Poland Voivodeship

Dąbrówka Kościelna is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Kiszkowo, within Gniezno County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland...

, Głęboczek, Łopuchówko and Tuczno

Tuczno, Greater Poland Voivodeship

Tuczno is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Pobiedziska, within Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately west of Pobiedziska and north-east of the regional capital Poznań....

. The highest point is Dziewicza Góra

Dziewicza Góra, Greater Poland Voivodeship

Dziewicza Góra is a hill close to Czerwonak, a few kilometres north-east of the city of Poznań in western Poland. It lies at the south-western extreme of Puszcza Zielonka Landscape Park, and is the Park's highest point, at above sea level....

, in the south-west of the park, with a height of 143 metres (469.2 ft). At the top of this hill there is an observation tower, used especially for observing possible fires in the surrounding forest, but also seasonally opened to the public as a viewing tower.

Parts of the forest are used for experimental purposes by the University of Life Sciences in Poznań

University of Life Sciences in Poznan

The University of Life Sciences in Poznań is a higher-education institution in Poznań, Poland. It officially gained university status on 11 April 2008. Its previous name was Akademia Rolnicza im...

, which has a centre in Zielonka. There is also an arboretum in Zielonka with about 800 kinds of trees and bushes. The area is popular with tourists and day-tripper

Day-tripper

A day-tripper is a person who visits a tourist destination or visitor attraction from his/her home and returns home on the same day.- Definition :In other words, this excursion does not involve a night away from home such as experienced on a holiday...

s, particularly in summer.

The Park is promoted by the Puszcza Zielonka Inter-District Association (Związek międzygminny Puszcza Zielonka), which has its offices in Murowana Goślina

Murowana Goslina

Murowana Goślina is a town in Poznań County in western Poland, with 10,336 inhabitants . It lies approximately north of the major city of Poznań, on the main road and railway line to Wągrowiec...

. In 2008 the Association instituted a "Wooden Churches Trail around Puszcza Zielonka" (Szlak kościołów drewnianych wokół Puszczy Zielonka), which includes 12 wooden churches in the neighbourhood of the forest, situated in Długa Goślina, Skoki

Skoki

Skoki is a town in Poland, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Wągrowiec County, with 3,779 inhabitants . It is located about 40 km north of Poznań...

, Raczkowo

Raczkowo

Raczkowo is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Skoki, within Wągrowiec County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately east of Skoki, south of Wągrowiec, and north-east of the regional capital Poznań....

, Jabłkowo, Łagiewniki Kościelne, Sławno, Kiszkowo

Kiszkowo, Greater Poland Voivodeship

Kiszkowo is a village in Gniezno County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Kiszkowo. It lies approximately west of Gniezno and north-east of the regional capital Poznań....

, Rejowiec

Rejowiec, Greater Poland Voivodeship

Rejowiec , also called Rejowiec Poznański, is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Skoki, within Wągrowiec County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately south of Skoki, south of Wągrowiec, and north-east of the regional capital Poznań.The village...

, Kicin

Kicin, Greater Poland Voivodeship

Kicin is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Czerwonak, within Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately south-east of Czerwonak and north-east of the regional capital Poznań....

, Wierzenica

Wierzenica

Wierzenica is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Swarzędz, within Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately north of Swarzędz and north-east of the regional capital Poznań....

, Węglewo

Weglewo, Poznan County

Węglewo is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Pobiedziska, within Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately east of Pobiedziska and north-east of the regional capital Poznań....

 and Uzarzewo

Uzarzewo

Uzarzewo is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Swarzędz, within Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately north-east of Swarzędz and east of the regional capital Poznań....

. Within the Park is a brick church and pilgrimage

Pilgrimage

A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...

 site in the village of Dąbrówka Kościelna.

External links

• Wooden Churches Trail