The Tuchola Forest

The Tuchola Forest is the second largest forest complex in Poland after Bialowieza forest, land with unique natural values, home for rare species of plants and animals. It includes a national park, six landscape parks, and numerous nature reserves. It is an area rich in wild pine forests, picturesque wetlands, beautiful meadows, and clean lakes.

The Tuchola Forest is an ethnographic region that is part of the historic Gdańsk Pomerania, which in the Middle Ages had the status of a separate principality, and then a district of the Kingdom of Poland.

National Park Bory Tucholskie

Few know that Bory Tucholskie is currently the largest cluster of pine forests in Poland. Earlier, this area was famous for ancient oaks and other long-lived trees. The Park was established in 1996 to protect the landscape, which is unique in Europe and the only one of this kind in Poland. 

It is an area with extremely healthy air, in which many unique, protected (including those that are most endangered) and rare species of plants, animals, and fungi live. Bory Tucholskie National Park covers an area of ​​over 4.5 ha. The vast majority of the area 79% is occupied by forests, 11% water, and 10% are swamps, peat bogs, and meadows.

You can see the most characteristic elements of the so-called sandstone landscape, shaped as a result of the Scandinavian glacier transition. There are numerous dunes, glacial troughs, and excavations that have arisen as a result of the melting of massive ice blocks.

In the Bory Tucholskie National Park, we come across numerous charming lakes. One of the most popular tourist attractions is The Seven Lakes Stream Trail, which leads through the area of ​​the exceptional natural curiosity of the Pomeranian Lake District.

A small river connects here eight gutter lakes of the highest purity class: Ostrowite, Zielone, Jeleń, Bełczak, Główna, Płęsno, Skrzynka, and Mielnica. It originates from Lake Ostrowite and flows into Lake Charzykowskie.

A fascinating group of lakes also includes runoff reservoirs with crystal clear water – lobelia lakes: Małe Gacno, Wielkie Gacno, Głuche, Nierybno, Kocioł, Łyska, and Krzywce Małe.

The most impressive natural monuments of the National Park is 600-year-old oak Bartuś by the lake Plesno. The tree has been growing here for 600 years and looks like it will be standing here for long.

Wandering around the Tuchola Forest is an excellent attraction for those coming here to spend time if the midst of nature. There are several picturesque hiking and biking trails of varying degrees of difficulty waiting for them. Among the local attractions, it is worth mentioning the canoe trails on rivers and lakes.

Tuchola

The capital of Tuchola Forest is the city of Tuchola, with 14,000 inhabitants, one of the oldest human settlements in Poland. Its beginnings dating back to the reign of Mieszko I, and the first written message comes from 1287, when the Archbishop of Gniezno, Jakub Świnka, consecrated the local church. After the occupation of Tuchola by the Nazis in 1939, the church was demolished.

Tuchola probably received city rights in the 13th century under Polish law, but the first location document was issued in Malbork on July 22, 1346. The city acquired the privilege of Chełmno law from the hands of Grand Master Heinrich Dusmer von Arfberg.

Interestingly, little Tuchola probably played a crucial role in the history of the Battle of Grunwald. According to legend, the grandmaster of the Teutonic Order gave swords to Władysław Jagiello.

Besides, there are many monuments in Tuchola. The urban layout of the town is considered historical, including the market square and streets perpendicular to each other. Attractions in the city are also the historic Church of Corpus Christi and the post-evangelical church. St. James the Apostle from the nineteenth century.

It is also worth seeing the building of the railway station, the former mill, the historic presbytery, the court building, and the Technical Secondary School, ruins of the Teutonic castle, and fragments of the defensive walls in the city center.  

While in Tuchola, it is worth directing your steps to the Museum of Bory Tucholskie, where, in addition to permanent exhibitions dedicated to the history of the city, you can come across exciting periodic exhibits, for example, exposition of works of folk artists. The museum building (at ul. Podgórna 3) also has a tourist information point, so here get the information you need, or buy souvenirs.

Charzykowy

On the Charzykowskie Lake, about 6 km from Chojnice, lies the village of Charzykowy. The village of Charzykowy has already become part of Chojnice, the most entertaining one, full of debauchery and reveling as some say.

Despite this, numerous discos, hotels and holiday homes village attract tourists from all over the world. In the summer, on the lakeshore, bars, and restaurants are serving tasty, mostly fish dishes.

Furthermore, to the beach and pubs, Charzykowy also offers many water attractions. A whole bunch of floating equipment just waiting for those willing to use it. Charzykowy boasts the oldest sailing club in Poland, ChKŻ (Chojnice Sailing Club), founded by Otto Weiland. It was opened in 1922 and is still active today.

The village also houses the headquarters of the Bory Tucholskie National Park. However, apart from all this bustle, there are also peaceful places and nooks where you can fish in peace or sit in silence.

Monuments and attractions of Bory Tucholskie

In Bory Tucholskie, besides the monuments of Tuchola itself, there are also many other unmissable places such as Teutonic Castle in Człuchów. The main element of the castle which has survived to this day is the tower of the upper castle.

Also, you can see the ground floors, stronghold courtyards, and cellars. In the place of the north wing, there is now a 19th-century evangelical church. The central tower has two elevators and a modern staircase for visitors.

You can also see and visit the surrounding palaces and manor houses, including the manor house in Małej Komorzy, the manor house in Silno, and the palace in Sypniew, where numerous occasional events take place, including weddings.

One of the biggest pearls of the region is the Aqueduct in Fojutów, one of the few buildings so well preserved, inspired by Roman construction in our country. The hydrotechnical monument connects the Brda channel with Czerska Struga. The installation was built between 1845 and 1849 and is the most extended building structure of its type in Poland (75 m).

A modern inn with a hotel, indoor and outdoor pool, and the restaurant was built nearby. The inn offers horse riding and in winter: an artificial slope.

In turn, the ideal proposition for a romantic trip for couples is Uroczysko Piekiełko, located about 3 kilometers from Tuchola. The Brda River flows here in an extremely thin riverbed, forming bends, covered with lush vegetation. The place is exceptionally atmospheric and creates a magical mood.

There is an exciting place at Odry in the Tuchola Forest, the Stone Circles Natural Reserve, in a pine forest near the village on the right bank of the Wda River. Stone circles in Odry are dated to the period of I – III century AD. It is a former cemetery of the Goth tribe, who came to this area from Scandinavia. To this day, ten stone circles and two fragments have survived. Archaeologists have found 30 burial mounds and 640 other burial sites here.

Near the stone circles, there is the so-called ellipse or chakra. Apparently, positive energy beats from this place straight from the heart of the earth. The whole area is wrapped in a magical and fascinating atmosphere. People who come here say they feel great, and some even say that healing occurred among the stones.

The nature reserve Stone Circles (Kręgi Kamienne) in Odry is sometimes called the Polish Stonehenge.

Thematic Villages

In recent years, the residents of The Tuchola Forest began to organize so-called thematic villages.It is a new project promoting tourism in small towns and villages.

You can bake bread, play the role of herbalist, learn about the history of eggs and hygiene, taste honey, create folk handicrafts, fry preserves, and even attend a foreman’s wedding. In the area of ​​Bory Tucholskie, many thematic villages have been created, such as mining village, bird village, bread or honey village.

Accomodation and Cultural Events

The Tuchola Forest has an extensive accommodation and catering base. There are many hotels here, including luxury facilities, such as hotels with SPA, located in the town of Tleń, near Śliwice.

There are also many tourist resorts in the towns of Charzykowy, Bachorze, Pieczyska, Raciąż, Sokole Kuźnica, Swornegacie, Tleń, Zamrzenica and Funka. You can rent a room in local guesthouses or pitch a tent or set up a caravan on the camping site. From here, it’s just a step to carefree bathing, pleasant sunbathing, or spending time practicing water sports. In the evenings you can light a bonfire.

Beautiful lakes can be found in Charzykowy, Cekcin, Bysław, Stobno, Kęsowo and Okoniny Nadjeziorne. Let’s also remember about the rivers and the opportunities for spending free time there, including the Brda and Wda canoeing trips: this is one of the most popular attractions.

There are also numerous festivals and other cultural events in Bory Tucholskie. Every year in July, “the Days of Tuchola Forest” take place, when multiple competitions and concerts are organized, including the performance of a famous star.

During the summer, it is worth going to shows on the occasion of the Summer Organ Festival to the Corpus Christi Church in Tuchola. In autumn, harvest festivals in the surrounding municipalities, combined with exciting competitions and concerts by local bands, take place.

Agrotourism in the area of Bory Tucholskie offers a vast range of services for families with children. Rural regions of the Tuchola Forest have great tourist attractions due to the rich and diverse local culture, locally-sourced traditional food and crafts, and scenic natural surroundings.

This is an excellent idea for Relaxation place for those wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We have a choice of many restaurants, bars, and pubs with tasty dishes of Polish and regional cuisine. Spending time in the village on the river or lake guarantees you a unique atmosphere and unforgettable moments.