Cisy Nature Reserve

Cisy Nature Reserve lies in the Central Sudetes, in the Bardo municipality, on the north-western slopes of Brzeźnicka Góra, about 1.5 kilometres south-west of the buildings of Brzeźnica.

What it protects

The reserve was established in 1954 to preserve a natural stand of common yew (Taxus baccata) - a species that is retreating from Polish forests, though it used to be a permanent element of them. It is a fragment of mixed forest, a remnant of the primeval forest of the Sudetes, with the largest concentration of yews in Lower Silesia. When the reserve was created 1627 specimens grew here, and by 2000 only 1258 - the number has been steadily declining despite protection.

Area and protection

Originally the reserve covered 20.86 hectares, in 2012 its area was reduced to 19.58 hectares. The area is under active protection and lies within the "Góry Bardzkie" Natura 2000 site and the Bardzkie and Sowie Mountains Protected Landscape Area. The land is managed by the Bardo Śląskie Forest District.

Other plants and animals

Besides the yew, the undergrowth includes spurge-laurel, common ivy, fly honeysuckle and prickly juniper. Deer, wild boar, marten and brown hare can be found here, and among amphibians, the fire salamander.

Visiting

No tourist trail runs through the reserve, but nearby runs the blue trail from Srebrna Góra to Bardo, and a cycling trail runs along the edge of the reserve. Nearby, about two kilometres away, lies the Cisowa Góra Nature Reserve - a separate site with a similar name.

Practical information

• Location: Bardo municipality, Ząbkowice County, about 1.5 km south-west of Brzeźnica, on the slopes of Brzeźnicka Góra
• Access: no marked walking trail through the reserve; the nearest is the blue trail Srebrna Góra - Bardo and a cycling trail along the reserve's boundary
• What to expect: natural forest with a rare concentration of yews, a protected area with no tourist infrastructure