Góra Choina Nature Reserve

The Góra Choina Nature Reserve lies in the Walim municipality, in Wałbrzych County, on the gneiss hill of Choina, 450 metres above sea level, about one kilometre from Zagórze Śląskie.

Why the reserve was created

The reserve was established in 1957 by an order of the Minister of Forestry and Timber Industry. It was created mainly to protect the natural mixed forest covering the Choina hill and to preserve the ruins of the medieval Piast-era Grodno Castle, which stands on the summit.

Landscape and nature

The hill is covered with mixed forest with old-growth specimens of oak, lime and beech. Protected species grow in the forest floor: the nettle-leaved bellflower, Solomon's seal, foxglove, as well as orchids and ferns. On the north-eastern side, the waters of Lake Bystrzyckie border the reserve, separating it from the Sowie Mountains, and from the gneiss outcrops above the high, left bank of the lake there are views over the surrounding area.

Grodno Castle on the summit

On the summit of the Choina hill, within the boundaries of the reserve, stand the ruins of Grodno Castle. Preserving these ruins, alongside protecting the forest, was one of the reasons the reserve was created.

Practical information

• Location: Walim municipality, Wałbrzych County, about 1 km from Zagórze Śląskie.
• The reserve is forested, covers the Choina hill and borders Lake Bystrzyckie.
• The area is part of the Natura 2000 site "Ostoja Nietoperzy Gór Sowich" (Sowie Mountains Bat Refuge) and the Bardzkie and Sowie Mountains Protected Landscape Area.