Śnieżna Białka Primeval Forest Nature Reserve

The "Śnieżna Białka Primeval Forest" Nature Reserve is a forest reserve in the Bialskie Mountains, in the Eastern Sudetes, within the Stronie Śląskie municipality. It covers 124.68 hectares on the eastern slope of Iwinka, below Rudawiec, at an altitude of 980 to 1,000 m above sea level.

History and purpose of protection

The reserve was established in 1963 by order of the Minister of Forestry and the Timber Industry. It protects rare and protected plant species and natural forest communities, above all lower montane forest with mountain beech woods and upper montane spruce forest.

Tree stands

Part of the reserve is a natural deciduous forest, regarded as a relic of the former Sudetes primeval forest, with beeches and sycamores over 150 years old. Higher up grows upper montane spruce forest, giving way to high-mountain coniferous forest.

Plants and animals

The undergrowth includes ferns, wood-rush, orchids and the Sudetes violet. Among the animals found here are red deer, roe deer and wild boar, and among the birds the capercaillie, the black grouse and the hazel grouse.

Practical information

• Location: Stronie Śląskie municipality, Bialskie Mountains in the Eastern Sudetes
• A green hiking trail runs through the reserve from Orłowiec to Hala pod Śnieżnikiem
• Nearby are the peaks of Brusek and Kowadło/Kovadlina, as well as the Nowa Morawa Nature Reserve