Śnieżnicki Landscape Park

Śnieżnicki Landscape Park covers the Śnieżnik Massif and the Golden Mountains in the Eastern Sudetes, in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It was established in 1981 and covers 288 square kilometres, with an additional 149 square kilometres of buffer zone around it.

What it covers

The park stretches from Opacz in the south to Złoty Stok in the north. Its highest point is the summit of Śnieżnik, reaching 1425 metres above sea level, while the lowest parts lie at around 400 metres. Within the park's boundaries there are five nature reserves and two ecological use areas.

Forests and animals

Forests cover about 60 per cent of the park's area. Spruces, beeches, larches and hornbeams grow here predominantly, and among the protected plants one can find monkshood and orchids. Mammals living here include chamois, deer, roe deer, mouflons, badgers and martens, and bats inhabit the caves. The park is also a refuge for more than a hundred bird species and for fish of the mountain streams.

Why it was established

The park was created because of the high scenic and landscape value of this part of the Eastern Sudetes, and because it preserves fragments of natural Sudetes forests.

Practical information

• Location: Eastern Sudetes, Kłodzko County, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, the area from Opacz to Złoty Stok.
• Getting there: the park covers a large mountain area; it is worth choosing a specific route and starting point to match the chosen summit or reserve, and checking it before setting out.
• What to see: summits and reserves within the park, including the Bear Cave and Trojak, as well as the nearby John Paul II Spa Park in Lądek-Zdrój.