Wolin National Park

The park was created in 1960 at professor A. Wodiczko’s suggestion. It comprises the area of 10937 ha. It is situated at the estuary of the Odra river and comprises naturally most valuable north-western part of the Island of Wolin, between Szczecinski Bay and the Baltic Sea.

The dominating post-glacial element of the sculpture of the earth’s surface are here high morainal hills (up to 115 m), going down to 90 meters and being submitted to strong sea abrasion, which causes a retreat of the coast by about 80 cm a year. In the central and eastern alluvial part of the island there are 12 post-glacial lakes.

The forests are dominated by the pine (74%), the beech takes 18% and the oak 6% of the forest area. Especially well preserved are beech woods, among which 3 groups can be distinguished: Melico-Fagetum, Luzulo pilosae-Fagetum and Carici-Fagetum. There are also specific dune groups on small areas. The flora – among 46 protected species of vascular plants there are species typical for eastern Pomerania, e.g. the woodbine Lonicera periclymenum, the fringed water lily Limnanthemum nymphoides, the St.-Bernard’s lily Anthericum liliago and the sea-holly Eryngium maritimum.

The fauna – in 1976 the wisent of Bialowieza variety was restored in the half-free form, and there also appeared the racon-like dog Nyctereutes procyonoides here. The fauna of the air comprises 230 species, with the white-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla – the symbol of the Park.