Poland. Kampinos NP. December 2011

Kampinos Forest is located in the heart of Poland, on Mazovian Lowland.
In prehistoric times, and partly also in historic times, the Mazovian Lowland was totally covered with impenetrable forest, today in almost totally deforested and strongly urbanized landscape of Mazovia, Kampinos Forest is a specific oasis of life, an island of wild nature. This is the land where the everlasting routes of plants and animals meet along the valleys of the Vistula, the Narew, and the Bug Rivers – the ecological corridors of European importance.
Kampinos National Park was established in 1959, the area of the park is 38,544 hectares. The landscape park, extremely diverse, is dominated by two contrasting elements - sand dunes and marshes.
The Park is an area of Natura 2000 sites and Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO MAB).
The biggest predator in the Forest is the lynx. These animals were exterminated about 200 years ago, and only recently they have been reintroduced due to an experiment started in 1992.
Lynxes are secretive animals, active from dusk to dawn, occasionally also during the day. They feed on vertebrate animals of various sizes – from amphibians and small rodents to birds and large mammals, especially roe deer.
Only the lucky can manage to see the lynx in the forest. It is easier to find traces of its presence, especially if you wander through the forest with a guide from the Education Centre.
It is much easier to meet in the wilderness the elk, the largest mammal living here.
If you want to visit the Kampinos Forest, you should stay at the Education Center in the village of Izabelin. There are inexpensive and comfortable rooms there, well equipped kitchen, a room for rest and work – both large and comfortable. From Warsaw you can get there in 1.5 hours by metro and bus.