The Tuchola Forest, also known as Tuchola Pinewoods or Tuchola Conifer Woods, (the latter a literal translation of Polish: Bory Tucholskie; Kashubian: Tëchòlsczé Bòrë; German: Tuchler or Tucheler Heide) is a large forest complex near the town of Tuchola in northern Poland, which lies between the Brda and Wda Rivers, within the Gdańsk Pomerania region. The largest towns in the area are Czersk and Tuchola.

With 3,200 km² of dense spruce and pine forest, the area is one of the biggest forests in Poland and Central Europe.

Understand

It was established in 1996, and covers 4,600 ha.

Two rivers flow through Bory Tucholskie: Brda at the western end, and Czarna Woda - also called Wda - at the eastern end. Both, after a long run, in which they create many bends and deep, charming, romantic valleys, they find their outlet in the Vistula.

Bory Tucholskie is located in the Świecie poviat. It includes vast forests, a wide valley of the queen of Polish rivers with spectacular viewpoints, a winding thread of the Wda deeply cut into the plains, clean lakes, and interesting monuments.

The designation may also refer to the eponymous historical land and ethnocultural region, World War II battle, geomorphological mesoregion, phytogeographic landscape region and syntaxonomical subregion, nature and forest mesoregion, promotional forest complex, Biosphere Reserve, Natura 2000 Special Protection Area, national park, LEADER/CLLD local action group, or a number of local associations. Geographical extent varies greatly among these units or entities.

Get in

The area is well developed for tourism. You can arrive via Gdańsk or Bydgoszcz coming from the east or via Poznań or Szczecin from the west.

See

Uroczysko located on the Brda River, 3 km south of Tuchola, is considered by tourists to be an unusual attraction. The Brda river flows in a winding riverbed, creates numerous bends, the cross-section of its valley is asymmetrical and numerous erosive undercuts of the banks are visible. The bottom of the river is covered with sand and numerous boulders. Along the river, you can also meet a variety of flora, and the rays of the sun from time to time add to the charm of this forest section. The whole thing creates a unique atmosphere called "Piekiełko" by tourists for a long time. At the Świt forest inspectorate there are about five hundred-year-old oaks with a circumference of 251 - 446 cm - monuments of nature, called 'hangers'.

The 17-hectare archaeological and natural reserve is located near the Wda River, 2 km from the village of Odra, which can be reached via an asphalt road from Czersk. The Stone Circles are a unique cultural monument, as the second in the country in Węsiory, on the Bytów - Kartuzy route, is much smaller. People were interested in this object already in the first half of the 19th century, assuming that it was an astronomical monument, as the lines drawn through the center of groups of circles indicate the place of sunrise at the summer solstice and the second winter solstice. Stone circles with a diameter of 15 to 33 m have survived to our times 10 and they are made of boulders. Around the circles there are 30 hoofs heaped from the ground and stones surrounded by a circle, in which there are 2 to 3 graves. Inside, you could find silver, bronze and even gold products. On the boulders there are 45 types of mosses and lichens from the early post-glacial period, i.e. 15 thousand. years back, found today only in the northern tundra or in the harsh high mountain climate.

Aqueduct in Fojutow: in this town, you can admire a special landscape phenomenon, namely the intersection of two watercourses flowing at different levels. It is about the crossing of the waters of the Great Brda Canal flowing much higher and the waters of the Czerska Struga flowing in a natural bed located several metres below. A similar phenomenon is unique in Poland. Fojutowo is 3 km from Legbąd near Tuchola.

Do

There is a well-developed network of hiking and cycling trails. 87 km of trails run through the area.

Sleep

Small hotels, guesthouses, camping and tent sites are available.

Go next

• Chojnice
• Kościerzyna
• Bydgoszcz
• Gdańsk
• Slowinski National Park