Poland’s “Yellowstone” and Ojcowski Park Showcase Diverse Natural Heritage

The Szwajcaria Połczyńska region in West Pomerania, often called “Polish Yellowstone,” features steep glacial hills, a chain of lakes, extensive peatlands and old forests. Its highest point, Wola Góra (219.2 m), offers panoramic views, while the area supports wildlife such as lynx and beavers. The Drawa River, which flows through the reserve, was famously paddled by Pope John Paul II in his youth.

Ojcowski National Park, the smallest national park in Poland (2,145.62 ha) near Kraków, is celebrated for its dramatic limestone landscape, including the Maczuga Herkulesa rock column, Brama Krakowska, and caves like Jaskinia Łokietka and Jaskinia Ciemna. Despite its modest size, the park hosts roughly a thousand vascular plant species, 21 bat species and 162 bird species, making it a biodiversity hotspot.