The Tuchola Forest (Polish: Bory Tucholskie; Kashubian: Techolscz Bore; German: Tuchler or Tucheler Heide)

The Tuchola Forest is a large forest complex near the town of Tuchola in northern Poland, and lies between the beautiful Brda and Wda Rivers. They join many lakes ont their way and their turns and twists are highly appreciated by cayak lovers. It's nice and interesting to get to know the forest by taking a canoe trip along the Brda, which is said to be the most beautiful river for this type of sport, in Europe.

The area was formed during the last glacial age by the Scandinavian Glacier and is covered with low hills and more than 900 post-glacial long and narrow lakes. With 1,200 kms (793,000 acres) of dense spruce and pine forest, it is one of the biggest forests in Central Europe, the second biggest one in Poland. The largest towns in the area are Czersk, Tuchola, Czarna Woda, Brusy and Chojnice.

Since 1996 nearly 12,000 acres of the most beautiful part of forest has been designated as the Tuchola Forest National Park. There are also still unchanged spots protected as natural reserves. There are more than 20 lakes in the Park, some of them are pristine, of crystal-clear waters (e.g. Gacno Wielkie and Male, Nierybno, Gluche). In this forest world once ruled by the aurochs, bear and wolf, one only finds the smaller animals today. Wild boar, fox, fallow, deer, red deer, fitchew, polecat, badger, wood grouses in the more inaccessible thickets, herons, white and black storks, eagle owls, eagles and cranes - are the greatest ornaments of the forest fauna. The symbol of the Park - wood grouse - until recently was common in the area, especially in the Forest District of Klosnowo. Now, authorities of the national park, plan to reintroduce this bird. A particularly important part of fauna are bats - several species of them thrive in the Park.

Most important tourist centers of Tuchola Wilderness are located by the Charzykowskie and Karsinskie lakes. In recent years agro-tourim has become popular - e.g. in the village of Swornegacie, where we lived for four days and traveled in the area.