The Prof. Tadeusz Dominik “Bukowe Zdroje” nature reserve

The “Bukowe Zdroje” nature reserve was established on May 30th, 1956. Then, it covered the area of 207.9 ha. In 2005, its area was expanded to 220.5 ha. The reserve protects the complex of beech forests, riparian forests, and alder swamp forests growing within the area of the diverse lay of the land, because the reserve contains hills densely cut across with deep valleys. In the valley of the Chojnówka River, that crosses the reserve from the north to the south, there is an ash riparian forest. Thin-spiked wood sedge, which outside “Puszcza Bukowa” occurs only in few mountainous stands in Poland, can be found there. The hill slopes are covered by fertile and acid beech forests as well as oak forests. Wood fescue can be found in the undergrowth. The protected plant species growing in the reserve include wild service tree, lily of the valley, guelder-rose, white helleborine, sweetscented bedstraw, fumewort, and wood speedwell.

There are also other attractions in the reserve. It is crossed by 6 marked tourist trails. Following them, one can reach a few interesting places. On the Chojna hill (74 m above sea level), located in the northern part of the reserve, tourists can see the remnants of an early mediaeval Slavonic settlement dated back to the 9th-11th century. On the Chojnówka stream, by Droga Chojnowska, there are the remnants of a mediaeval mill, the so-called Szwedzki Młyn [the Swedish Mill]. On a small elevation located about 100 m to the south-east, there is a 19th-century cemetery of the Jaeckel family, who owned the mill.