Cisy Staropolskie Reserve

Yew was cut out of European forests almost completely - the wood was the material for longbows and was exported in enormous quantities from the fourteenth century onward, and in Poland it was so depleted that a royal edict protecting it was issued in the fifteenth century, one of the earliest conservation laws anywhere. The stand at Wierzchlas is what survived: roughly three thousand yews growing under pine and oak beside Lake Mukrz, with the oldest around six hundred years and some trunks of considerable girth. It was given formal protection in 1827, which makes it generally counted as the oldest nature reserve in Poland and among the oldest in Europe, and it carries the name of Leon Wyczolkowski, the painter who worked here. A marked path runs through the stand. Yew is slow, dark and evergreen and the wood under it is dim even in summer, which is the character of the place.

What you actually see

• Three thousand yews - the largest surviving natural stand in Poland, under pine and oak.
• Six hundred years - the age of the oldest trees, some of substantial girth.
• Protected since 1827 - generally counted the oldest nature reserve in the country.
• A dark understorey - dim even in summer, which is what a yew wood is like.

When to go

April to October. Two hours.

Honest expectations

Access is on the marked path only - the stand is fragile. It is small and the visit is short. Yew is toxic in all parts except the aril; keep children and dogs from it. A small fee applies.

Nearby

The Tuchola forest surrounds it; Bory Tucholskie National Park is north.