UNESCO Global Geoparks in Poland

In the Lubuskie Voivodeship, right next to the German-Polish border, you can find Prince Pückler's Muskauer Park, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Geopark Muskauer Faltenbogen, which is located in the Muskauer Faltenbogen Landscape Park. It is worth spending a few days exploring the area, as the entire Muskauer Park, which is located on both the Polish and German sides, covers an area of around 700 hectares! We would like to emphasise that both the Muskau Park, founded by Prince Puckler, and the Geopark are best explored by bike due to the large distances but also the well-adapted bike paths. We have described the English-style Muskauer Park in a separate article, so in this article we will focus on the Muskauer Arch Geopark. There are three car parks right next to the Geopark, with paths leading to the main attractions. The ‘Former Babina Mine’ trail, as the name suggests, is located in a former coal mine. Since the 1920s, brown coal was intensively mined in the area, but the mine stopped operating in 1973. The mine and coal mining have severely damaged the nature in the area. Nowadays, the biggest attraction of the geotourism trail are the surprisingly colourful lakes. They were formed by flooding of former mine tunnels and underground caverns that collapsed and filled with water. The soil here is rich in various minerals, which is why the lakes take on different colours. In the Geopark, you will see blue, turquoise and rusty red lakes! Remember that the intensity of the colour depends on many factors, such as the season, the angle of the sun, and the water level. This area is currently one of the most beautiful examples of environmental regeneration after devastating human activity. Today, the former Babina Mine is part of the Muskau Arch Geopark and serves an educational and tourist role. The Muskau Arch Geopark is located in a much larger area of the Landscape Park, which aims to protect the Polish part of the terminal moraine formed by the ice sheet over three hundred thousand years ago. In the heart of the Landscape Park, there is a colourful mosaic of glacial lakes, valleys and hills, so it is worth spending a few leisurely days there on walks and bike rides!

The Geopark of the Land of Extinct Volcanoes covers the region of the Kaczawskie Mountains and Foothills. This little-known place on the map of Poland covers a total area of 1,290 km² and there is plenty to do, especially in summer! The Land of Extinct Volcanoes is an informal but frequently used term for the part of Lower Silesia between Legnica, Jelenia Góra and Strzegom (about an hour and a half by car or train from Wrocław), which is characterised by the presence of volcanic rocks. Of course, there are no active volcanoes in Poland today, as the last volcanic eruptions in Poland happened several million years ago! However, the geological record of volcanism in the Land of Extinct Volcanoes is very rich and spans about half a billion years. Nowadays, you can see there many hills in the form of cones, which are a reminder of volcanoes from millions of years ago. The Land of Extinct Volcanoes does not cover a single geographical region, but includes areas that vary in altitude, surface relief, forestry and type of land. You will find there caves, deep river gorges, as well as famous rocks and minerals. Every year, Lwówek Śląski hosts the Agate Summer. You can also look for agates on your own and during workshops with a professional guide. Speaking of workshops, we highly recommend visiting the Land of Extinct Volcanoes in the summer, as various meetings, shows, workshops and attractions take place there. During such workshops, you will have the opportunity to see bats, pan for real gold, take a carriage ride at the foot of an extinct volcano and find beautiful agates! Of course, these are just some of the attractions that await tourists in this beautiful area. We strongly encourage you to visit the website: gorykaczawskie.pl, where you will find detailed information about this beautiful land and its attractions. While visiting the Land of Extinct Volcanoes, we recommend you to visit first the Sudetic Geoscience Centre in Dobkow , where you will learn a lot about the GEOpark itself and you will also have a chance to play an outdoor game!

The Świętokrzyski Geopark was inscribed on the UNESCO World List in 2021 as the first geopark located entirely in Poland. It is located in the western part of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains, the oldest mountain range in Poland. The geopark is located within the administrative boundaries of five municipalities: Kielce, Chęciny, Morawica, Nowiny and Piekoszów. The distinguishing feature of the Geopark is its exceptional geodiversity, related to the occurrence of sedimentary rocks in this area representing all geological systems from the Cambrian to the Quaternary. An important element of the Geopark's geological heritage are the numerous remains of former ore and rock mining, which now function as inanimate nature reserves (including Wietrznia, Kadzielnia, Ślichowice and Raj Cave). Due to its unique geodiversity, the area of the Świętokrzyski Geopark is also an area of exceptional biodiversity. The most important feature of the area within the boundaries of the Geopark is the presence of various types of communities in a relatively small area. The richness of flora and fauna is particularly evident in the part of the Geopark protected by the Chęciny-Kielce Landscape Park. What attractions await tourists in this Geopark? The Świętokrzyski Geopark is the only place in the world where Hell, Purgatory and Paradise are located in one area! We are, of course, talking about caves, including the most beautiful cave in Poland called Raj (Paradise), named after its extremely rich stalactite formations. When following the trails of the underground world, it is important not to miss Kadzielnia, where, in addition to hiking in the caves, you can try an exciting zipline ride. From Kadzielnia, it is not far to Wietrznia, where you can visit the Geoeducation Centre. This is a place worth visiting at the very beginning of your trip to learn about the geological history of the region. Admiring the Devonian reef, coming face to face with a huge armoured fish or taking an interactive journey in a time capsule will give you an unforgettable experience and knowledge about the Świętokrzyski Geopark. Tourists interested in local culture and folk traditions should definitely visit the Ethnographic Park in Tokarnia and the Pottery Tradition Centre in Chałupki !