In the wild and seldom-visited Bystrzyckie Mountains is a place that is often compared to the Siberian tundra, or the Arctic tundra. The peat bog near Zieleniec, estimated to be as old as 7,600 years, is a remarkable relic of the Ice Age.
Although these are mountains, the terrain here is almost horizontal and in places the area is featureless. And if any water does flow out of the bog, it flows either to the Baltic Sea or the North Sea, as the Bog below Zieleniec lies exactly on the watershed.
More than 100 species of plants grow here, and some of them can surprise you with their presence. In the reserve you will find the unique dwarf birch, which can only be found in three places in Poland. There is also a lovely woolly plant and the most exotic plant, the sundew, or more precisely, three varieties of it!
You can visit the bog at any time of the year, but it is probably most beautiful in autumn.
To get to this place, follow the green trail from the “Orlica” shelter. It will take you about 1 hour to walk the trail. You can also drive up by car to a small parking lot, located literally right next to the reserve. Few tourists take the walk straight from Duszniki-Zdrój – such a version takes about 4 hours.
The Peat Bog under Zieleniec is protected under the Natura 2000 network. Visiting the Bog is made easier thanks to special prepared wooden footbridges. In one corner of the bog stands a viewing tower for wildlife observation.
