Leśna ścieżka edukacyjna "Rezerwat Spała" (Forest Educational Trail "Rezerwat Spała")

Leśna ścieżka edukacyjna "Rezerwat Spała" runs through the Spała nature reserve, in the Spalski Park Krajobrazowy [Spała Landscape Park], near the village centre in the direction of Inowłodz. The route is approximately 2 kilometres long, takes between one and one and a half hours, and combines a walk through the forest with the history of former imperial hunts.

What the reserve protects

The Spała reserve was established in 1958 to preserve a natural fragment of mixed forest with European larch, growing here at the northern limit of its range. It covers 102.70 hectares and contains 325 species of vascular plants, 15 species of moss, 6 species of amphibians, 3 species of reptiles, 43 species of birds and 22 species of mammals. It is managed by Nadleśnictwo Spała [Spała Forest District], within whose structure the reserve is one of seven protected areas.

What the route is like

The trail runs through forest with dozens of impressive oak trees and along the meanders of the Pilica river, and its course can be shortened or extended depending on the chosen variant along the river. Along the way, information boards are placed describing the plant and animal species encountered, making the route convenient for independent visits without a guide.

Traces of imperial hunts

On the route stands Grota świętego Huberta [Saint Hubert's Grotto], a hunting monument built in 1933 for President Ignacy Mościcki, and the area has preserved places recalling imperial hunts from before the First World War, when Spała was the summer hunting residence of Russian tsars. This combination of nature and history distinguishes this trail from typical educational routes in the region.

The figure of President Mościcki is also recalled by a stone monument standing in Spała bearing his name, another trace of the period when the village was a summer presidential residence.

House of Memory at the entrance

The trail begins at the Dom Pamięci Walki i Męczeństwa Leśników i Drzewiarzy Polskich imienia Adama Loreta [House of Memory of the Struggle and Martyrdom of Polish Foresters and Woodworkers named after Adam Loret], next to the chapel. The facility is open from Wednesday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00 and on selected weekends, and admission is free. It is a good starting point to visit the reserve and learn more about the history of foresters associated with Spała.

The trail is worth combining with a visit to nearby Inowłodz, where the ruins of a royal castle stand on the Pilica river, a few kilometres from Spała.

Practical information

• Address: DK48 21, 97-215 Spała, trail start at Dom Pamięci Walki i Męczeństwa Leśników, next to the chapel, approximately 2 km east of Spała centre in the direction of Inowłodz.
• Getting there: by train to Spała, then approximately 2 km on foot; by car on national road DK48 in the direction of Inowłodz, parking at the House of Memory.
• What to expect: marked forest trail accessible around the clock, educational boards, meanders of the Pilica, old oak trees and Grota świętego Huberta. It is worth checking the House of Memory opening hours before your visit, as they may change.