Eye to eye with a moose or picnic in the Kampinos Forest
We always have a small problem with a picnic - if we want to make the most of these five days for relaxation, not for riding, then we exclude long and strenuous trips. On the other hand, our immediate vicinity is already so touring that it is difficult to find anything surprising here. This time we decided to look a bit further and head towards Warsaw. We admit without hitting that we have so far avoided the capital during our camping trips. We associated it with crowds, traffic jams and gigantic prices for camping. We completely forgot about the fact that we have one of the most famous Polish primeval forests just outside Warsaw - the Kampinos Forest. Time to catch up!
1. Manor Tuszkówka
We paid 90 PLN for a family of three with electricity
2. Izabelin - meeting with Łoś
Sunday greeted us with the sun shyly peeking out from behind the clouds. Taking advantage of the weather, we moved as quickly as possible to Izabelin, where the headquarters of the Kampinos National Park management is located. There, in the Jakubów clearing, we set up another stop on our trip.
At the very beginning, a real surprise awaited us - right in front of the headquarters, in the parking lot, we met a moose, which ate rowan with the most calmness in the world. The youngster did not do anything about the tourists watching him, he calmly finished his meal and disappeared into the forest, right in front of the hood of our camper. An amazing view and a beautiful big animal. Apparently, meetings with elk in this place are not rare, but we were still very lucky to see the king of the forest up close. The parking lot near the Jakubów clearing is spacious, open 24 hours a day, and after consulting the museum, we decided to stay there overnight.
Due to the youngest participant of our trip, our trips were a bit shorter, but from the Jakubów clearing to Laski you walk about 2 km, along a varied route with marked stakes. At the end, we can play around identifying trees and shrubs marked in the forest botanical garden. The route continues and a slightly different path returns to the same place from which we started the journey.
In the clearing itself there is a recreation area, a large playground, picnic shelters and camping sites - entry, however, only with the permission of the management. Due to the long weekend, there was no one to let us in at the museum, so we stayed in the parking lot, next to a nice inn.
Izabelin itself is a small, residential town. Many famous people, politicians and actors have their residences near Warsaw. I don't know if anyone has already come up with a guide to celebrity houses similar to those from Hollywood or Beverly Hills, but I think that sooner or later something like this will appear here;) Regardless of who owns them, some houses make a really good impression, even in architectural laymen.
The night in the parking lot at the Jakubów clearing passed relatively calmly and did not cost us anything.
3. Strawberry
In nearby Truskaw, three hiking trails start: yellow, blue and black, as well as the educational trail "to the Karczmisko". The path is 3 km long and leads through picturesque bridges and footbridges through meadows, streams and wetlands of the Kampinos Forest. Along the way, we meet cyclists and walkers, and birdwatching enthusiasts will also find something for themselves. This is probably the most beautiful and varied path we have ever visited on this trip. We took it to Palmira where we stayed for a while.
Accommodation for a family of three with electricity - 40 PLN
4. The forest settlement
From nearby Sochaczew, where the railway museum is located, at 9.30 a historic railway starts which takes us deeper into the forest. The trip includes a ride, a guided trip to the Forest and free time in a nearby recreational clearing. We were going to take advantage of this attraction, but the uncertain weather meant that we finally went on our own sightseeing.
We visited the short path "Dolinka Roztoki" where we were looking for traces of beavers. Unfortunately, we couldn't see a single one. The path itself, however, is very picturesque, it begins its run by a clearing where there were a lot of picnickers, families with children and tourists that day.
At the end of our adventure, we took the path "Through Wilcza Góra", which leads from the forest railway station through pine forests. It was the worst marked path in our trip, the routes crossed many times and we got lost twice. Clear signs of the presence of animals in the Forest made us a little scared if we would not disturb their peace by accident, but we managed to get back on the trail quite quickly.
On the way to the path, on the main route, there is a camping "Osada Puszczańska PTTK" with a nice inn. There are accommodation available in cottages, but I do not know if you can spend the night there in a motorhome. Eager for contact with nature, we passed by without asking, stationed in a forest parking lot a few kilometers away.
The weather on the weekend in May was not spoiling, although the rain was avoided. While walking among the trees in the forest, sheltered from the wind, once or twice we even came across the sun that looked shyly from behind the clouds. Unfortunately, we were unable to see other attractions due to the cold, such as the "Edge of the Forest" path in Granica, which, through the open-air museum situated next to it, is said to be one of the most interesting in the Forest.
The whole Kampinos is very well prepared for cycling and hiking. At every step, there are clear markings of trails, boards explaining botanical curiosities and shelters where you can relax. The paths are not long or demanding, so they are perfect for less experienced tourists or children. Diversified terrain, a great number of birds and unusual nature will surely be an attraction for them.
Before you set off, it is worth getting a map with routes or downloading a guide from the Kampinos National Park website - it will help you plan your trip better and make sure that you will not miss any interesting facts.
Links:
Plans of educational paths on the pages of the Kampinos National Park
We do not like sitting on the spot, so we spend up to 3 days in each of the cities we visit. We appreciate regional food (although we will not eat everything because we are veg), small breweries and interesting people. The routes are dictated mainly by life - friends visited along the way, festivals in which we want to participate or simply interesting places found on the Internet. In my own camper since 2014.
