Stołowe Mountains National Park

Lore & Background

The landscape of the Table Mountains began to form 70 million years ago, shaped by hundreds of thousands of years of erosion. Notable rock formations include Kwoka ("Hen"), Wielblad ("Camel"), and Glowa wielkoluda ("Giant's head"), along with a system of corridors creating rock labyrinths. Plant life is mostly spruce, introduced at the turn of the 19th century to replace pristine beech and fir forests that had been cut; natural woodland covers only about 3% of forested areas. Peat bogs are present, one of which (area 393,000 m²) was listed as a strictly protected area in 1959.

Reader's Guide

The park's significance lies in its preservation of the unique geological formations of the Stołowe Mountains, including rock labyrinths and raised peat bogs. The Great Peatbog Batorowski, one of the few raised peat bogs in Poland, has been under strict protection since 1958 and is closed to visitors. The park's forests host deer, red deer, wild pig, squirrels, hedgehogs, and various birds and reptiles, including lizards and adders. The area's history is tied to the Kłodzko region, which thrived after the Hussite wars of the 14th and 15th centuries, leading to the opening of spas at Kudowa, Duszniki, and Polanica. Duszniki also became a center of paper production, with one of the first paper mills in Europe opened there in 1605. The park served as a location for Andrew Adamson's 2008 fantasy film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, with scenes shot at the Errant Rocks and the Kamieńczyk Gorge.

Did You Know?

• The park was created in 1993 and covers 63.39 square kilometres.
• The Table Mountains' landscape began forming 70 million years ago due to erosion.
• One of the park's peat bogs, covering 393,000 m², was listed as a strictly protected area in 1959.
• The park served as a filming location for the 2008 film The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian.