Załęczański Park Krajobrazowy

The Załęcze Landscape Park was created on January 5, 1978, as one of the first landscape parks in Poland. Its area is 14750 ha, and the protection zone, the so-called lagging - 12010 ha. A significant part of the park (over 65% of the area) is located in the Wieluń poviat, and the fragments also overlook the area of ​​the province. Opole and Silesia. The park closes the system of Jurassic landscape parks from the north. The purpose of its creation was to protect the Jurassic landscape of the Wieluń Upland, as well as to protect the charming section of the Warta River, described as the most beautiful and the most diverse in nature in relation to its entire course. Warta, flowing through the Park through a wild, natural riverbed, staggers the so-called The Great Warta Arch, in which the river flows in a deeply indented (30-60 m) valley and creates gorges. This area has been included in the program of the European Ecological Network Natura 2000 to protect 13 types of natural habitats, over 100 plant communities with interesting calcareous species, often of a mountain nature, and eight species of vertebrates. Geological structure is of particular importance for the nature of the Załęcze Landscape Park. The calcareous ground of the terrain was formed in the Jurassic (about 190-140 million years ago) from the remains of organic marine animals (ammonites, sponges, snails, sea urchins). As a result of tectonic movements, the sea sediments were folded, cut by faults and pushed to the surface. Carbonate rocks, under the influence of rainwater containing carbon dioxide and changing climate conditions - began to undergo chemical erosion. In this way, a characteristic karst sculpture was created, which consists of limestone monadnocks, e.g. Góra Świętej Genowefy (200 m a.s.l.), caves, karst springs (wywierzyska), e.g. Pomegranate Springs, Spring of St. Floriana, wells and pouring. Karst processes in the Park are still alive, as evidenced by, among others new formations in the caves. There are 39 species of vascular plants under protection in the ZPK area, including 25 under strict protection. In addition, there were about 30 rare plant species in the country or region, mountainous and geographical ranges (e.g. calcareous houseleek or rock garlic). The diversity of the Park's biotopes influences the richness of its fauna. The occurrence of 16 species of protected invertebrates and species disappearing in other regions of lithophilic fish, such as barbell, mumps and chubs. These fish also find favorable spawning conditions in the ZPK. The park is one of the most valuable known winter bat sites in the country, because the caves provide these mammals with excellent conditions for hibernation. During the annual winter counts of bats in caves in the Park, about two thousand are recorded. Three species dominate - Natterer's baby, big baby and mop. Bechstein and calf pups are found very rarely but regularly, which are considered endangered and are found in the Polish Red Book of Animals. Within the Park, within the Wieluń poviat, there is the ecological site Wronia Woda and 12 nature monuments (including three inanimate nature - St. Genowefa Mountain, Grenade Springs, Source of St. Florian). In the park, outside the Wieluń poviat, there are three nature reserves: geological Snakes, protecting the limestone hilltop Zelce, the northernmost part of the rock landscape of the Polish Jura, with a system of 10 karst caves and forest reserves: Dąbrowa in Niżankowice and the Bukowa strict reserve Top. In the buffer zone of the Park, outside the poviat, we will find two reserves: geological - Szachownica (protecting the limestone hill Krzemienna Góra and the system of cave corridors) and forest - Stawiska. The park's assets are also reflected in the cultural landscape and its numerous archaeological sites (including burial mounds in the Importation) and traditional rural buildings: mills, chapels.