Żywiec Landscape Park

The Żywiec Landscape Park, established on March 13, 1986, in the Silesian Voivodeship, covers an area of 35,870 hectares with an additional buffer zone of 21,790 hectares. Its diverse mountain landscape, featuring the highest parts of the Beskid Żywiecki range, attracts tourists due to its exceptional natural values. The park lies within a zone of elegant physiography, with four distinct vegetation tiers, ranging from valleys to mountain peaks. The park's flora includes over 1,000 species of vascular plants, including rare and protected species such as the stemless carline thistle, martagon lily, and alpine clubmoss. The park's fauna is home to large predators such as the brown bear, wolf, and lynx, as well as numerous bird species, including black grouse and capercaillie. The park encompasses nature reserves that protect unique ecosystems and old-growth forests, such as the Oszast Reserve with its Carpathian beech forest and the Pilsko Reserve with its upper montane spruce forest. The area is a popular tourist destination thanks to its extensive network of hiking trails, including the Main Beskid Trail, and opportunities for downhill skiing in Korbielów and on Pilsko. There are also PTTK mountain huts that offer accommodation and serve as excellent bases for hikers. Interesting geological formations, such as the Waterfall in Sopotnia Wielka, and the park's longest cave, the Cave in Sopotnia Wielka, attract nature lovers and outdoor adventure enthusiasts.