Location and dimensions of the reserve
The reserve was established in 1993 on the northeastern slopes of the Eastern Ridge of the Kaczawskie Mountains, between the villages of Nowe Rochowice to the south and Lipa to the north. It covers an area of 174.42 hectares and includes the northern slopes of Rakarnia (548 m), the headwaters of the Świekotka stream, and the northern slopes of Głogowiec (535 m).
Vegetation
The reserve was established to protect diverse forest communities with rich undergrowth and ground cover. The most common is the fertile Sudeten beech forest. It is characterized by a rich ground cover, with species such as lily of the valley, European wild ginger, sweet woodruff, wood anemone, and drooping bittercress. Moreover, various species of orchids are present, including sword-leaved helleborine and broad-leaved helleborine. In the southern part of the reserve, in the fertile beech forest ground cover, wild garlic predominates. During its flowering period in May, it forms extensive carpets of white flowers emitting a garlicky scent. The second commonly occurring community is the central European type of oak-hornbeam forest, with lime, hornbeam, and pedunculate oak as the dominant species. In the river valleys, the dominant community is the submontane ash riparian forest, with ash as the dominant species, as well as sycamore maple, lime, beech, maple, and alder. Due to the large forested area, the reserve’s territory serves as a sanctuary for wildlife.
There are no marked hiking trails through the reserve. Formally, it is therefore inaccessible to tourists, and forest communities can only be observed from the roads that intersect the reserve or run along its borders.
Description: Piotr Migoń
In the immediate vicinity of the reserve, there are cycling routes – the Kaczawskie Single Tracks.
