In the landscape of the Land of Extinct Volcanoes, the Koskowickie Lake to the north of Legnickie Pole is a unique feature. It is a natural water reservoir filling a depression in the terrain at an elevation of 119 m above sea level, surrounded by undulating glacial uplands. The lake covers an area of 55 hectares, with a maximum length of 1 km and a width of 0.8 km. It consists of a larger western part and a smaller eastern bay. The former southern bay, reaching to the village of Koskowice, is almost entirely overgrown with reed communities. The depth of the lake basin is 3 metres.
The lake is part of the Kunickie Lake District, the southernmost natural lake area in Poland, with not fully understood origins. Despite strong anthropogenic pressure, the lake remains a valuable natural asset, and to protect it, the “Jezioro Koskowickie” reserve with an area of 63.79 hectares was established in 2004. Its main values include large reed communities, well-developed communities of marsh fern and lake bulrush, the presence of around 20 species of fish, and 30 species of breeding birds.
The long history of settlement around the lake is evidenced by the presence of an archaeological site of the Lusatian culture called Grzybiany, dating back to the Bronze Age and early Iron Age. It is located on a promontory projecting into its northeastern shore. In the village of Koskowice, situated to the south of the lake, there is the church of St. Michael the Archangel, originally from the 14th century, rebuilt in the Neoclassical style in the mid-19th century.
Description: Piotr Migoń