Summer is the best season for visiting the National Park of Wielkopolska. The National Park of Wielkopolska is a large forest complex situated about 20-25 kilometres from Poznan.

The National Park of Wielkopolska is one of 23 national parks in Poland. The Park was created in 1957; however, the plans to protect animals and vegetation in this part of the Wielkopolska region have already been proposed before the Second World War. Over 7,500 ha of forest and more than 7,000 ha of buffer zone, an area around the park, constitute the National Park of Wielkopolska.

More than 3,000 species of insects, including those under strict protection, can be spotted in the Park. Some 200 species of birds, both breeding and fleeting, as well as over 40 species of mammals also live in the Park.

Due to its proximity to Poznan, the National Park of Wielkopolska is frequently visited by tourists ? over 1 million visitors each year. Nature lovers and tourists are offered some 90 kilometres of hiking trails, over 100 kilometres of cycle paths and 30 kilometres designed for horse riding.

To other trails running through the Park belong: the Kórnik Trail ? some 80- kilometres-long car trail connecting Poznan with Kórnik and Rogalin, villages rich in monuments ? as well as a fragment of the Road of St. Jacob ? the European network of pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in Galicia, northern-east Spain. The Camino de Santiago trail used to begin in Estonia leading through Poland, Germany, Switzerland, France to Santiago.

The Park is home to numerous monuments with the most precious one being the wooden church in Łódź ,which dates back to the 17^th century.

Other churches of a slightly lesser value can be spotted in Puszczyków, Stęszew and Wiry. In Szreniawa and Trzebaw one also have the possibility to see manor houses from the 19^th century. Another place worth visiting is a palace, the seat of the Management of the National Park, in the Jeziory village, situated beside Jezioro Góreckie (Lake Góreckie). The Museum of Nature is also located in Jeziory.

Ruins of a castle, built in 1827 on the Castle Island beside Jezioro Góreckie, are also worth seeing. One of the local legends is related to the Island. According to the legend a man named Górka, who lived here centuries ago, imprisoned the owner of the region in his wife?s castle situated on the Island. After his death, Górka ended up in hell and was allowed to return to earth one time a year. Since then  his spirit is said to wander on the island, in search of the ruins of the castle, which is accompanied by ravens making awful sounds. Unfortunately, the island can be admired only from the banks of the lake as it is not open to the visitors.

The fastest way to reach the National Park of Wielkopolska is to travel there by car ?first driving to Wrocław and then through Komorniki (about 15 kilometres from the Poznan city centre) to Puszczykowo. One can reach Puszczykowo by train as well (about 20 minutes). In Puszczykówko, situated near Poznan (about 18 kilometres from the Poznan city centre) one can also visit Arkady Fiedler?s Museum. He was one of the most famous Polish travellers ? travelling across South and North America. Today, his house serves as a museum with a garden holding the real-size replica of ?Santa Maria?, the caravel on which Christopher Columbus sailed to America. Among the participants of a symbolic launching of ?Santa Maria? was one of descendants of Columbus.