Hubert Nature Reserve

The Hubert Nature Reserve is a forest reserve in the village of Dąbrówka in the Wielowieś municipality, in Gliwice County. It was established to protect a fragment of mixed forest with natural features, preserved among stands transformed by human management. The reserve was created by an order of the Minister of Forestry and the Timber Industry of 4 April 1958.

Area and location

At first the reserve covered 13.47 ha, in 2003 it was enlarged to 19.26 ha, and in 2015 to the present 33.74 ha. It also has a buffer zone of 35.20 ha, and its boundaries coincide with the Natura 2000 site “Hubert”. The area is managed by the Rudziniec Forest District. The reserve lies at an altitude of 225-230 m above sea level in the south-eastern part of the Opole Plain, in the Stobrawa-Lubliniec Forests complex, in the valley of the Świbska Woda.

The forest

Subcontinental oak-hornbeam forest dominates. The stand consists mainly of Scots pine (nearly 65%) and pedunculate oak (nearly 35%) aged from 130 to 160 years. They are accompanied by a few beeches, sycamores and maples, which often reach the dimensions of monumental trees.

Plants and animals

107 species of vascular plants, 33 species of mosses and 2 species of liverworts have been recorded here. Protected species include common ivy, lily of the valley, asarabacca, alder buckthorn, sweet woodruff and oxlip, and rare ones include baneberry, grass of Parnassus, solid-tubered corydalis and cloudberry. The fauna comprises 56 species of vertebrates and nearly 200 species of invertebrates. Since 2019 a protection plan with active protection has been in force.

Practical information

• Place: Dąbrówka, Wielowieś municipality, Gliwice County.
• Check the rules of entry and the available paths with the Rudziniec Forest District before your visit.