Katowice Forest Park

Katowice Forest Park is the largest area of landscaped greenery in Katowice. It stretches through the central part of the city along the valley of the Leśny Stream, and its northern part is occupied by the Valley of Three Ponds, the most intensively used part of the park.

A park with remnants of the Silesian Forest

The park was established in the 1960s. In the mixed forests grow oak, birch and pine, and many of the trees are remnants of the former Silesian Forest (Puszcza Śląska). The park is part of the protective forest belt of the Upper Silesian Industrial Region. Until 2010 it bore the name Roman Stachoń Katowice Forest Park, and on 25 January 2010 it was changed by a resolution of the Katowice City Council. In the herb layer grow wood horsetail, wood anemone, yellow archangel and angular Solomon's seal, and in the understorey rowan, alder buckthorn and black elder.

Nature watchers can find 28 species of dragonflies, butterflies such as the peacock butterfly, and birds: the jay, blackbird, great spotted woodpecker and nuthatch. In winter bullfinches, goldfinches and siskins appear. The ponds are home to, among others, bream, carp and roach.

The Valley of Three Ponds

The Valley of Three Ponds lies in the Osiedle Paderewskiego-Muchowiec district and covers 65.5 ha. It is formed by 11 artificial reservoirs with a total area of over 35 ha, including Łąka, Kajakowy, Oczko, Kąpielowy and Ozdobny. The ponds came into being from the 19th century as a result of the mining activity of the “Ferdinand” mine, from 1912 they began to be used for recreation, and the name “Valley of Three Ponds” has been in use since 1933. In 1971 the valley was cut across by the embankment of Aleja Górnośląska.

Today there is a water sports marina on the Kajakowy pond, beach volleyball courts, tennis courts, a skatepark, a water playground, a camping field and a roller-skating track in a loop 4 km long, considered one of the longest in Poland. There are also playgrounds and chess tables. Since 1986 the Monument to Miners' Labour has stood here.

Sculptures and earlier history

At the junction of Francuska and Trzech Stawów streets stand sculptures from the 1979 National Horticultural Exhibition, including a rooster, an elephant, a pelican and a totem. In August 2021 bas-reliefs from the demolished Wedding Palace (Pałac Ślubów) were moved here. In the interwar years the Forest Castle in Muchowiec operated in the park, with a restaurant, a garden and a swimming pool. In 1934-1945 the football ground of 1. FC Katowice stood here, in 1947 a speedway track, and in 1957-1966 a stud farm.

Trails

The park is crossed by the Katowice Walking Trail (blue, Chorzów - Katowice - Hamerla), the Upper Silesian Mining History Trail (yellow) and the black Park Trail linking with Tadeusz Kościuszko Park, about 2 km away. Cycle routes no. 1 (red) and no. 5 (yellow, from Szopienice-Burowiec) also run through here.

Practical information

• Water marina: ul. Murckowska 215. Car park on ul. Francuska, where the terminus of bus line 110 is also located.
• Access by city bike: three bike-share stations in the park (status as of September 2024).
• The park is managed by the Municipal Greenery Authority in Katowice, and its western part also by the Katowice Forest District. Check the access hours of the sports facilities with the managers.