Madohora Nature Reserve

The Madohora reserve covers the summit areas and slopes of Łamana Skała (Madohora) in the Little Beskids. It lies within the Little Beskids Landscape Park and the “Beskid Mały” Natura 2000 area, in the municipalities of Ślemień (Silesian Voivodeship) and Andrychów (Lesser Poland Voivodeship). Part of it therefore lies in Lesser Poland.

How the protection of this forest came about

The reserve was established in 1960 thanks to the efforts of Prof. Stefan Myczkowski, who drew attention to the perfectly preserved stand of trees on Madohora and Groń Jana Pawła II. At first it covered several dozen hectares, and its boundaries were later changed. The area is managed by the Andrychów and Jeleśnia forest districts, and according to the data on the reserve, supervision of the part in the Silesian Voivodeship is exercised by the Regional Nature Conservator in Katowice.

Rocks, soils and forest

In the summit part there are rock outcrops of sandstone and conglomerate of the Lower Istebna beds, reaching several metres in height. Lower down lie Godula sandstones, and near the springs there are peaty and gley soils. There are interesting rock formations here.

The stand is made up of an ageing generation of Norway spruce, probably of natural origin, which is gradually being replaced by natural regeneration of fir, rowan, beech and sycamore. The upper montane forest is changing towards a lower montane fir-spruce forest.

Plants and animals

Ferns, gymnosperms and angiosperms are represented here by 129 species. Species under strict protection include, among others, the mountain leopard's-bane, the ribbed hard-fern, the stag's-horn clubmoss and the prickly juniper clubmoss. Of the larger mammals, red deer, roe deer, wild boar and badger occasionally appear. 42 bird species, 4 reptile species and 6 amphibian species have been recorded.

Trails in the reserve

Three trails cross the reserve: the red one from Leskowiec via the Kocierska pass to Kozubnik, the blue one, which starts in the reserve and leads to Ślemień, and the green one from Targoszów via Gibasy, the Kocierska pass and Bukowski Groń to Porąbka. Not far away, about 45 minutes' walk, stands the student hut “Pod Potrójną”, that is Chatka pod Potrójną.

Practical information

• Location: Ślemień municipality, Żywiec County; the reserve also reaches the municipality of Andrychów in Lesser Poland.
• Check the rules for entering the reserve with its managers, the Andrychów and Jeleśnia forest districts.
• The whole of it lies within the boundaries of the Little Beskids Landscape Park.