Śrubita Nature Reserve

The Śrubita nature reserve protects a fragment of old fir and beech forest on the western slopes of Mount Bugaj in the Żywiec Beskids. It lies in Rycerka Górna, in Rajcza municipality, at an altitude of 780 to 960 m above sea level, and covers 24.99 ha.

What the reserve protects

The aim of protection is to preserve, for scientific and educational purposes, a fragment of primeval fir and beech forest typical of the lower montane zone in the Beskids. The reserve was established in 1957 by order of the Minister of Forestry and the Timber Industry, and today lies within the Żywiec Landscape Park. It is a strict reserve.

A large part of the area is a landslide. The surface is heavily disturbed here, and the tongue of the landslide is made of clay soaked with water, which is why the forest was not felled or replaced with spruce plantations. An old-growth stand has survived, a fragment of the former Carpathian Primeval Forest: sturdy beeches and firs reaching 50 m in height, with trunks often 100 cm thick.

Record trees and ground flora

In 2011 a spruce 51.8 m tall was found in the reserve, then recognised as the tallest tree in Poland. That title later passed to the Douglas firs of Bystra Krakowska in the Silesian Beskids. In the undergrowth grow all three native species of coralroot: the spurred, the bulbous and the nine-leaved. The Carpathian Tozzia, rare in Poland, has also been recorded here.

Among animals one can find red deer, badger, fox and pine marten here, and the reserve is also a refuge for lynx and hazel grouse. The presence of the wolf is temporary. Many beetles live in the old, dying trees.

Practical information

• Location: Rycerka Górna, western slopes of Bugaj in the Wielka Racza group.
• The area was opened to visitors by a walking path, but its condition was poor, which led to excessive trampling of the protected area. Before setting out, check with the Ujsoły Forest District whether the path is passable and what rules apply.
• Nearby is the PTTK mountain hut on Wielka Racza, and a little further the Dziobaki nature reserve.