This is a remarkable monument of nature in an unusual location, found in the suburbs of Gryfino, a small town in the Zachodnio-Pomorskie province. Such an extraordinary forest cannot be found anywhere else in Poland or maybe even the world. In the vicinity of the Dolna Odra power plant, amongst upright trees, grows a “Crooked Wood”. In 22 rows, in an area covering 16 acres grow several hundred pine trees of a peculiar shape.

At a height between 20cm and 50cm the trees bend towards the north. The bowed parts are between 1m and 3m in length. The age of the trees is about 75 years, so they were planted in the early 1930’s. The deformation occurred as a result of damage to the tip and some of the side branches. The only remaining branch took over the function of the trunk and grew upwards.

This damage occurred before the war when the trees were about 7 years old. Therefore it is believed that these crooked pines are the effect of conscious human activity and were the result of mechanical damage. Perhaps they had been prepared for some future manufacture of some products. How this happened no one knows to this day but the sight of these strange bent trees is quite remarkable.

The Municipal Council of Gryfino (woj. Zachodniopomorskie)

www.gryfino.pl