Poland’s peculiar Crooked Forest leaves visitors’ minds even more bent than the trees themselves. Meanwhile, the monstrous moving sand dunes of the country’s northern region have swallowed entire forests.
Poland’s Crooked Forest. Elmada. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
In the town of Gryfino in western Poland lies the uncanny sprawl of the Crooked Forest. The forest consists of about 400 twisted pine trees planted in 1930, most of which are bent at roughly a 90-degree angle at their trunks. Some of the trees start off somewhat straight before beginning to twist, while others showcase a drastic 90-degree angle that turns into a “C curve.” Despite growing sideways and appearing very unnatural, the trees are quite healthy and stand as tall as 50 feet.
Normally, oddly shaped trees have a noticeably knobby appearance which is a dead giveaway that the human hand caused their atypical shapes. However, in the Crooked Forest, the bark of the trees is pristine, so scientists lack reliable proof of human intervention. Endless theories exist that attempt to explain the trees’ unusual growth, but none are backed by any hard scientific facts.
Three Top Theories
One theory claims that this woodland experiences an abnormal gravitational pull that causes the trees’ twists. The theory claims that this is the reason the trees grow toward the north instead of straight upward. However, this theory quickly fails preliminary criticism because gravity pulls downward, so the trees’ curves cannot possibly be attributed to gravity.
A second theory states that the trees’ bends are a result of the weather; thick snowfall sat heavily on the young trees, causing them to grow sideways from the applied weight. As the theory claims, the trees’ rapid growth in the spring, compounded by melting snow, left them permanently curved. This theory is swiftly discredited because other pine trees adjacent to the forest grow perfectly straight.
The most popular theory is that farmers somehow manipulated the trees because sideways growth produces sturdier wood for wheelmaking. Additionally, the theory claims the trees were meant to be cut down for processing but World War II left farmers preoccupied with Germany’s invasion of Poland.
Since the trees were planted almost 100 years ago, any witnesses to the trees’ planting have likely died. One day a reputable explanation for the weird woodland may be discovered, but for now all visitors can do is admire this magical mystery.
Moving sand dunes of Slowinski National Park. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. CC BY-ND 2.0.
About 85% of Poland’s coast is covered by sand dunes, but the dunes in Slowinski National Park ignite the most awe. Filling bodies of water and swallowing trees, the moving sand dunes of the park stand as an ever-present force of nature. Slowinski National Park sits in northern Poland and extends over 20 miles. The park was filled with lakes that had once been bays before the sand dunes began their takeover about 5,000 years ago.
The dunes are blown by Baltic Sea winds, causing them to shift inland over 30 feet every year. This “wandering” event of the dunes is caused by the sea winds combined with the grains of sand being dried out by the sun, causing them to be more easily blown into large dune formations.
Visitors to the park see what looks to be a woodland of short trees, but what they actually notice are the very tops of tall pines. The dunes are over 130 feet tall, so they easily dwarf all of the surrounding forests. Locals also claim that there is a village buried underneath the sand dunes.
The ever-changing landscape of Poland’s sandy coast threatens surrounding life, but it seems Mother Nature gives people very little say in changing this phenomenon.
Ella Nguyen
is an undergraduate student at Vassar College pursuing a degree in Hispanic Studies. She wants to assist in the field of immigration law and hopes to utilize Spanish in her future projects. In her free time she enjoys cooking, writing poetry, and learning about cosmetics.