Grupa rybacka - Dolina Karpia

6 The Carp Valley The Carp Valley is an attractive area from boththe naturalist and touristic point of view. It is locatedin Małopolska in the districts of Oświęcimand Wadowice and consists of seven communes:Brzeźnica, Osiek, Polanka Wielka, Przeciszów,Spytkowice, Tomice and Zator. The Carp Valleycovers the historical fish-farming area spreadingfor hundreds of hectares along the valleys of theVistula and Skawa Rivers. It is well approachableas it is situated near the route connecting region’smost important cities among others Katowiceand Kraków (which are the voivodeships’ capitals)as well as common tourists destinations such asOświęcim, Wadowice, Kalwaria Zebrzydowskaand Lanckorona. The Carp Valley is an ideal placefor recreation. It is also well suited for active tourismas it has a large net of cycling trials. Carpponds are a dream place for nature lovers, providinghabitat for numerous fauna and flora species,many of which are endangered in the scale of thecountry. What is more, local Black-crowned NightHeron nesting site is the largest in Poland. That’swhy this bird is a fauna symbol of the Valley. In thepart of the area two sites of European EcologicalNet Natura 2000 have been established.> The Carp Valley is also an area of great culturalvalue. Visiting the Carp Valley you can’t miss historicalmonuments of the Wooden ArchitectureTrail and the Trail of Oświęcim Land Monuments.There are also another attractions: the Zatorland,which is a moving dinosaurs park, the MythologicalPark, the Insects Park and the Santa Claus Park.It is worth to pay attention to artistic plain-airsorganized in the area. The Carp Festival with theCarp Day is also an important event. The festivalis a series of open air events where you can buylocal products among which you can find deliciousfish dishes prepared in more than 150 ways!Tourists may also be attracted to stands withhandicraft and numerous tourist attractions.> The Carp Valley is an area of great natural andcultural values making it an excellent tourist destination.Everyone can find here something forthemselves – it’s an ideal place for both naturelovers and active tourists as well as for those whoenjoy peace and quiet.> Fot. Marcin Karetta Fish Pondsin the Carp Valley Carp ponds, characteristic mainly for the Central-EasternEurope, provide highly specific environmentas they have been created and maintainedby humans. Established for fish breeding,they are shallow (ca. 1.5 m), their bottoms areleveled and a little leaning so as to make gravitationalwater removal possible. Water is deliveredand removed by systems of ditches. Broad waterareas, fish abundance and over 700 years longexistence make them one of the most importantbird and plant habitats. The pond complexes areamong the oldest carp farming centers in Polandand their total area is ca. 2000 hectares. The mostinteresting complexes are Przeręb, Spytkowice,Bugaj and Rudze. The largest water reservoir is Pilawawith surface of 78 ha, located in fish breedingfarm Przeręb. However, Pilawa is an exceptionas water lever surface of the majority of pondsdoes not exceed 40 ha. In the Carp Valley fishfarming has been run for ages in traditional ways,the only thing that has changed is that horses andwooden carts have been replaced by tractors.> ”Natura 2000” The area covers the largest complexes of fishingponds of the Oświęcim – Zator Region, namely:Spytkowice, Przeręb, Bugaj and Manowskie Pondsas well as the Skawa River Valley. Fish farming hasbeen run here since 13 th and 14 th centuries. Althoughcurrently it is run on a large scale, manyponds are thickly grown with water plants. Thewhole sanctuary is spotted with innumerablegravel-pits with bird-inhabited isles. Attachment1 of the Bird Directive lists bird species which requirethe establishment of bird sanctuaries withinthe frames of the Natura 2000 project, of which asmany as seventeen nest in the region. Additionally,seven species nesting in the valley are listedin the so-called Polish Red Data Book of Animals(PRDBA). The ponds make one of the few Polishnesting sites of Erroginous Duck, the speciesconsidered endangered all over the world. Otherbird species, endangered in Europe, also nesthere, among them: Night Heron, MediterraneanGull, Whiskered Tern (PRDBA, the most numeroussite in Poland), Bittern and Little Bittern (PRDBA),Black-necked Grebe, Purple Heron, Spotted Crake,Little Crake (PRDBA),Red-crested Pochard, BlacktailedGodwit, Black Tern, Common Tern and Bluethroat.PLH120084 Wiśliska> The Skawa Valley in the stretch between Graboszyceand where it joins the Vistula River is oneof the most scenic parts of the Oświęcim – ZatorArea. Despite extensive man-made changes, thevalley has maintained its nearly natural characterat many sites and it is abundant with rare and protectedspecies. In the tree stands in the preservedfragments of riparian forests you can find not onlywillows and black poplars but also Gray Alder. Numeroussmall water bodies located along the river,which are often remains of uncontrolled graveloutput, are a characteristic elements of the valley.Now they are the habitat of amphibians andbeavers. The river bed has generally maintainedits original character. Steep river banks are inhabitedby Sand-Martins, which nest here in quite> Fot. Marcin Karetta 7 Fot. Marcin Karetta Fot. Marcin Karetta