Destinations

Crooked Forest- an unsolved mystery in Poland

The Crooked Forest is one of the weirdest and interesting places in Poland that not many people actually know about. If you want to experience something completely different you should definitely consider a trip to the Crooked Forest. It is a great place for taking pictures and if you are into creepy places don’t hold back and visit it at night.

The Crooked Forest consists of 400 pines planted there around 1930 when the area was a German territory. It is full of oddly-shaped trees that look like something really bad happened to them.

It is generally believed that the pines were formed this way by some tools or planting techniques, but the motive of such actions is still unknown. Another theory states that the forest looks like that because of the tanks rolling over the young trees during the World War II which forced them to grow in a less conventional way for the trees to grow.

Some believe that fluctuations in gravitational forces or a unique gravitational pull in the area could be responsible, but there is basically zero evidence to support this bizarre theory. The force of gravity pulls objects down, not sideways.

Some others think that the curves are man-made. This would make sense given the fact that the trees are very consistent. The suggestion is that during the 1930s, local farmers planted and manipulated the trees for ultimate use as a construction material, for example for pieces of furniture or, more likely, ship building. An extract from a piece entitled wooden vessel ship construction even supports this idea.

Ultimately, no one can be certain of what caused the curvature of these trees since there are no witnesses that can testify one way or another, but the last explanation certainly seems the most reasonable.

Whatever the answer is, it is a great place to see, so don’t hesitate to start planning your trip.

Things to Do

If you are up for some adventure, you can go for a bicycle ride from Gryino to the German town of Mescherin. Besides cycling, the curves and the grove also suitable for photographic enthusiasts to have some creative photographs.

Best Time to Travel

You can travel to the Crooked Forest at any time of the year; however summers make for the best time, as during the summers, the weather is at its best.

How to get there

One can reach the Crooked Forest through Szczecin. It is around 30 km from Szczecin. The easiest way to get to the Crooked Forest is taking a taxi or bus line 1 from Gryfino.