Abandoned Biebrza wetlands - bunkers, old cemeteries and wildlife

avatar

So far, I have not been very successful in returning to regular blogging. They say the key to success is to act despite the lack of motivation... well, I'm just learning it;)

I'm not sure if I will be able to go on vacation this season, but that's not a problem. My hometown still has a lot to offer to local tourists like me; besides, I don't need to go far away to take a rest. As a last resort, I can always recall my previous travels and watch photos.

My favorite memories are trips to the northeast of Poland, in Podlasie. Wild landscapes, a low number of inhabitants and tourists are what I love the most. Abandoned houses and forgotten cemeteries are not uncommon there, and you never know what you will stumble across as you wander the side gravel roads. I have written about the Biebrza Valley many times and will return to it more than once. I have many "my" places on earth; this is one of them.

IMG_20210805_120628.jpg

IMG_20210805_120637.jpg

IMG_20210805_120644.jpg

IMG_20210805_120717.jpg

IMG_20210805_120739.jpg

IMG_20210805_120806.jpg

Due to their nature, these areas were an important line of defense during WWII. The backwaters of the Biebrza River, swamps, and forests were a natural barrier, which was strengthened by bunkers and shelters.

The fort from the photos below was built in the 1930s on a small island in the middle of the backwaters. It's part of an extensive defense system centered around the huge Ossowiec Fortress. Ossowiec was built during the times of Tsarist Russia in the 19th century. Unfortunately, I couldn't visit the main fortress due to the pandemic restrictions that were in force during my visit. However, there were many other interesting objects in the area.

P1140961.jpg

IMG_20210805_145836.jpg

IMG_20210805_150209.jpg

IMG_20210805_150420.jpg

IMG_20210805_150428.jpg

IMG_20210805_150838.jpg

P1140959.jpg

P1140962.jpg

One of them interested me especially; it looked unusual. It turned out to be a bunker that explosives had blown up with such force that it fell to the ground upside down.

IMG_20210805_141633.jpg

IMG_20210805_141011.jpg

IMG_20210805_141034.jpg

IMG_20210805_141056.jpg

We can also find the remains of bunkers and shelters in the forests that are now part of the Biebrza National Park. Concrete structures are crushed piece by piece by tree roots and absorbed by nature. They fulfilled their role, and may they never be needed again.

IMG_20210811_152044.jpg

IMG_20210811_152435.jpg

IMG_20210811_152543.jpg

IMG_20210811_154356.jpg

IMG_20210811_154321.jpg

But still, untouched nature remains the greatest treasure of the Biebrza Valley. I recommend visiting Podlasie with all my heart, although I live on the other side of Poland ;)

IMG_20210811_160559.jpg

IMG_20210811_150534.jpg

IMG_20210811_145316.jpg

IMG_20210805_144145.jpg

IMG_20210805_150817.jpg

IMG_20210805_151522.jpg

IMG_20210805_165056.jpg

IMG_20210805_165715.jpg

P1140955.jpg

P1140950.jpg

P1140970.jpg

ornament.png

--- Thanks for stopping by! --- @astinmin
I'm the only author of the text and photos

ornament.png



0
0
0.000
2 comments
avatar

Congratulations, your post has been added to Pinmapple! 🎉🥳🍍

Did you know you have your own profile map?
And every post has their own map too!

Want to have your post on the map too?

  • Go to Pinmapple
  • Click the get code button
  • Click on the map where your post should be (zoom in if needed)
  • Copy and paste the generated code in your post (Hive only)
  • Congrats, your post is now on the map!

0
0
0.000
avatar

Hiya, @LivingUKTaiwan here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honorable Mentions in Daily Travel Digest #1593.

Your post has been manually curated by the @pinmapple team. If you like what we're doing, please drop by to check out all the rest of today's great posts and consider supporting other authors like yourself and us so we can keep the project going!

Become part of our travel community:

0
0
0.000