It was probably the last chance to see the real Polish golden autumn. Two days earlier, there was a strong wind, and most of the colorful leaves were fallen from the trees in the city.
But not in the Niepolomice forest!
Of course, there was already a golden carpet under the trees.
But there were still many leaves left on the branches. It was like looking at the sun through amber!
The colors of autumn contrasted beautifully with the lush greenery. The grass was fresh as in spring.
As if there was a different season of the year on each side of the path.
Spring on the left:
And autumn on the right:
And up there ... a moment's respite from the stunning colors.
I couldn't help but take pictures. Each shot seemed unique to me... As a result, I brought about 200 photos from the walk. And then how to choose the best ones?
There were a lot of walkers and mushroom pickers in the forest, but the area is very large, and it's easy to find a path just for yourself. You only need to have good, waterproof trekking shoes :)
The path we chose was getting more and more boggy and overgrown. There were many muddy puddles around which we found animal tracks.
After about twenty minutes of walking, however, we decided to turn back to a wide path. But we didn't regret our muddy walk at all! At some point, about 15 meters in front of our eyes, a small herd of deer - three does and two bucks - crossed the path.
And although they were in no rush, neither I nor my friend took a single photo. We stood there with our mouths wide open long after the last animal disappeared into the forest. And then we started laughing and asking each other: did you see that?
They crossed the path in this place. I don't have the deer in the picture, but I have a puddle from which they drank: D
We were slowly returning to civilization. I was thinking about the times when the forest belonged to kings and was a favorite hunting place, especially when Krakow was the capital of Poland (until 1609). Currently, the Niepołomicka Forest is only about 20 kilometers from Krakow.
It's a beautiful, wild place, very eagerly visited by the inhabitants of the city and the surrounding area. Fortunately, the forest is under the protection, and only cars of the relevant services can drive on the few asphalt roads. Tourists on bikes and roller skates are also welcome :)
At the end of the walk, we rested for a while by the Black Pond lake.
Now, a few days later, I'm sitting at home, drinking hot tea and listening to the sound of rain outside the window. And I'm glad that I managed to enjoy the warm, golden autumn.