Field in Westpoland in June Poland June 2015 Travelling from the south-east along the eastern border to the nort-east and finally to the north-west landscapes in Poland Part 1: Images from the South-East of Poland

The red dots in this map of Poland indicate where the following photographs are taken. The locations in the southeast are described in German. Most of the locations which I visited in Poland are no touristic hotspots. I give rather exact descriptions of the locations because I think that they are all places where traditional agricuture can be found at least in the next years. I have no doubt, that many of these landscapes will desappear with modernisations in agriculture.
The higher one gets up into the mountains of the Beskids, fields are followed by a belt of meadows which end at the high mountain forest. Traditional forms of drying hay on wooden frames are still very common.	Mountain meadow and forest in the Beskid Wyspowy, near Pewel Ślemieńska east of Zwiec (Woj.Małopolskie /Kleinpolen)
Wooden houses in Zakopane stile can be found in the mountains south of Krakow.	Poręba Wielka, Gorce (Woj.Małopolskie /Kleinpolen)
Some of the mountain meadows are in full bloom in June wheras others are harvested already. As harvesting of these meadows happens rather late, there are lots of flowers in full bloom. Besides there are traditional forms of harvesting and hay drying common in these regions.	Meadow belt in the Beskid Wespowe, between the villages Łętowe and Wilczyce (Woj.Małopolskie /Kleinpolen)
Photographing in these meadows is pure enjoyment! The most magnificent meadow I have seen up to now is this one on partly wet ground. (↓)	Butterfly-orchids in a mountain meadow (Woj.Małopolskie /Kleinpolen)

Mountain meadow in the Beskid Wespowe,
between the villages Łętowe and Wilczyce
(Woj.Małopolskie /Kleinpolen)

When you zoom in into this wet meadow you find cotton grass, orchids, red campions, buttercups
and many other flowers with dewdrops sparkling in the mornig sun.

Two-row panorama stitched of 9 images in horizontal format
Nikkor AF-S 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5 G at 45mm, 1/10 sec, f 22, ISO 200.
Most of the landscape images in this report are stitched,
but I give technical data only for a few particular photographs.

Regions with traditional agriculture suffer from damage caused by birds and game. Scarecrows should help.	One of the many various scarecrows standing in the small fields in southern and eastern Poland (Woj.Małopolskie /Kleinpolen)
I had twice the chance to photograph horse-drawn teddering. Both farmers agreed in beeing photographed with their horses. I had the impression, that they were proud of their way of keeping traditional agriculture alife.	Teddering with horses,with a foal accompanying its mother. (Woj. Podkarpackie / Karpatenvorland)
North of Sanok, the river San meanders threw a region with hills and small mountains with much forest.	River San near Trepcza north of Sanok (Woj. Podkarpackie / Karpatenvorland)
Small cable-guided ferries are common in rural Poland. I like to cross rivers in this way from one back country road to the next.	Crossing the river San with a small cable-guided ferry, at Krzemienna (Woj. Podkarpackie / Karpatenvorland)
This small creak was dammed by beavers almost every hundret meters.	Beaver dam in a mountain creek near Dąbrówka Starzeńska, Pogórze Przemyskie (Woj. Podkarpackie / Karpatenvorland)
Finally I will mention the mountain forests which appeared to me very diversified with many old trees inside. I didn't visit many cultural sights. But this wooden church stood on a hill in a forest surrounded by large old trees The atmosphere of this location was very impressive. (↓)	Tree trunk in a mountain forest near Dąbrówka Starzeńska, Pogórze Przemyskie (Woj. Podkarpackie / Karpatenvorland)
Wooden Church in Ulucz (Woj. Podkarpackie / Karpatenvorland)

Part 2: Images from the East of Poland
The river Vistula is already a large river when it leaves Krakow.	The river Vistula / Wisła near Dąbrówka Morska (Woj.Małopolskie /Kleinpolen)
The river meanders through a wide flat valley In southern and eastern Poland are the agricultural areas frequentliy divided into a patchwork of tiny plots. (↓)	In the valley of the Vistula / Wisła near Dąbrówka Morska (Woj.Małopolskie /Kleinpolen)

The living standard has visibly increased in rural Poland. There are many renovated and newbuilt houses in the villages.Furthermore are there many new or semifinished houses far away from the villages preferably on hilltops or somewhere else in the open countryside. A landscape photographer observes this developement with concern.	Half-finished house on a hill (Woj.Małopolskie /Kleinpolen)
Larger pastures and fields appear between the tiny plots in the lowlands of the voivodship Lubelskie. One can walk along large areas with dry grasland ...	The blue Sheep's bit scabious in dry grasland near the river Wieprz, north of Lubartów (Woj. Lubelskie / Lublin)
... to rich patures in the flood areas of the rivers, ...	Meadow at the river Wieprz north of Lubartów (Woj. Lubelskie / Lublin)
... and to wasteland with its typical summerplants. I was extremely enthusiastic when I discovered stooks of grain carefully set on some fields. It was an old sort of rye with remarkably long stalks, which had been cultivated and harvested there. (↓)	Rosebay willowherb on a patch of wasteland at the river Wieprz north of Lubartów (Woj. Lubelskie / Lublin)
Sheaves of rye are put together into stooks at the river Wieprz north of Lubartów (Woj. Lubelskie / Lublin)
It is a great pleasure to see the meandering rivers in the summer landscape. The moisture over the rivers and the adjacent floot areas create an enchanting but volatile mood before sunrise. (↓)	The river Wieprz north of Lubartów (Woj. Lubelskie / Lublin)
Before sunrise in the lowlands at the river Tysmienica (Woj. Lubelskie / Lublin)
A meadow in the lowlands at the river Tysmienica (Woj. Lubelskie / Lublin)

Part 3: Images from the North-East of Poland
On my way north I made a short visit in two National parks in Woj. Podlaskie, Białowieża NP and Biebrzański NP. Mid-June is not the best season to visit these places and the strict regulations for the numerous visitors there made me drive on soon.	Forest near the entrance to the Białowieża zoo (Woj. Podlaskie / Podlachien) j
	A primordial horse breed a result of back breeding in the Białowieża zoo (Woj. Podlaskie / Podlachien)
The wild animal in this picture is the starling. It had chosen the massive back of the caged european bison as observation point for its chase after the numerous flies around the resting animals.	A starling on the back of an european bison in the Białowieża zoo (Woj. Podlaskie / Podlachien)
Cobbled roads became rare in modern Poland. Only a few back country roads have still this decorative surface which might be more then 100 years old. A road with this colourful pattern connected the nice villages with the old wooden farm houses.	Cobbled road near Folwarki wielkie (Woj. Podlaskie / Podlachien)
What I saw in Dobrzyniówka, Folwarki, Soce and the neighbouring villages was not an open-air museum but a series of rural communities which maintain their traditional wooden houses carefully and fill them with real life.	Folwarki wielkie (Woj. Podlaskie / Podlachien)
	Folwarki małe (Woj. Podlaskie / Podlachien)
	Dobrzyniówka (Woj. Podlaskie / Podlachien)
A well is found at almost every house. There were also some chickens around on this property. They moved slowly from the back into my direction and towards the well, which stood on their way. Two of the chickens took the well for their catwalk, jumped up, turned around three times, jumped down again and went away with their colleagues. They seemed to be so disappointed from the photographer on-site, that they even didn't give him the address where to send the photographs of their performance.	Folwarki wielkie (Woj. Podlaskie / Podlachien)
In the last years most village roads in Poland have got paved sidewalks at least at one side.That is obviously much more comfortable paticularly in wet and icy days. But for me the main village road with cobblestones and broad grass verges on both sides is a gem preserved from old times.	Soce (Woj. Podlaskie / Podlachien)
The picket fence is an old-fashioned decoration that I prefere to almost all of its successors made of wire, steel, concrete or plastic.	Soce (Woj. Podlaskie / Podlachien)
	Soce (Woj. Podlaskie / Podlachien)
Spotted flycatchers were commen in the villages. Like swallows and storks they prefere villages as their habitat. Not far from these villages the river Narew meanders through its wide flood areas. In the evening a summer thunderstorm passes over the river.(↓)	Spotted flycatcher, Soce (Woj. Podlaskie / Podlachien)
Thunderclouds over the valley of the river Narew near Puchłe (Woj. Podlaskie / Podlachien)
Evening and ...
... morning in the valley of the river Narew near Puchłe (Woj. Podlaskie / Podlachien)
I have been in Masuria before and took pictures of the impressive avenues in autumn colours. I came back to the neughbouring villages Niemsty and Cichy during this journey. I took again a photograph of this avenue with big old oaks in the light of the setting sun. And I found some other nice locations near by which are shown in the following images.	Avenue of Oaks Niemsty (Woj. Warmińsko-Mazurskie / Ermland-Masuren)
Field near Olecko (Woj. Warmińsko-Mazurskie / Ermland-Masuren)
Field with Phacelia near the village Niemsty (Woj. Warmińsko-Mazurskie / Ermland-Masuren)
In Masuria the fields are large. And where they have an intense colour the whole landscape appears to be painted with this colour almost to the horizon.	Field with Phacelia near the village Niemsty (Woj. Warmińsko-Mazurskie / Ermland-Masuren)
One morning the wind had decreased to dead calm. That were perfect conditions to take close-ups. This is what a single inflorescence of the millions in the field looks like from close up.	Inflorescence of Phacelia
Field of poppies near Cichy (Woj. Warmińsko-Mazurskie / Ermland-Masuren)
Country road near Sztynort (Woj. Warmińsko-Mazurskie / Ermland-Masuren)

Part 4: Images from the West of Poland
The National Park Unteres Odertal is well known in Germany. The similar polish Warta River Mouth National Park is only a few kilometers away. However it is almost unknown inGermany. The lower valley of the river Noteć seems to be absolutely unknown in Germany. But I think it is a broad valley with many highlights in nature and traditional agriculture.
Netze / Noteć in February 2014 and in June 2015
A friend gave me a hint. So I visited the valley of the river Noteć in February 2014 for the first time. Photographs of this tour are included in this report.	Dam along the river Noteć in February near Górecko (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
The dam along the river seperates the flood area from the other regions of the lowland. Most of this area is used as pasture.	Dam along the river Noteć in June near Górecko (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
Oak tree in February near Górecko (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
This majestic oak is a landmark in the pasture landscape of the valley.	The same oak tree in June near Górecko (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
Willow trees are cultivated on both sides along the foot of the dam. The old trees are trimmed in winter.	A row of willow trees along the dam at the Notec (February) (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
	A row of willow trees along the dam at the Notec (June) near Górecko (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
In winter my interest focused on the river itself and the adjacent waters: River bank, Noteć, February (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
Evening at the river Noteć, February (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
Oxbow lake at the Noteć, Feburary near Górecko (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
Riverside meadows at the Noteć, February (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
Ice on the riverside meadows at the Noteć, February (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
In summer my interest focussed more on the lush vegetation in the lowlands of the valley: Meadows in the rever plain of river Noteć near Przynotecko, June (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
	Summerflowers on the dam along the river Noteć in June (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
	Fields in the lowlands of the river Noteć near Górecko (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
Fields in the lowlands of the river Noteć near Górecko (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
Warthe / Warta in February 2014
I can not finish this report without presenting some photographs from the river Warta and the Warta River Mouth National Park. I will highly recommend to all readers of this website to go and discover the Valleys of Warta and Noteć by themselves.	Bank of Warta in February (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
	Photographing ice structures
Ice structures on the bank of the river Warta (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
View from the dam in the south near Słońsk / Sonnenburg into the Warta Mouth National Park (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)
In the Warta Mouth National Park near Słońsk / Sonnenburg (Woj. Lubuskie / Lebus)