The Oder Meanders is a unique area of protected flora and fauna in Europe, included in the European network of NATURA 2000 protected areas. It is a place where nature has retained its unspoilt character and the riverbed has been shaped by nature, not human activity. riverbed has been shaped by nature, not by human activity. You can get to know this unique natural refuge and its inhabitants, you can get to know this unique nature sanctuary and its inhabitants from the perspective of the river as well as from the cycle path that runs through the area, canoeing or from the 27-metre-high observation tower.

Since 1998, WWF Poland and the municipality of Krzyżanowice have been working together to preserve and protect the Oder's boundary meanders. In 2004, the Silesian Governor declared these areas of special natural value a protected landscape area. This area encompasses numerous meanders of the Oder River, as well as riparian land, including meadows and fragments of floodplain forests. The meanders of the Oder River in the area of the municipality of Krzyżanowice between Chałupki and Zabełków are unique, as they contain rare plant communities protected on a European scale.

More than 126 plant species have been identified here, as well as many endangered animal species, such as rare butterflies, beetles, roseate, screech owl, mountain toad, European beaver, river otter, kingfisher and river plover. River processes such as the washing up of banks, the formation of shoals, gravel islands and oxbow lakes, and even the breaking of river bends, are taking place on the border Oder. As part of the project, WWF Poland and the municipality of Krzyżanowice are preparing nature trails and field lessons for students from Polish and Czech schools to raise environmental awareness among young people and the region's inhabitants.

Because of its unique natural habitats and diversity of flora and fauna, the area of the Oder River meanders has been submitted for protection under the Natura 2000 network. In order to secure the continued development of the river and the protection of nature, the Space for the River concept was created to combine nature conservation with the use of the river valley for utility purposes.

This project has been carried out by WWF Poland, the Green League Foundation, the Department of Botany at the University of Silesia and the Municipality of Krzyżanowice since 2005. In order for the space for the river to fulfil its function, it takes into account the needs for protection against erosion and flooding, as well as the need to protect bridges, roads and buildings. As part of the project, changes in riparian land use, such as the exchange, purchase or lease of land exposed to lateral river erosion, are planned to help minimise economic losses in the future.

The Space for the River concept aims to provide rivers with sufficient space to preserve important corridor-forming processes, while at the same time preserving existing infrastructure and avoiding losses for private riverside landowners. This type of solution is used in other European countries such as France, Switzerland, Austria and Germany. A nature trail in the area of the Border Meanders of the Oder was opened in October 2006, with the support of the Municipality of Krzyżanowice, the Poviat Starosty in Racibórz and the Green League Foundation from Katowice.

Border Meanders of the Oder River - a virtual walk

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