See how they run (Kabaty (Warsaw, Poland))

Member Name: dangaroo

Product:	Kabaty (Warsaw, Poland)
Date:	13/05/09 (12 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice bit of recreation that is easily accessible

Disadvantages: Seperated by fields a bit too much, bit of litter on outskirts

Kabaty is a middle to upper class residential area of Warsaw, originally a village it wasn't swept into the Ursynow district of Warsaw until the 90s, it is now the terminus of the Warsaw metro and a desert of modern secured high-rise buildings.

A small walk south past the Tescos though and you are in a Nature Reserve & Forest, well kitted out with cycling paths and hiking paths. Las Kabaty has had some big name owners over the years, from the rich heiress Elzbieta Sieniawska who also owned Wilanow Palace and protected the area and its animals through to the President of Poland in the 1950s Stefan Starzynski.

Long since nationalised, this pleasant piece of nature on the outskirts of Poland's capital has also suffered sad times, having seen action in WW2 as Polish partizans tried to get back Warsaw from the Germans and more recently in a fatal plane crash in 1987 which saw 183 people die including a famous singer. These days it is a very peaceful place, where you can rummage for hours amongst the leaves or follow the more prominent paths and say a cheery "dzien dobry" to passers-by.

Don't be put off by the trash on the outskirts of the forest, the majority of the forest is incredibly clean - the edges of the forest and the fact that the metro runs well into the middle of the night, only stopping for 1 or 2 hours means that it does attract a young crowd who can't afford to or are too young to go the pub or want a barbie during nights at the weekend. For the most part though, this is an exceptionally peaceful nature reserve where animals get a nice mix of forest and wild fields and people can exercise in a healthy environment.

Summary: Pretty decent little forest