Bartek the Oak

Why visit?

Bartek, the great oak of Zagnańsk near Kielce, is Poland's most famous tree and one of its oldest: according to dendrological studies by Cezary Pacyniak from 1992, it is now around 680 years old. It has been a natural monument since 1954, and as early as 1934 a commission led by Prof. Władysław Szafer declared it "the most splendid tree in Poland". Its trunk measures 985 centimetres in circumference at breast height (over 13 metres at the base), it stands 28.5 metres tall, and its crown spreads across 40 metres. Legends link Bartek with King John III Sobieski: after the relief of Vienna he is said to have hidden a bottle of wine and a captured Turkish sabre in the hollow, and perhaps also treasures brought for his beloved Marysieńka. The tree survived a fire in 1906 and a lightning strike in 1991 (a lightning conductor protects it today), though in June 2025 a storm broke one of its boughs. The trunk, rotting from within, is helped by telescopic supports installed in 1997, and a new supporting arch worth some 2 million złoty is planned — the custodians are doing everything to keep the legend alive. Practical tips: the oak grows by voivodeship road 750 in Zagnańsk, next to the green hiking trail from Bliżyn. A visit takes 20–45 minutes, and entry to the enclosure around the tree is ticketed — current rates are published by the Zagnańsk commune. It makes an easy stop on the way to Kielce, just a quarter of an hour's drive away.

What you’ll see

• Około 680 lat — jeden z najstarszych dębów Polski (badania z 1992 r.)
• Obwód pnia 985 cm, wysokość 28,5 m, korona na 40 metrów
• Legenda o szabli i flaszce wina Jana III Sobieskiego w dziupli
• Pomnik przyrody od 1954 r. z teleskopowymi podporami
• Przetrwał pożar 1906, piorun 1991 i burzę 2025

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