Rezerwat Pilsko

Pilsko Nature Reserve - a nature reserve on the territory of the municipality of Jeleśnia in the county of Żywiec in the Silesian Voivodeship. It lies within the Żywiec Landscape Park. It was established in 1971. Its aim was to protect the upper alpine spruce forest on the eastern slope of Pilsko, covering an area of 15.41 ha. This reserve connected with the Slovak reserve on one side and bordered also with the Polish Five Mounds reserve of the area of 88,74 ha. In 2005 Pilsko and Five Mounds were merged into one reserve with an area of 105.21 ha.

Within its original boundaries, the Pilsko reserve included a fragment of an upper alpine spruce forest in the sub-peak parts of the northern slopes at the altitude of 1280-1370 m. A 200-year-old old forest grows here, branched almost to the ground, many spruces are over 350 years old, more than 30 m high and 70 cm trunk diameter in breast height. There are 65 species of vascular plants and 26 species of bryophytes in this area.

The former Five Mounds Reserve also protects the upper alpine spruce forest, but also dwarf mountain pine thickets, numerous patches of grass and shrub communities with rare protected species of flora and fauna.

The reserve occupies most of the peak part of the Pilska massif on the Polish side. It reaches an altitude of 1534 m above sea level.