Immediately North West of Warsaw (just 20km, heading in the direction of the towns Łomianki or Truskaw from the city centre), Kampinos National Park is the most accessible of Poland’s national parks. The entire area covers 385km2, which is interspersed with dense woodland, dunes and marshland, criss-crossed with biking, hiking and horse-riding trails, with the forest itself being home to 81 endangered species. The past decades have witnessed successful attempts to reintroduce beaver, elk and lynxes back to the wild. Equally famous for its association with the battle for Polish independence, Kampinos’ proximity to the capital has made it a favourite camp for partisans throughout the course of history; today numerous mass graves dating from national uprisings in 1863, and 54 insurgent graves from the Home Army's 'Kampinos' group (located in the Wiersze village war cemetery) who took part in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 can be found in the forest. None are more somber than the huge Palmiry National Memorial & Museum - a site of mass execution of civilians and intelligentsia during World War II, which is a must see.