Crooked Forest (Bent-shaped pine trees)

The Crooked Forest is around 80 years old. It is estimated that the damage that made them look how they do today occurred when the trees were about 7 years old. This would have been before the Second World War reached Poland.

Which helps to explain the most popular theory about how the trees came to be crooked. As the story goes, in 1930 a group of farmers planted these trees, intentionally damaging the base in order to create some sort of product, perhaps uniquely shaped furniture. The world may never know if it’s true because the farmers were unable to finish their work after the invasion on Poland during World War II dismantled their plans.

It is likely the trees were formed like this to make furniture, ship mantels, or numerous other woodworking projects. After all it’s not unheard of to grow trees with a curve in the branch for certain wood-made parts. This practice produces what is known as “compass timbers.”

Even if that’s the reason these trees are now crooked, it still seems so odd and unexplained, simply because someone’s work was never completed.

Others surmise that a snowstorm could have knocked the trees like this, freezing them into a bent position until the snow and ice melted come spring. The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to this unsolved mystery.

There are plenty of trees in the area, all of which grow upright from the base without the funky curve distinct to the Crooked Forest clan. The Crooked Forest is an odd occurrence in a seemingly ordinary place. So perhaps you are wondering why none of the locals have answers to what caused the formation of the Crooked Forest.

This is likely because the local town was devastated during World War II. It wasn’t until the 1970’s, when a new power and heat plant came to the town that it began to reestablish itself. The Crooked Forest is located right near this power plant, known as Dolna Odra (‘Lower Oder’) power plant.

Today tourists come to enjoy many beautiful natural sites common to this area—none of which happen to be as unexplainable as the Crooked Forest. If you are ever in Poland you can visit the 22 rows of oddly shaped trees. The Crooked Forest is located in a suburb called Gryfino in the Zachodniopomorskie province. One look at the forest and you start to imagine endless possibilities, so much history packed into the roots of these trees—if only trees could talk!

Sylvia Hotel, Vancouver (Virginia creeper Plant Covered)

The Sylvia was designed as an apartment building by Mr. W.P. White, a Seattle architect. It was built in 1912 by Booker, Campbell and Whipple Construction Company for a Mr. Goldstein, who had a daughter named Sylvia. During the Depression the Sylvia Court Apartments fell on hard times, and in 1936 the building was converted into an apartment hotel. With the advent of World War II, many of the suites were converted to rooms, in order to provide accommodation for the merchant-marine crews.

After the war the number of permanent residents in the hotel gradually decreased, until by the sixties the Sylvia had become a completely transient full-service hotel. In 1954 it opened the first cocktail bar in Vancouver. Until 1958 the Sylvia Hotel was the tallest building in the West End. A well known landmark, its brick and terra-cotta extension softened by the Virginia creeper that now completely covers the Gilford Street side of the hotel.

- In 1975 the Sylvia was designated by the City of Vancouver as a heritage building, thereby ensuring its survival for many years to come.

The Sylvia Hotel located on English Bay and beside Stanley Park offers a unique lodging experience. We have 120 rooms and suites to choose from, all distinctive in their view and layout. The Sylvia Hotel prides itself on outstanding service, friendly staff and great value, which is why people continue to visit us year after year. The Sylvia Hotel was one of Vancouver's first pet friendly hotels. Our location, being across the street from English Bay and a short distance to Stanley Park, provides our two and four legged guests with a wonderful outdoor experience.