After the first waves of settlement by the Teutonic Order, a broad strip of forest remained in eastern East Prussia from the 14th to the 17th century. The so-called "Great Wilderness" served as a natural line of defence. After further clearing of the forests in favour of agriculture, three large forest areas remained called Johannisburg, Borken and Romincka Forest. "Heide" (heath) meant a landscape that was of little use to humans.
The Romincka Forest was a species-rich mixed forest. To this day, forestry measures support the coniferous parts of the forest, but there still areas with deciduous trees and a great amount of ground vegetation. This near-natural ecosystem creates good living conditions for numerous animal species. Romincka Forest has kept its reputation as a legendary hunting ground until today.
The forest got its name from the Rominte (today Krasnaya) River, which runs diagonally through the area now divided between Poland and Russia and flows into the river Pissa in the northwest.
Иллюстрация:
The Rominte River, which gave its name to the forest area, near Makunischken (today Tokarewka), 2015. Photo: Dr Christoph Hinkelmann