Poland’s Arctowski station, opened in 1977, was named for a geologist on Adrien de Gerlache’s Belgica expedition and houses 40 people. Female visitors were once presented with small bouquets of flowers grown in the station greenhouse, but this has been discontinued because growing nonfood plants now requires special permission under the Antarctic Treaty. Station members still grow vegetables using Antarctic soil, with penguin guano fertilizer.
The iron cross on the hill behind the station marks the grave of filmmaker Wladzimierz Puchalski, who died here in 1979.
A well-illustrated English-language brochure sold at the station provides a brief history. Several walking routes emanate from the station. The large gentoo and Adélie rookeries are off-limits because they are encircled by protected moss beds. A tourist-information center built from recycled wood is on the unnamed point beneath the small yellow-and-red-striped lighthouse.