Bieszczady National Park
Encyclopedia
Bieszczady National Park is the third largest National Park in Poland
, located in Subcarpathian Voivodeship
in the extreme south-east corner of the country, bordering Slovakia
and Ukraine
.
The Park was created in 1973. At the time it covered only 59.55 km², but over the years it was enlarged four times. The last enlargements took place in 1996 and 1999, when the Park incorporated the former villages of Bukowiec, Beniowa and Carynskie in 1996, and in 1999 the former villages of Dzwiniacz, Tarnawa and Sokoliki.
Currently it occupies an area
of 292.02 square kilometres (112.7 sq mi), covering the highest areas of the Polish part of the Bieszczady Mountains
. In 1992 the Park and its surrounding areas became part of the UNESCO
East Carpathian Biosphere Reserve
, which has a total area of 2132.11 square kilometres (823.2 sq mi), and also includes areas in Slovakia and (since 1998) Ukraine.
Forest
s cover about 80% of the area of the National Park. The woods are mainly natural and in some cases it can be said that they have preserved their pristine character. The highest peak in the park – Tarnica
– is 1346 metres (4,416 ft) above sea level
. Animal life is abundant with several species of endangered animals thriving in the area, among them bear
s, wolves, wild boar, beaver
s and lynx
as well as deer
and Polish bison
(around 100 of these live in the Bieszczady Mountains). The Park is also home to the largest Polish population of Aesculapian snake
s.
The Park also contains interesting bird
specicies, including eagle
s and owl
s.
The area of the Park is sparsely populated (less than 1 person per km²), which means that animals can roam freely. The region is very popular among tourists, but there are not many facilities in the area. Around 70% of the Park’s area is regarded as strict preserve, which means that the use of trails is restricted. The Park’s authorities promote walking trips.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, located in Subcarpathian Voivodeship
Subcarpathian Voivodeship
Podkarpackie Voivodeship , or Subcarpathian Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, or province, in extreme-southeastern Poland. Its administrative capital and largest city is Rzeszów...
in the extreme south-east corner of the country, bordering Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
The Park was created in 1973. At the time it covered only 59.55 km², but over the years it was enlarged four times. The last enlargements took place in 1996 and 1999, when the Park incorporated the former villages of Bukowiec, Beniowa and Carynskie in 1996, and in 1999 the former villages of Dzwiniacz, Tarnawa and Sokoliki.
Currently it occupies an area
Area
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
of 292.02 square kilometres (112.7 sq mi), covering the highest areas of the Polish part of the Bieszczady Mountains
Bieszczady Mountains
Bieszczady is the Polish name for a mountain range in the extreme south-east of Poland, extending into Ukraine and Slovakia...
. In 1992 the Park and its surrounding areas became part of the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
East Carpathian Biosphere Reserve
East Carpathian Biosphere Reserve
The East Carpathian Biosphere Reserve is a transboundary protected area, designated as an area of global importance under UNESCO's Programme on Man and the Biosphere. It is located in the Eastern Carpathians and includes parts of three countries: Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine...
, which has a total area of 2132.11 square kilometres (823.2 sq mi), and also includes areas in Slovakia and (since 1998) Ukraine.
Forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s cover about 80% of the area of the National Park. The woods are mainly natural and in some cases it can be said that they have preserved their pristine character. The highest peak in the park – Tarnica
Tarnica
Tarnica is a peak in the Bieszczady Mountains in southern Poland. Its height is 1,346 meters. It is one of the Polish Crown Peaks.The summit towers 500 meter above the Wołosatka Valley. It can be easily told apart from its neighbours by its distinctive shape. The mountain has two separate...
– is 1346 metres (4,416 ft) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. Animal life is abundant with several species of endangered animals thriving in the area, among them bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s, wolves, wild boar, beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
s and lynx
Lynx
A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...
as well as deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
and Polish bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
(around 100 of these live in the Bieszczady Mountains). The Park is also home to the largest Polish population of Aesculapian snake
Aesculapian Snake
The Aesculapian Snake is a nonvenomous snake native to Europe.-Description:They hatch at around 30 cm and average at around 110 cm but can grow up to 200 cm . They are dark, long, slender, and shiny...
s.
The Park also contains interesting bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
specicies, including eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s and owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s.
The area of the Park is sparsely populated (less than 1 person per km²), which means that animals can roam freely. The region is very popular among tourists, but there are not many facilities in the area. Around 70% of the Park’s area is regarded as strict preserve, which means that the use of trails is restricted. The Park’s authorities promote walking trips.
Hiking trails
- European walking route E8European walking route E8The E8 European long distance path or E8 path is one of the European long-distance paths, leading 4700km across Europe, from Cork in Ireland to Istanbul in Turkey....
- PrešovPrešovPrešov Historically, the city has been known in German as Eperies , Eperjes in Hungarian, Fragopolis in Latin, Preszów in Polish, Peryeshis in Romany, Пряшев in Russian and Пряшів in Rusyn and Ukrainian.-Characteristics:The city is a showcase of Baroque, Rococo and Gothic...
- Miháľov - KurimkaKurimkaKurimka is a village and municipality in Svidník District in the Prešov Region of north-eastern Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 329 metres and covers an area of 12.460 km²...
- DuklaDuklaDukla ; , Duklya] is a town and an eponymous municipality in southeastern Poland, in the Subcarpathian Voivodship. The town is populated by 2,127 people . while the total population of the commune containing the town and the villages surrounding it is 16,640...
- Iwonicz-Zdrój – Rymanów-Zdrój - Puławy – TokarniaTokarnia (peak)Takarnia is a peak in the Bukowica Range in southern Poland. Its height is 778 meters.The southern part is a steep rocky wall, while the other side consist of less steep rocky fields...
(778 m) – Kamień (717 m) – KomańczaKomanczaKomańcza is a village in the Sanok County, in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship of south-eastern Poland. It is situated in the Bukowsko Upland mountains, located near the towns of Medzilaborce and Palota .-History:...
- CisnaCisnaCisna is the main village of the Gmina Cisna in the Lesko County, in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship of south-eastern Poland. It lies in the Solinka valley in between the Bieszczady mountains.-History:...
- Ustrzyki GórneUstrzyki GórneUstrzyki Górne is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Lutowiska, within Bieszczady County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland, close to the border with Ukraine. It lies approximately south of Lutowiska, south of Ustrzyki Dolne, and south-east of the regional...
- TarnicaTarnicaTarnica is a peak in the Bieszczady Mountains in southern Poland. Its height is 1,346 meters. It is one of the Polish Crown Peaks.The summit towers 500 meter above the Wołosatka Valley. It can be easily told apart from its neighbours by its distinctive shape. The mountain has two separate...
- Wołosate.
- Prešov