Persina Nature Park
Encyclopedia
Persina Nature Park is a wetland
area along the Bulgarian side of the Danube
that was established on December 4, 2000. Situated on the territory of three municipalities (Nikopol
, Belene
and Svishtov
), it covers 21762 ha (53,775 acre). The designation of the park aims at conservation and restoration of Danube wetlands. Special attention is paid to the numerous islands and their natural status. The park is named after Persin Island, which is part of the Belene Islands Complex. It is 15 km (9.3 mi) long and 6 km (3.7 mi) wide, making it the fourth largest Danube island and the largest in Bulgaria. Another island group is located near Nikopol. Because of its uniqueness and high importance, the island group was proclaimed a Ramsar site on September 24, 2002. At 6898 ha (17,045.3 acre), it is the biggest such site in Bulgaria. The most significant ecosystems within the park are the flooded forests along the Danube and the inland marshes. In order to protect these habitats, several protected areas are established. A visitor centre for the park is located in Belene.
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
area along the Bulgarian side of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
that was established on December 4, 2000. Situated on the territory of three municipalities (Nikopol
Nikopol Municipality
Nikopol Municipality is a municipality in the northern part of Pleven Province, in northern Bulgaria. It is named after its administrative centre - the town of Nikopol. The municipality embraces a territory of with a population, as of December 2009, of 10,602 inhabitants.Its northern border is...
, Belene
Belene Municipality
Belene Municipality is a municipality in Pleven Province, northern Bulgaria. It is located along the south bank of Danube river, by the border with Romania...
and Svishtov
Svishtov
Svishtov is a town in northern Bulgaria, located in Veliko Tarnovo Province on the right bank of the Danube river opposite the Romanian town of Zimnicea. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Svishtov Municipality...
), it covers 21762 ha (53,775 acre). The designation of the park aims at conservation and restoration of Danube wetlands. Special attention is paid to the numerous islands and their natural status. The park is named after Persin Island, which is part of the Belene Islands Complex. It is 15 km (9.3 mi) long and 6 km (3.7 mi) wide, making it the fourth largest Danube island and the largest in Bulgaria. Another island group is located near Nikopol. Because of its uniqueness and high importance, the island group was proclaimed a Ramsar site on September 24, 2002. At 6898 ha (17,045.3 acre), it is the biggest such site in Bulgaria. The most significant ecosystems within the park are the flooded forests along the Danube and the inland marshes. In order to protect these habitats, several protected areas are established. A visitor centre for the park is located in Belene.