Slovak Paradise
Encyclopedia
Spiš-Gemer Karst
The Spiš-Gemer Karst is a part in the Slovenské rudohorie Mountains.It consists of these two entities, both of which have been declared national parks:...
, which in turn is a part of the Slovenské rudohorie Mountains, a major subdivision of the Western Carpathians.
It is located between the towns of Spišská Nová Ves in the north and Dobšiná
Dobšiná
Dobšiná is a town in the Slovenské rudohorie mountains in Slovakia, on the Slaná River, north-west of Košice.-Geography:...
in the south. It is particularly known for its gorges and waterfalls.
It is very popular with hikers as it has a number of unusual routes through gorges and waterfalls. There are numerous sections where fixed ladders are used to climb.
The area is protected by the Slovak Paradise National Park
Slovak Paradise National Park
Slovak Paradise National Park is one of the nine national parks in Slovakia, situated in East Slovakia. The National Park protects the area of the Slovak Paradise mountain range, which is located in the north of the Slovenské rudohorie Mountains .The National Park covers an area of 197.63 km² ,...
(Národný park Slovenský raj).
Characteristics
The Slovak Paradise is a plain with high plateaus (800 - 1000 m AMSL). The highest mountain is Ondrejisko at 1,270 m. The area is mainly built of karstKARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
(Geravy, Glac, Pelc and Skala plains) and dolomite
Dolomite
Dolomite is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg2. The term is also used to describe the sedimentary carbonate rock dolostone....
(Tri kopce). The karst plateaus show phenomena such as sinkhole
Sinkhole
A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the Earth's surface caused by karst processes — the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks or suffosion processes for example in sandstone...
s and limestone pavement
Limestone pavement
A limestone pavement is a natural karst landform consisting of a flat, incised surface of exposed limestone that resembles an artificial pavement. The term is mainly used in the UK where many of these landforms have developed distinctive surface patterning resembling block of paving...
s (lapies)
The climate is moderately cold.
Typical features are canyons, gorges and ravine
Ravine
A ravine is a landform narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streamcutting erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. A ravine is generally a fluvial slope landform of relatively steep sides, on the order of twenty to...
s (Sokol, Suchá, Belá, Piecky and Kyseľ), which form picturesque rocky scenes with waterfalls, and which were created mainly by the rivers Hnilec
Hnilec
Hnilec may refer to:* Hnilec , Slovakia* Hnilec , Slovakia...
and Hornád
Hornád
Hornád or Hernád is a river in eastern Slovakia and north-eastern Hungary.It is a tributary to the river Sajó, which is itself a tributary to the river Tisza. The source of the Hornád is in the Low Tatra mountains under the Kráľova hoľa hill, southwest of Poprad...
. 80% of the area is covered with spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
forests combined with yew-trees.
There are more than 200 caves and underground abysses. Among the caves, Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa (Dobšinská Ice Cave) and Medvedia jaskyňa (Bear Cave) are the best known ones.
There were many settlements of woodcutters, colliers and smelters in Slovenský raj once, which were turned into tourist centers, for example Dobšinská Maša, Dedinky, Mlynky, Stratená.
Fauna
Notable and rare animals include the brown bear (Ursus arctos), Golden EagleGolden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
, Common Kestrel
Common Kestrel
The Common Kestrel is a bird of prey species belonging to the kestrel group of the falcon family Falconidae. It is also known as the European Kestrel, Eurasian Kestrel, or Old World Kestrel. In Britain, where no other brown falcon occurs, it is generally just called "the kestrel".This species...
and the black stork
Black Stork
The Black Stork Ciconia nigra is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It is a widespread, but rare, species that breeds in the warmer parts of Europe, predominantly in central and eastern regions. This is a shy and wary species, unlike the closely related White Stork. It is seen in...
. Quite common are red deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
and wild boars, wolf (Canis lupus), lynx (Lynx lynx) and the otter (Lutra lutra).
Flora
The area is covered with Norway spruceNorway Spruce
Norway Spruce is a species of spruce native to Europe. It is also commonly referred to as the European Spruce.- Description :...
(Picea abies), European beech
European Beech
Fagus sylvatica, the European Beech or Common Beech, is a deciduous tree belonging to the beech family Fagaceae.-Natural range:...
(Fagus sylvatica), fir, larch and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris).
Important endemic plants in the area are the Carpathian harebell
Carpathian harebell
The Carpathian harebell is a species of bellflower. This species is originated in the Carpathian Mountains and bears blue, white or violet flowers. It is also known as Carpathian bellflower or Tussock bellflower....
(Campanula carpatica), Pulsatilla slavica, Hesperis silvestris, Liguria sibirica, and Saxifraga paniculate. Other plants found in this area are the mountain tassel flower (Soldanella
Soldanella
The genus Soldanella, commonly known in English as snowbell, includes about 15 species in the flowering plant family Primulaceae, native to European mountains, from the Pyrenees, the Apennines, the Alps, the Carpathians and the Balkans...
montana), martagon lily (Lilium martagon
Lilium martagon
Lilium martagon is a species of lily. It has a widespread native region extending from central Europe east through northern Asia to Mongolia and Korea. Several subspecies have been named. Horticulturally it is in Division 9, It is stem-rooting, growing between 1m and 2m tall...
), variegated monk's hood (Aconitum
Aconitum
Aconitum , known as aconite, monkshood, wolfsbane, leopard's bane, women's bane, Devil's helmet or blue rocket, is a genus of over 250 species of flowering plants belonging to the buttercup family .-Overview:These herbaceous perennial plants are chiefly natives of the mountainous parts of the...
variegatum).
See also
- Slovak Paradise National ParkSlovak Paradise National ParkSlovak Paradise National Park is one of the nine national parks in Slovakia, situated in East Slovakia. The National Park protects the area of the Slovak Paradise mountain range, which is located in the north of the Slovenské rudohorie Mountains .The National Park covers an area of 197.63 km² ,...
- Mountain Rescue Service (Slovakia)Mountain Rescue Service (Slovakia)The Mountain Rescue Service of Slovakia provides nation-wide Mountain Rescue operations and Search and Rescue operations in difficult terrains in close cooperations with the Air Rescue Service...