Karula National Park
| Karula National Park | |||
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| Location: | Valga , Võru , Estonia | ||
| Next city: | Antsla | ||
| Surface: | 110.97 km² | ||
| Founding: | 1993 | ||
The Karula National Park ( Estonian Karula rahvuspark ) is a national park in southern Estonia .
area
In 1979 Karula was designated as a landscape protection area, since 1993 it has been a national park. Its area is 11,097 ha. It covers about a third of the Karula ridge. The highest point is the 137 m high Rebasejärve Tornimägi.
The area mainly includes the historical parish of Karula , where the old rural traditions have been preserved to this day. Today around 200 people live permanently within the boundaries of the national park. They usually talk to the South-Estonian Võro - dialect as their mother tongue. 157 historic farms are located in the area of the national park, some of which have been very well restored.
landscape
The landscape of the national park is varied. In addition to forests (70% of the territory) there are numerous smaller moors , 38 lakes and numerous ponds and streams . The largest lake is the Ähijärv with a water surface of 176.2 ha.
fauna
So far, eleven different species of carp have been identified in the Karula National Park . There are also numerous other freshwater fish such as a large population of wolffish . The national park is also known for its 13 different species of bumblebees and nine species of ants . 157 species of birds can be found in its area, including osprey , lesser spotted eagle , corncrake and black stork .
The national park lists 42 species of mammals , including the northern bat , the water bat and the rough-skin bat . The otter and the pond bat enjoy special protection .
flora
There are 431 different types of vascular plants in the Karula National Park . Some species of orchid and some diamond ferns are among the particularly protected species . There are also some mushrooms that are rare in Estonia, such as various amanita and milk lobes .
Web links
- Official website (Estonian and English)
