Lura National Park

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Lura National Park
Liqeni i Lulëve - Flower Lake
Liqeni i Lulëve - Flower Lake
Lura National Park (Albania)
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Coordinates: 41 ° 48 ′ 0 ″  N , 20 ° 14 ′ 0 ″  E
Location: Albania
Specialty: Glacial lakes
Next city: Burrel , Peshkopi
Surface: 12.8 km²
Founding: 1966
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The Lura National Park ( Albanian  Parku Kombëtar i Lurës ) is a national park in northeastern Albania in the Dibra region . The 1280 hectare reserve is located north-south along the ridge between the valleys of Mat and Drin , which forms the border between the communities of Dibra in the east and Mat in the west. In the high valley to the northeast of the national park is Lura and a few other villages.

Geography, fauna and flora

The highest point in the mountain region is at 2121  m above sea level. A. a rugged limestone rock summit in the Kukova e Lurës ( Eng . Lura mountain range ). The wooded hilltops east of it form with heights between 1350 and 1720  m above sea level. A. a high plateau above the surrounding valley basin, which is around 600 meters high. The average annual temperature is 7.7 ° C, the average rainfall is 1482 millimeters.

In the northern part of the park there are seven glacial lakes along the only road , namely: Liqeni i Madh (German Large Lake ) with 32 hectares, Liqeni i Zi (German Black Lake ; 8 hectares), the one with white water lilies ( Nymphaea alba ) and Yellow pond roses ( Nuphar luteum ) covered Liqeni i Luleve (German flower lake ; 4 hectares) and Liqeni i Lopeve (German cow lake ). The sizes refer to spring. Towards the end of the summer dry season, these lakes have significantly less water. There are other smaller lakes that are then dry.

In 1966 an area of ​​approx. 1300 hectares was declared a national park because of the dense forest at that time and the special location of the lakes. A wide variety of plants can be found in Lura, including some endemic . The beech forest ( Fagus sylvatica ) is most common between 1000 and 2000 meters . There is also mixed forest and pure coniferous wood consisting of silver fir ( Abies alba ) and pine species . Black pine ( Pinus nigra ) is predominant between 1600 and 1700 meters . Above that, mountain pine species (individual Pinus heldreichii ) thrive up to 2000 meters and the Macedonian pine ( Pinus peuce ) up to 1700 meters . The latter is critically endangered and generally only occurs in the Western Balkans .

The mention of numerous existing animals such as wolves , wild cats , lynxes and brown bears is more of a legend in view of the ecological problems ( see below ). Information about the animal population is not available. Some endemic molluscs , crustaceans and insects have been identified. Brown trout ( Salmo trutta fario ) and newts ( Triturus alpestris ) live in the lakes .

tourism

With the exception of a simple hotel opened in 2006 above the village of Fushë-Lura, there is no tourist infrastructure in the national park . During the communist rule, which lasted until 1991, a road was laid along the lakes from north to south for tourist development. At one of the lakes there are still small remains of a wooden pavilion and a hut as former excursion destinations.

The approach is best to the north end of the park via poor slopes. There is the small place Fushë-Lura (Eng. Lura in the plain ) in a wide valley on the ascent to Lanë Lura (the plateau). The place can be reached from the west over a small pass from Rrëshen via Kurbnesh on a gravel road. Coming from the east there is a junction on the Peshkopia - Kukës route . Access from the south via Burrel was not possible for vehicles in September 2007. This is why the grass plain in the south in the middle of a light pine forest - called Marsfeld -, which is occasionally advertised for tourism along with the lakes, is best reached on foot.

Ecological problems

Felled trees by the Great Lake

The forest is at great risk of deforestation . The wood processing company that still existed in Fushë-Lura until the 1980s has disappeared. From here and from other places in the area, fuel and timber are obtained from the northern part of the national park. The damage is limited by the type of means of transport - pack horses and small trucks without lifting equipment.

In contrast, large clear-cut areas are visible in the central and southern parts. Organized illegal logging takes place here on a large scale . Tractors are used that penetrate far into the forest. Sometimes whole forest areas of the old trees are felled, whereby the small wood remains unused and only the strong trunk wood is salvaged. The transport is carried out by truck with an on-board crane to the south in the direction of Burrel, initially to Lis . There are two sawmills there.

In August 2007, large parts of the northern national park area were hit by forest fires.

literature

  • Wolfgang Fremuth (Ed.): Albania - Guide to it's Natural Treasures , Verlag Herwig Klemp, Tirana 2000, ISBN 3-931323-06-4

Web links

Commons : Lura National Park  - Collection of images, videos and audio files