Low Tatras National Park

Low Tatras National Park Národný park Nízke Tatry
View from Ďumbier , the highest mountain in the Low Tatras
Coordinates: 48 ° 55 ′ 32 "  N , 19 ° 37 ′ 57"  E
Location:	Banskobystrický , Prešovský , Žilinský , Slovakia
Specialty:	largest national park in Slovakia
Next city:	Banská Bystrica , Brezno , Liptovský Hrádok , Liptovský Mikuláš , Ružomberok
Surface:	728.42 km²
Founding:	June 14, 1978
Address:	Sprava Národného parku Nízke Tatry Lazovná 10 974 01 Banská Bystrica www.napant.sk

The Low Tatras National Park ( Slovak Národný park Nízke Tatry , abbreviation NAPANT) is a Slovak national park in the middle of the country. It covers the main ridge and the foothills of the Low Tatras as well as part of the Kozie chrbty in the northeast and Starohorské vrchy in the southwest and extends over 100 km between the valleys of Hron in the south and Waag in the north.

The seat of the administration is in Banská Bystrica .

history

The national park was created by ordinance of the government of SSR 114/78 Zb. founded on June 14, 1978. The area comprised 810.95 km² core zone and 1239.90 km² protection zone, a total of 2050.85 km² and was by far the largest national park in both Slovakia and Czechoslovakia . In 1997 the borders were changed and the park was reduced to 728.42 km² core zone plus 1101.62 km² protection zone, a total of 1830.04 km², but remains, if the protection zone is included, the largest national park in Slovakia (the core zone of the Tatra National Park covers 738 km²). So it makes up 3.73% of the total area of ​​Slovakia.

geography

Landscape around the mountain Kráľova hoľa

The Demanovka River

The Low Tatras National Park completely covers both the main ridge and foothills of the Low Tatras. The core zone is divided into two parts: one part comprises the Ďumbierske Tatry (named after the mountain Ďumbier ) between the passes Donovaly and Čertovica and the other part the Kráľovohorské Tatry (named after the mountain Kráľova hoľa ) between the passes Čertovica and Vernár . The protective zone comprises the area around the pass Čertovica further the kozie chrbty north of the municipality Liptovská Teplička , the landscape podolie Horehronské (or Horehronie ) north of the river Hron of Telgárt to SLOVENSKÁ ĽUPČA , a part of the mountain Starohorské vrchy ( Špania Dolina , Stare Hory ) and part of the Podtatranská kotlina (Lower Tatras Basin) approximately south of the Waag and the Liptov reservoir . The towns of Banská Bystrica, Brezno, Liptovský Hrádok, Liptovský Mikuláš and Ružomberok are just outside the protection zone. Administratively, the south side lies in the political district of Banskobystrický kraj (Okresy Banská Bystrica and Brezno ), the north side is mainly in Žilinský kraj (Okresy Ružomberok and Liptovský Mikuláš ) with smaller parts in Prešovský kraj ( Okres Poprad ).

Long side ridges stretch from the main ridge to the north, while the mountains drop significantly more steeply to the south. Only in the area around the Ďumbier mountain are the northern and southern foothills almost the same length. Probably the most famous valley is the Demänovská dolina (Demänová Valley), where the Demänovská Dolina municipality is located, which also includes the famous Jasná ski area.

The mountain Kráľova hoľa is known as the “roof” in the Slovak river system because four rivers arise at the foot of the mountain or in the immediate vicinity: the Waag (over the source river Čierny Váh ), the Hornád , the Hnilec and the Hron . Other significant rivers are the Boca, Demänovka and Revúca on the north slope and the Bystrianka on the south slope. In contrast to the Tatras, there are very few mountain lakes (slow. Plesá ) here, one example is the Vrbické pleso near Jasná.

The karst landscape of the Low Tatras enabled the formation of hundreds of large or small caves; More than 170 caves have been discovered to date in the Demänová Valley alone. There you will find the Demänovská ľadová jaskyňa (Demänováer Ice Cave) and the Demänovská jaskyňa Slobody (Demänováer Freedom Cave ). Both are part of a larger cave system around 35 km long around the Demänovka River. But also on the south side some caves developed; one example is the publicly accessible Bystrianska jaskyňa (Bystrá Cave) near Bystrá , in the protection zone of the national park.

Flora and fauna

A small mountain pine forest

The area of ​​the national park can be roughly divided into three vegetation zones: forest, meadows and slope. Around 90% of the national park is covered by forest, which is divided into two levels: beeches and firs grow in the lower elevations, and oaks in the vicinity of Brezno . From 1150 m nm (north slope) / 1300 m nm (south slope) to the tree line at 1500 m nm there are large spruce forests. The originally far-reaching Krummholz step now only covers a tiny part (0.3%) of the national park. In contrast, alpine meadows up to 2000 m nm are widespread in the upper altitudes, locally called hole , Sing. Hoľa . A rich flora grows particularly around the mountains Salatín (1630 m nm), Krakova hoľa (1751 m nm) and Ohnište (1533 m nm). These include in particular the following: Slavic Pasque Flower ( Pulsatilla slavica ), Alpine buttercup ( Ranunculus alpestris ), Edelweiss ( Leontopodium alpinum ), Clusius chamois ( Doronicum clusii ) and Ice Age relic White Silver Arum ( Dryas octopetala ). The slopes in the northern valleys, especially around Demänovka and Salatína, are a special case. In addition to the spruces, remains of the original pine forest and maples also grow here .

Large forests form a suitable habitat for various mammals. Typical representatives are deer , roe deer , wild boar , lynx , wolves , foxes and others. However, the brown bear is the symbol of the national park . Above the tree line it is possible to find rarer animal species, although the animal world in the higher elevations is similar to that in the Tatras - examples are golden eagles and alpine marmots . A newer animal species is the Tatra chamois , which was not artificially introduced from the High Tatras until the early 1970s. Today around 100 chamois live in the Low Tatras.

Special nature protection

• Prírodné rezervácie (PR, nature reserves)

Baranovo (15.83 ha, since 1993)

Barania hlava (13.41 ha, 2006)

Breznianska skalka (11.85 ha, 1981)

Horné lazy (34.29 ha, 1981)

Jelšie (26.10 ha, 1973)

Kozí chrbát (37.43 ha, 1993)

Mackov bok (3.75 ha, 1976)

Mačková (42.23 ha, 1993)

Martalúzka (154.82 ha, 1999)

Meandre Hrona (103.82 ha, 1980)

Sliačske travertíny (7.02 ha, 1983)

Štrosy (94.79 ha, 1999)

Vrchovisko pri Pohorel. Maši (26.62 ha, 1979)

• Národné prírodné rezervácie (NPR, National Nature Reserves)

Demänovská dolina (836.88 ha, since 1973)

Ďumbier (2,043.76 ha, 1973)

Hnilecká jelšina (14.51 ha, 1988)

Jánska dolina (1,694.52 ha, 1933)

Ohnište (852.26 ha, 1973)

Pod Latiborskou hoľou (161.23 ha, 1964)

Príboj (10.96 ha, 1895)

Salatín (1,192.99 ha, 1982)

Skalka (2,659.81 ha, 1997)

Turková (30.95 ha, 1965)

• Prírodná pamiatka (PP, natural monuments)

Ľupčiansky Skalný hríb (2.13 ha, since 1979)

Mašiansky balvan (1.28 ha, 1965)

Meandre Lúžňanky (2.00 ha, 1988)

Moštenické travertíny (1.71 ha, 1981)

• Národná prírodná pamiatka (NPP, National Natural Monuments)

Brankovský vodopád (27.71 ha, since 1980)

Bystrianska jaskyňa (93.71 ha, 1972)

Demänovské jaskyne (680.17 ha, 1972)

Stanišovská jaskyňa (219.23 ha, 1972)

Vrbické pleso (24.71 ha, 1975)

• Chránený areál (CHA, Protected Area)

Bodický rybník (18.57 ha, since 1952)

Revúca (3.91 ha, 2002)

Jakub (12.70 ha, 1999)

Brvnište (74.77 ha, 2007)

literature

• Ján Lacika, Kliment Ondrejka: Prírodné Krásy Slovenska - Národné parky . Ed .: DAJAMA. 1st edition. Bratislava 2009, ISBN 978-80-89226-27-6 .

Web links

• Official site of the administration (Slovak)