NATURE OF PREŠOV REGION Richard Gdovin & Marián Opiela II.E

Contents Introduction Contents National Parks Dubnícke opálové mines Žehra Solivar Starina Peat bog near Regetovka Sources End

National parks There 5 national parks in Prešov region: Tatran National Park - TANAP Pieniny National park - PIENAP National park Poloniny National Park Nízke Tatry (Low Tatras) – NAPANT Slovak Paradise

Tatran National Park is the oldest national park in Slovakia was established on 1st January 1949 The highest point in the NP is the Gerlach peak (2,655 meters above the sea level). Area: 73,800 ha (30,703 ha protected) Pathways network is approximately 600 km long. In the UNESCO family of International Biosphere Reserves since 1993. There are more than 170 mountain lakes of glacier origin, mountain waterfalls and caves in High Tatras. TANAP museum in Tatranská lomnica UNESCO has acknowledged the uniqueness of the Tatras and accepted them together with the Polish national Park into the family of International Biosphere Reserves in 1993. Holiday resort – winter sports, hiking, ... TANAP museum is situated in Tatranská Lomnica; its exposition is divided into several parts: Naturalscientific, naturalprotectionist, historical and ethnographic.

NP Pieniny The smallest NP covers the area of 3,750 ha. was arisen on 16th January 1967 There are located following Nature Reserves : Dunajec River Gorge,  Breakthrough of the Lesnický brook, Haligovské rocks, National Nature Monument Aksamitka Cave, Nature Reserve Kamienka tisina, Protected Site Pieninské lipy. great amount of extraordinary species of fauna and flora Fauna: black stork (bocian čierny), red fox, wild boar, bob cat, eagle owl... Flora: Pieniny dandelion (púpava), savin (borievka netata) The biggest attraction for tourists is rafting on the wooden rafts through the Gorge, horse carriage rides and tourist walks and ascents

NP Poloniny was established on 1st October 1997 with a protected area of 29,805 ha Its territory is a part of the single Trilateral Biospheric Reserve of Eastern Carpathian Mountains declared in 1993. In 1999 NP Poloniny was awarded a European Council diploma. In 2007 the primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathian in Havešová, Rožok, and Stužica (all of them being located in Bukovské hills) were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage. The highest peak Kremenec lies at 1,210 meters above the sea level on a point where the borders of Slovakia, Poland and Ukraine meet. The largest and the most known is the primeval forest in the National nature Reservation Stužica. Water basin Starina is the largest water basin of drinking water in Slovakia. Less settled NP, wooden churches in Ruský Potok, Uličské Krivé, Topoľa a Jalová, In primeval beech forests you can meet wolves, bob cat, brown bear, wisent/bison (zubor) There are also 6 discovered pseudokarst caves, but not available for tourists yet.

NP Low Tatras was established on 14th June 1978 is divided into 3 regions – Banská Bystrica, Žilina and Prešov Area: 72,800 ha The highest point in the NP is the Ďumbier (2,043 meters above the sea level) 4 Slovak rivers flow from this NP - Váh, Hron, Hnilec and Hornád.

Slovak Paradise was founded in 1890 is divided into 3 regions – Banská Bystrica, Prešov and Košice Area: 19,700 ha The park offers about 300 km of hiking trails, often equipped with ladders, chains and bridges. The Slovak Pradise contains about 350 caves, but only the Dobšinská Ice Cave, which is since 2000 a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is open to the public. has the highest concentration of butterflies in Slovakia with 6.06 butterflies per km²

Dubnícke opálové mines are situated at north of the Slanské mountains unique habitat of valuable opál and the biggest on the Earth only there and in South Africa appear have several spieces: pink, blue, red, green and orange the biggest opal Harlekýn owned Mária Terézia and weigh 600 grams

Žehra significant archeological destination Main remains: The Church of Holy Spirit - ancient early gothic sanctuary was built in 1275 has wonderful fresco paintings Baroque mansion- is situated in Hodkovce(part of Žehra), was built in 1703 and has french park

Solivar focus of salt on the area about 5x5 km first mention from this system of mines is in 1223 Solivar is well-known because of: special procedure of its manufacturing (in many buildings by a sophisticated technology ) its delicious taste, content of minerals

Starina water basin built on the river of Cirocha in Poloniny coesxtends on the area of 240 ha supplies water to almost all eastern Slovakia (Košice, Prešov, Poprad) 7 villages had to be flooded out to made this basin (Dara, Ostrožnica, Ruské, Smolník, Starina, Veľká Poľana and Zvala)

Peat bog near Regetovka is a natural phenomenon of the Svk this peat bog (moss) is a place covered with typical but very special plants, f.e. bryophyte, lichen basic biomass in this location produces Spraghnum with especially sour soil the most valuable is its flora: Diablik močiarny, Rosička mäsožravá, Papraď hrebenistá and other endemits and relicts

Sources http://www.po-kraj.sk/en/presov-region/nature/ http://www.en.wikipedia.org/ http://www.images.google.com/

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