Page 34 - slovakia-unesco-heritage

This remotest part of Slovakia is The UNESCO in the framework of the
becoming ever more attractive for Man and Biosphere Programme defined
tourists. They can visit the Na- the territory as the Biosphere Reserve of
tional Park of Poloniny, which was Východné Karpaty in 1993. The primeval
added to the list of National Parks forests of Stužica, Rožok and Havešová in
of Slovakia in 1997. It is situated at the Bukovské vrchy Mts. were added to the
the point where three frontiers meet: UNESCO List of World Natural Heritage
Slovak, Polish and Ukrainian. The in June 2007 together with the Kyjov
park immediately neighbours the primeval forest in the Vihorlatské vrchy
Polish Bieszczadski Park Narodowy. Mts. near Poloniny and with the primeval
The mountain area where the park forests in the Ukraine.
was established is also known under Almost 80 percent of the forest area consists of rounded ridges and
the Slovak name, the Bukovské vrchy waterlogged valleys. Sharp stones are less frequent. Particular to the
Mts. The name of the park derives territory is the occurrence of the largest complexes of original, in places
from the Slovak term for special and virgin, beech-fir woods in Europe and the rare concentration of threat-
unique alpine meadows – poloniny – ened animal and plant species, including wild game.
which are spread out above the upper The starting point for the trips to the National Park is the easternmost
timberline. situated village in Slovakia, Nová Sedlica.