Papuk Geopark

The Papuk Geopark is a geopark in Croatia which is positioned in two counties, Požega-Slavonia and Virovitica-Podravina, and seizes upland forests of the Papuk and Krndija mountains, and edges of agricultural fields. The total area of Park is 33600 hectares. In September 2007, the Papuk Geopark became the first Croatian geopark (an area with an expressed geological heritage and a strategy for a sustainable economical development) and the 30th member of the European and UNESCO Global Geopark Network.

The Papuk mountains belong to the Slavonia highlands. The Slavonia highlands have a geographical position in Pannonian, low-laying area of Slavonia. Even though, the Slavonia highlands are not higher then 1,000 meters, their presence is very noticeable in the landscape. This is because the surrounding alluvial fields are on the 100 m height above the sea level, while the hillsides are only 100 m above the fields. The highlands are mostly covered with forests, what differ them from the surrounding landscape.

Within the Slavonia highlands, Papuk is the most spacious and most interesting mountain. The Papuk Mountain is spread out from west to east. From the main mountain-ridge well intended are two spurs and a tract watered by a drainage basin in the direction north south. As a remarkable points, emphasis lays on peaks Točak (887 m), Papuk (953 m), Ivačka glava (913 m), Češljakovački vis (820 m), and Kapovac (792 m), which are spread out continuously, and have a function of water separator of the numerous tributary streams in between river Drava at north, and river Sava at south.

ee also

* International Network of Geoparks
* List of Geoparks
* Sustainable tourism

External links

* [http://www.papukgeopark.com/ Papuk Geopark]
* [http://www.pp-papuk.hr/ Nature Park Papuk]
* [http://www.europeangeoparks.org/isite/page/102,1,0.asp?mu=1&cmu=6&thID=0 Papuk Geopark] at the European Geoparks Network