Veľká Fatra National Park

Geobox|Protected Area
name = Greater Fatra
native_name = Veľká Fatra
other_name =
category = National Park
etymology =
official_name = Národný park Veľká Fatra
motto =
nickname =


image_caption = Rakytov Mountain


symbol =
country = Slovakia
country_

region = Žilina
region1 = Banská Bystrica
district = Martin
district1 = Ružomberok
district2 = Turčianske Teplice
district3 = Banská Bystrica
municipality =
range = Greater Fatra
city =
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location =
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highest = Ostredok
highest_location = | highest_region = | highest_state =
highest_elevation = 1592
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length = | length_orientation =
width = | width_orientation =
area = 40371.34 | area_unit = ha
area1 = 26132.58| area1_type = buffer zone
geology =
biome = forests
biome_note = 88%
biome1 = meadows
plant =
animal =
established = 1 April 2002 | established_label = National Park upgrade
established1 = 1973 | established1_type = CHKO | established1_label = Protected Landscape Area
management = Správa NP Veľká Fatra
management_location = Vrútky | management_region = | management_state =
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map_size =
map_caption = Location of the Veľká Fatra National Park (darker green) and its buffer zone (lighter green) within Slovakia
map_background = Slovakia - background map.png map_locator =
map_locator_x =
map_locator_y =
map1 = Greater Fatra National Park - location map in Žilina Region.svg
map1_size =
map1_caption = Location of the Greater Fatra National Park in the Žilina and part of Banská Bystrica Regions
map1_background = Žilina Region - background map.png map1_locator = Žilina Region
website =
footnotes =

Veľká Fatra National Park ( _sk. Národný park Veľká Fatra) is a National Park in Slovakia. Most of it lies in the southern part of the Žilina Region and a small part in the northern part of Banská Bystrica Region. The national park and its protective zone comprise most of the Greater Fatra Range ( _sk. Veľká Fatra) which belongs to the Outer Western Carpathians.

The National Park was declared on 1 April 2002 as an upgrade of the Protected Landscape Area ( _sk. Chránená krajinná oblasť (CHKO) Veľká Fatra) of the same name established in 1972 to protect a mountain range with a high percentage of well-preserved Carpathian forests, with prevailing European beech, which cover 90% of the area in combination with ridge-top cattle pastures dating back to the 15th - 17th centuries, to the times of the so called Walachian colonization. In places there are also relict Scots pine forests and the Harmanec valley is notable as the richest Irish yew tree location in Central and probably all Europe. NP Veľká Fatra is also an important reservoir of fresh water thanks to high rainfalls and low evaporation in the area. The core of the range is built of granite which reaches the surface only in places, more common are various slates creating gently modelled ridges and summits of the so called "Hôlna Fatra" and limestone and dolomite rocks creating a rough and picturesque terrain of the so called "Bralná Fatra". There are also many karst features, namely caves, Harmanec Cave being the only one open to the public.

Various rocks and therefore various soils, diverse type of terrain with gentle upland meadows and pastures, sharp cliffs and deep valleys provide for extremely rich flora and fauna. All species of big Central European carnivores live abundantly there: brown bear, gray wolf and Eurasian lynx.

The area is popular with tourists, mainly hikers and trekkers as there rather few resorts, located outside the National Park. The UNESCO World Heritage village of Vlkolínec with well-preserved log cabins lies nearby.

mall Protected Areas

As of February 2007, there were following small protected areas within the NP Veľká Fatra and its buffer zone:

Resources

*cite book
last = Brandos
first = Otakar
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Veľká Fatra, Šípska Fatra
publisher = SKY
date = 2004
location = Ostrava
pages =
url =
doi =
isbn = 80-86774-02-3

*cite book
last = VKÚ Harmanec
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Veľká Fatra
series = Edícia turistických máp 1:50000
publisher = VKÚ
date = 2003
location = Harmanec
pages =
url =
doi =
isbn = 80-8042-044-0

*cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Veľká Fatra
work =
publisher =
date =
url = http://www.sopsr.sk/velkafatra/sk/hlavna.htm
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-03-06

*cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Štátny zoznam osobitne chranených častí prírody SR
work =
publisher =
date =
url = http://chu.enviroportal.sk/
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-03-08

External links

* [http://www.slovakia.travel/entitaview.aspx?l=2&sfv=False&llt=1&st=Ve%C4%BEk%C3%A1%20Fatra%20National%20Park&smi=108032&ami=108032&idp=3986 Veľká Fatra National Park] at [http://www.slovakia.travel/intropage.aspx?l=2 Slovakia.travel]
* [http://www.slovakiatourism.sk/article?id=171&category=22&lang=en Veľká Fatra National Park] at [http://www.slovakiatourism.sk/index?lang=en Slovakiatourism.sk]