Kampinos National Park ( pl, Kampinoski Park Narodowy) is a National Park in east-central
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
, in
Masovian Voivodeship
The Masovian Voivodeship, also known as the Mazovia Province ( pl, województwo mazowieckie ) is a voivodeship (province) in east-central Poland, with its capital located in the city of Warsaw, which also serves as the capital of the country. Th ...
, on the north-west outskirts of
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
. It has a sister park agreement with
Indiana Dunes National Park
Indiana Dunes National Park is a United States national park located in northwestern Indiana managed by the National Park Service. It was authorized by Congress in 1966 as the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and was redesignated as the nation ...
,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
The idea of creating a park here appeared for the first time in the 1920s. In the 1930s the first forest reserves were opened: Granica,
Sieraków
Sieraków (; german: Zirke) is a town in western Poland with 8,768 inhabitants (2012). Located by the Warta River, it is situated in the Międzychód County in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. Sieraków is known as a holiday destination with well- ...
and Zamczysko. Today, these reserves are much larger and are strictly protected.
The park was created in 1959, covering a total area of . It covers the ancient
Kampinos Forest
Kampinos Forest () is a large forest complex located in Masovian Voivodeship, west of Warsaw in Poland.
It covers a part of the ancient valley of the Vistula basin, between the Vistula and the Bzura rivers.
Once a forest covering 670 km2 ...
(''Puszcza Kampinoska''), and in January 2000 the area was added to
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
’s list of
biosphere reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
s. The Park is now slightly smaller than originally, covering , of which 46.38 km² is strictly protected. The protective zone around the Park covers 377.56 km². Forests account for around 70% of the park's area, and the most common tree is the
pine
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...
. The Park's symbol is the
moose
The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult ma ...
.
Kampinoski National Park is located at the biggest river junction in Poland - here valleys of
Vistula
The Vistula (; pl, Wisła, ) is the longest river in Poland and the ninth-longest river in Europe, at in length. The drainage basin, reaching into three other nations, covers , of which is in Poland.
The Vistula rises at Barania Góra in ...
Bzura
The Bzura is a river in central Poland, a tributary of the Vistula river (in Wyszogród), with a length of 173 kilometres and a basin area of 7,764 km2.Łasica, a tributary to the Bzura, which acts as a water canal.
Park's
flora
Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...
is rich with around 1245 species of plants, of which 69 are protected. Park's landscape is a mix of sand dunes and swamp lands with pine trees growing on sand and meadows on swamps.
The Park, together with a nearby valley of the Vistula, is an important thriving area of many animals. According to biologists, there are 16,000 species of animals, of which the most numerous are insects (2 030 species) and birds (200 species). Park's experts are experienced in the field of reintroducing several animals -
moose
The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult ma ...
(since 1951), beaver (since 1980) and lynx (since 1992). 83 species of animals are regarded as endangered.
The park's area has a rich history, here many important events connected with Polish history took place. Reminders of past are numerous and include tombs of insurrectionists from 1863 anti-Russian uprising, war cemeteries from Polish-German war of 1939 and tombs of members of anti-German resistance (1944–45). At the
Palmiry
Palmiry () is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Czosnów, within Nowy Dwór County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It is located at the edge of the Kampinos Forest, approximately south-east of Czosnów, south ...
Żelazowa Wola
Żelazowa Wola () is a village in Gmina Sochaczew, Sochaczew County, Masovian Voivodeship, in east-central Poland. It lies on the Utrata River, some northeast of Sochaczew
Sochaczew () is a town in central Poland, with 38,300 inhabitants (2 ...
on the outskirts of the Park, there is a manor house where famous composer Frédéric Chopin was born.
Tourists are welcome on the Park's walking, cycling, horseback and skiing trails. One can use trails of the total length of ca. 360 kilometres. Cycling enthusiasts may take advantage of the 200 km Kampinos Cycling Trail. There is also 10 educational trails introducing some specially attractive areas.
Poland Kampinos Alces alces 1.jpg,
moose
The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult ma ...
Marsh frog
The marsh frog (''Pelophylax ridibundus'') is a species of water frog native to Europe and parts of western Asia.
Description
The marsh frog is the largest type of frog in most of its range, with males growing to a size around 100 mm (3.9 ...
Special Protection Areas in Poland Special Protection Areas for birds in Poland are called OSOPs ( pl, Obszar Specjalnej Ochrony Ptaków).
As of 2005, 72 OSOPs were designated.
See also
*
* Protected areas of Poland
References
{{Polish protected areas
*
Protected areas ...
