| Tatra National Park |
 Tatra National Park - more information here and on official site (polish only).Tatra National Park, located in Southern Poland (Malopolska region), at the border with the Slovak Republic, was founded in 1954, but the necessity to protect the Tatra mountains was seen as early as at the end of the 19th century. The Park is founded on the area of the youngest, highest and Poland’s only alpine mountains with diverse relief and height differences reaching up to 1700 m. The highest peak in the Polish part of the Tatras is Mt Rysy (2499 m). The Park has more than 650 caves, with the longest and deepest system of Wielka Sniezna - Wielka Litworowa (the length of corridors is 18000 m and the relative depth - 814 m). 6 caves are available for tourists. The Park numerous streams and about 30 lakes, which are an important element of the landscape of the High Tatras. The largest lakes, or “ponds”, as they are called locally, are Morskie Oko (area 34,9 ha depth 50,8 m) and Wielki Staw Polski (area 34,4 ha depth 79,3). Local waterfalls and rising springs, such as Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza Falls are one of the major attractions of the Park. The longest waterfall is Wielka Siklawa (70 m). The rich fauna of the Park is represented by many endemic, rare and protected species including the chamoix and marmot, which have been under protection since mid 19th century, brown bear, lynx, wolf, otter and several avian species including golden eagle, falcons, wall creeper and alpine accentor. Higher mountains provide nesting ground for capercaille, black grouse and hazel grouse. Forests are home to numerous red and roe deer as well as small rodents. |