National Parks and Protected Landscape Areas in Slovakia
There are 9 National Parks 14 Protected Landscape Areas in Slovakia. It is strictly prohibited to destroy the environment of national parks by polluting it with garbage, unnecessary noise, to damage, destroy or pick protected plants, hunt or disturb protected animals or make campfire. There are tourist pathways you can use for hiking or walks. Educational paths are surrounded by tourist signs with various information about the park and nature.
National Parks in Slovakia
Low Tatras National Park (NAPANT)
Greater Fatra National Park
Lesser Fatra National Park
Pieniny National Park (PIENAP)
Poloniny National Park
Slovak Paradise National Park
Slovak Karst National Park
Muránska planina National Park
Protected Landscape Areas in Slovakia (CHKO)
Little Carpathians Protected Landscape Area
Cerová vrchovina Protected Landscape Area
Kysuce Protected Landscape Area
Horná Orava Protected Landscape Area
Dunajské luhy Protected Landscape Area
Latorica Protected Landscape Area
East Carpathians Protected Landscape Area
Poľana Protected Landscape Area
Ponitrie Protected Landscape Area
Strážov Mountains Protected Landscape Area
Vihorlat Protected Landscape Area
Záhorie Protected Landscape Area
Štiavnica Mountains Protected Landscape Area
National Parks in Slovakia
TANAP- High Tatras National Park
Declared: 18.12.1948
High Tatras National Park is Slovak national icon. It is an area of great natural beauty with rich variety of scenery and wildlife. Gerlachovský Peak is the highest Slovak mountain. It looms over the steep rocky hogbacks, ridges, saddlebacks, beautiful slopes and meadows. TANAP is also well known for high number of waterfalls and mountain lakes. All 175 lakes called ”plesá” were carved out by ice movement.
High Tatras area is covered by deep spruce forests, dwarf pine zones and grassy uplands. Areas reaching higher altitudes than grassy uplands are mostly formed by rocks covered with lichens and mosses. TANAP is home to many rare animal and plant species called endemits. Brown bear, lynx, chamois (endemit), marmot, deer, wolf and wild boar are just examples of TANAP’s fauna. You can spot a woodpecker, a blackbird, an eagle or a buzzard. All plants growing in the park area are protected. One can find edelweisses, gentians, bells and a summer ceps.
NAPANT- Low Tatras National Park
Declared: 14.6.1978
Low Tatras National Park is our largest national park. As the altitude difference reaches as much as 1,300m (4,199ft), its vegetation is very rich and diverse. Ďumbier with its 1,043 metres is NAPANT's highest peak. NAPANT is beautiful karst area with many interesting caves: Demänovská Ice Cave, Demänovská Cave of Liberty, Bystrianska Cave or Važecká Cave. The park area is covered by deep mixed forests with many tree and plant species: maple, spruce, fir, beech, pasque flower, aster, violet, sweet wiliam, etc. The woods are home to many interesting animals: brown bear, red fox, weasel or wildcat. If you are lucky, you can spot a chamois feeding on rugged rocks. Cold brooks are home to trout or European otter. One can see eagles, black storks or alpine accentor flying on the sky and salamander, frog, grass snake or European viper moving on the floor.
Greater Fatra National Park
Declared: 1.4.2002
Greater Fatra will catch your attention with its jagged relief, beautiful canyons and travertines. The park is embellished with interesting karst formations. You can visit for example Harmanecká Cave. Higher situated zones are covered with dwarf pine trees and the rest of the forest is mainly formed by firs, beeches and red spruces. Greater Fatra's woods are home to eagles or ravens and from bigger animals to brown bears.
Lesser Fatra National Park
Declared: 18.1.1988
Lesser Fatra is an interesting connection of natural wonders. The mountains are full of wide valleys, ravines, dingles, cliffs and very interesting stone formations (Šútovský Waterfall, Holes). Lesser Fatra is covered with beautiful coniferous and deciduous forests: fir, spruce and dwarf pine trees. Its deep woods shelter animals like eagles, wood grouses, bears, wolves, lynxes, deer and roe deer. As they are also home to adders and grass snakes, it is better to watch out where you step.
PIENAP- Pieniny National Park
Declared: 16.1.1967
Pieniny mountain range is characteristic by remarkable stony hills. Tri koruny (Three Crowns) is the most popular and most impressive one lying on the Slovak side. It has taken centuries for rivers to hollow those beautiful canyons embellishing the park today (Dunajec River and Lesnícky potok valleys). 200-300m (656-984ft) deep Dunajec River valley is the most impressive one. It is rightly considered the largest canyon in Central Europe. The valley is home to many aquatic as well as terrestrial animals. European Otter, beaver, deer, bear, wolf and lynx from bigger animals; lizard, grass snake, European viper, different kinds of frogs and salamander form reptiles and amphibians, and falcon, buzzard or eagle-owl form birds. Dunajec River is home to about 20 different school of fish, for example pike and trout. The park territory is also home to many endemic plant species.
Poloniny National Park
Declared: 23.9.1997
Poloniny National Park does not have very ragged relief however the altitude difference reaches as much as 1,200m (3,936ft). The area is mostly covered with fir and beech forests. Stužica Carpathian primaeval forest with 400 years old beeches lies within the park’s territory. Poloniny National Park is characteristic by free-ranging herds of the European bison and Stariná- Slovak largest reservoir of drinkable water.
Slovak Paradise National Park
Declared: 18.1.1988
It was established January 18, 1988. Slovak Paradise National Park is an exceptional piece of Slovak land. It is formed of carbonate rocks covered with fir-beech-pine forests. Pasque flowers and primroses are embellishing its meadows. The woods are home to bears, lynxes or eagles.
One can admire not only deep canyons, valleys and ravines with beautiful waterfalls hollowed by wild rivers, but also unique karst formations: Stratená Cave (Lost Cave) and Dobšinská Ice Cave. Suchá Belá, Sokol and Piecky ravines are the most popular ones, but chasm called Prielom Hornádu is also worth your attention.
Slovak Karst National Park
Declared: 1.3.2002
Slovak Karst is the first biospheric reserve in Slovakia. It is our largest karst area. Its complex of 12 caves is unique and very interesting. Gombasecká, Domica or Ochtinská Aragonite caves are the most popular ones. The park is covered with deciduous forests formed mostly of beech and oak trees. Its rocky walls are home to rare birds like eagles, ravens and falcons.
Muráň Plain National Park
Declared: 23.9.1997
Muráň Plain National Park forms the west part of the Slovak Ore Mountains. It is covered with beautiful fir-beech woods that are home to many animal species: bears, salamanders, lizards, wild cats and very rare half wild horses. You can spot them grazing freely on meadowlands.
Little Carpathians Protected Landscape Area
Little Carpathian Mountains and White Carpathian Mountains are situated in western Slovakia. White Carpathians make borders with Czech Republic. There is Zahorie area situated behind the Little Carpathians.
Kysuce Protected Landscape Area
The name of Kysuce Protected Landscape Area comes from Kysuca River. This area is situated in northern Slovakia at the borders with Poland and Czech Republic. It is situated close to Horná Orava Protected Landscape Area.
Horná Orava Protected Landscape Area
Horná Orava Protected Landscape Area is situated on the upper stream of the Orava River. The area is typically cold and rainy. The landscape area is situated in northern Slovakia at the borders with Poland is closed to Kysuce Protected Landscape Area. Kysuce area is a significant by stone balls which are up 2 metres high.
Poľana Protected Landscape Area
Poľana Mount situated in Poľana Protected Landscape Area used to be the highest volcano in Slovakia. The area is situated by Detva town in central Slovakia. Hrb Mount situated at the edge of the Poľana Protected Area is considered the central point of Slovakia. Forests and meadows of this area are called polanas.
Vihorlat Protected Landscape Area
Vihorlat Mountains are formed by volcanoes. Vihorlat Protected Landscape Area is situated in eastern Slovakia, close to the borders with Ukraine. Natural Lake Modre Oko (Blue Eye) was formed in this area.
Štiavnica Mountains Protected Landscape Area
Štiavnica Mountains Protected Area is situated in central Slovakia. In the past this area was rich in noble metal resources. Banska Stiavnica town is situated in the centre of the Štiavnica Mountains.