Pieniny National Park (Poland)
| Pieniny National Park | |
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| Polish: Pieniński Park Narodowy | |
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IUCN category II (national park)
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| Location | Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland |
| Nearest city | Szczawnica |
| Coordinates | 49°25′N 20°22′E / 49.417°N 20.367°ECoordinates: 49°25′N 20°22′E / 49.417°N 20.367°E |
| Area | 23.46 km2 (9.06 sq mi) |
| Established | 1932 |
| Governing body | Ministry of the Environment |
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Pieniny National Park (Polish: Pieniński Park Narodowy) is a protected area located in the heart of Pieniny Mountains in the southernmost part of Poland. Administratively, the Park lies in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship on the border with Slovakia. Its head office is in Krościenko nad Dunajcem.
The Pieniny mountain chain is divided into three ranges: Pieniny Spiskie, Małe Pieniny and the Pieniny Właściwe range where the Park is located. The Park’s area is 23.46 square kilometres (9.06 sq mi), of which 13.11 km² is forested. One-third (7.5 km²) is strictly protected. On the Slovak side of the mountains there is a parallel park called the Pieninský národný park.
The idea for the creation of the National Park in Pieniny came from prof. Władysław Szafer, a member of the National Commission for the Preservation of Nature (Polish: Państwowa Komisja Ochrony Przyrody) in 1921. In the same year a private preserve on the area of 75,000 m² was opened by Stanisław Drohojowski around the ruins of the Czorsztyn castle. In 1928 the Polish government made first land purchases and on May 23, 1932 the Ministry of Agriculture created a “National Park in the Pieniny”, on the area of 7.36 km². After the World War II, the decision was confirmed by the Oct 30, 1954 bill, which officially created Pieniny National Park.
The Pieniny mountains are mainly built from limestone and they create picturesque and impressive, almost perpendicular walls which go down towards the Dunajec River. The most famous summit - Trzy Korony (Three Crowns) is 982 meters above sea level high, however Pieniny’s highest mountain - Wysokie Skałki - is 1050 meters above sea level and is not located on the Park’s area.
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Wikipedia