Kampinos National Park
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| Kampinos National Park | |
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| IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
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| Location: | Mazovian Voivodship, Poland |
| Area: | 385,44 km² |
| Established: | 1959 |
| Governing body: | Ministry of the Environment |
Kampinos National Park (Polish: Kampinoski Park Narodowy) is a national park in central Poland, Mazovian Voivodship. It has a sister park agreement with Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indiana, United States.
One of Polish national parks, located in Central Poland, in Masovian Voivodship, on the North-West outskirts of Warsaw. The idea of creating a park here appeared for the first time in the 20s of XXth century. In the 30s first forest preserves were opened: Granica, Sieraków and Zamczysko. Today, these preserves are much larger and are strictly protected.
The park was created in 1959 on the total area of 407 square kilometres. It covers the ancient Kampinos Wilderness and in January 2000 the Park was added to the UNESCO’S list of biosphere preserves which stresses its significance and value as a nature monument. Current area of the Park is a bit smaller than the original size - 385.44 km², including 0.68 km² of President Ignacy Mościcki’s Bison-Farm located at Smardzewice by Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Łódź Voivodship.
The area of 46.38 km² is strictly protected, and the protective zone around it covers 377.56 km². Forests make around 70% of park’s area, and most common tree is pine. Park’s symbol is elk.
Kampinoski National Park is located at the biggest river junction in Poland - here valleys of Vistula, Bug, Narew, Wkra and Bzura meet together. There are no lakes, the biggest river of the Park is the Łasica, a tributary to the Bzura, which acts as a water canal.
Park’s fauna 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 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 - elk (since 1951), beaver (since 1980) and lynx (since 1992). 83 species of animals are regarded as endangered.
The park’s area has 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 cemetery lay many inhabitants of Warsaw, secretly killed here by the Germans in the years 1939-1945. At Żelazowa Wola on the outskits of the Park there is a manor house where famous composer Frédéric Chopin was born.
Tourists are welcome on Park’s walking, cycling and skiing trails. One can also rent a horse and ride on trails whose total length is around 360 kilometers. Cycling enthusiasts may take advantage of the 200 km Kampinos Cycling Trail.
