Dajti National Park

Dajti Mountain National Park
IUCN category II (national park)

View of the Dajti Mountain during the twillight
Map showing the location of Dajti Mountain National Park
Location Tirana County
Nearest city Tirana
Coordinates 41°21′57″N 19°55′32″E / 41.36583°N 19.92556°E / 41.36583; 19.92556Coordinates: 41°21′57″N 19°55′32″E / 41.36583°N 19.92556°E / 41.36583; 19.92556
Area 29,384 hectares (72,610 acres)
Established 1966
2006 (expanded)
Governing body Ministry of Environment

The Dajti Mountain National Park (Albanian: Parku Kombëtar i Malit të Dajtit) is a national park in central Albania, situated 26 km (16 mi) east of the capital city of Tirana,[1] spanning an area of 293.84 km2 (113.45 sq mi).[2] It was established in 1966 and its territory was expanded several times since then, recently in 2006.[3]

Overview

Dajti Mountain together with Priska Mountain (1353m) to the south and Brari Mountain to the North consists of the national park. The 3,300 hectares (33 km2) protection area was expanded on 21 June 2006 by many more times with the core zone now being 9,000 hectares (90 km2). The area is under shared jurisdiction between the Albanian Agency of Protected Areas (AKZM) and Tirana Municipality Parks and Recreation Agency (APR). In 2017, a new Dajti Mt National Park tourist information center was opened, and is located near the TV and Radio towers along SH47 in Fushe Dajt.

Biodiversity

In addition to the forests and beautiful mountain landscapes with many wild flowers, numerous mammals are protected as well. In the park there exist wild boar, eurasian wolf, red fox, european hare, brown bears and wildcats. In the lower part of the mountains the vegetation is scrub determined with much heath, myrtle and fragaria. Oak dominates at around the 1,000 metres altitude zone following with beech forests with some conifers. Perched on the top there is almost no vegetation.

Brari Mountain to the north is also part of the protected area. It is located near Brar village containing panoramic Brari Canyon, Ottoman Bridge and a cave. One of Tirana's main water sources, Bovilla Lake is located to the northeast of Brar village. On the other extremity of the park along Erzeni River is found the impressive Pellumbas Cave, Erzeni Canyon and Peshkashesh Dam. Another natural attraction is the spectacular Shengjini Waterfall (Ujvara e Shengjinit) located near Shengjergj village.

Other protected areas

Shtam Pass National Park near Kruje is located to the northwest of the Dajti Mt National Park. There also exists a protected area to the east of the park called the Mali me Gropa-Biza-Martaneshi Protected Landscape featuring mountain meadows, forests, and several mineral water sources. Prior to the 90s, this area served as one of the places where opponents of the communist regime were rounded up during communism in Albania.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Dajti National Park A Recreational Area for Citizens of Tirana, Albania" (PDF). mmv.boku.ac.at. p. 432. It is positioned at the eastern part of the broad plain of Tirana (26 km east of Tirana and 50 km from the Rinas International Airport).
  2. ↑ "Dajti Mountain National Park". akzm.gov.al. It’s located in the district of Tirana, with an existing surface 29,384,18 ha.
  3. ↑ "Vendim Nr. 402 (21. Juni 2006): Për shpalljen e ekosistemit natyror të Malit të Dajtit „Park Kombëtar“ (me sipërfaqe të zgjeruar)" (PDF) (in Albanian). Retrieved 2015-12-27.
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