Croatia was added by extending the existing list of Primeval Beech Forests, which now includes 12 countries
We reported on Zadar and Šibenik being added to the UNESCO’s World Heritage List yesterday, and now there is more great news for Croatia from UNESCO’s 41st Session of the World Heritage Committee – Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe have made the list. This means that beech forests of Paklenica and Northern Velebit National Parks are now protected by the UNESCO!
“Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe
(Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine)
This transboundary extension of the World Heritage site of the Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and the Ancient Beech Forests of Germany (Germany, Slovakia, Ukraine) stretches over 12 countries. Since the end of the last Ice Age, European beech spread from a few isolated refuges in the Alps, Carpathians, Mediterranean and Pyrenees over a short period of a few thousand years in a process that is still ongoing. This successful expansion is related to the tree’s flexibility and tolerance of different climatic, geographical and physical conditions.”
(UNESCO)
This is the third extension of the “Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians” list – Slovakia and Ukraine were added in 2007, and Germany in 2010. All 12 countries have shown extraordinary willingness to cooperate and protect the forests, spreading across 63 areas in different countries.
Three areas in the Republic of Croatia have been added to the list, and all three are located in Paklenica and Northern Velebit National Parks: 1,289 hectares (3,185 acres) of beech forests in Hajdučki and Rožanski kukovi strict nature reserves in Northern Velebit, and 2,031 hectares (5,018 acres) of forest in Suva draga-Kimenta and Oglavinovac-Javornik in Paklenica National Park.
