Karkonosze National Park, created in 1959 r, covers an area of approx 56 km2, of which 38 km2 to lasy, and covers the highest and most interesting in terms of nature and landscape parts of the Main Ridge of the Karkonosze Mountains and two enclaves in the Lower Regions: Szklarki waterfall and Chojnik. It stretches along the state border (on the other side is Krkonośsky Narodni Park) from Mumlawski Wierch (1219 m n.p.m.) in the west to the Okraj Pass (1046 m n.p.m.) on the east. The park was established to protect and preserve unique mountain ecosystems, making the protected area available for scientific purposes and tourist traffic.
The Karkonosze National Park protects both inanimate nature: rock formations, boilers and post-glacial lakes as well as gravel pits, as well as animate nature: layered vegetation, including mountain forests (m.in.: hornbeam, piedmont oak forests, fresh coniferous forest, wetlands), mountain pine, grass and herbal plants and peat bogs. Numerous protected species can be found in the flora of the Karkonosze National Park, relict and endemic, and among them: Lapland willow, Sudeten gnidosz, snow saxifrage, basalt saxifrage.
In the lower parts of the glacial boilers in the eastern part of the Karkonosze Mountains (The Mały Staw Cauldron and the Łomniczki Cauldron) On the height 1070-1300 m n.p.m. there is a unique group of rock cherry and mountain ash. These shrubs cover damp places on rock rubble, along the watercourses. This type of ecosystem is unknown in other Polish mountains. These thickets are very similar to those of the northern deciduous taiga. Among companion plants they grow here: Carpathian birch, Silesian willow and rock currant.
The fauna of the park is poorer, although there are also interesting endemic and relict species here (mainly crustaceans and arthropods). The animals have adapted to the demanding climatic conditions and specificity of the mountain environment. She had a great influence on the fauna (and still does) human activity: transformation of vegetation, formerly hunting, increased tourism and mountain sports have led to the extinction or decline of many animals. Today there are approx. 150 vertebrate species (including 100 bird species and approx. 40 species of mammals). Large predatory mammals have been exterminated, which contributed to the increase in the population of herbivorous mammals (deer, saren, mouflons). Boars feed in the mountain forests, you can also meet foxes, pine martens and weasels. The capercaillie is a typical bird species for the upper montane forest, the black grouse lives above the upper edge of the forest – both are at risk. The increasingly rare brown trout lives in the streams and waters of the Mały and Wielki Staw ponds.
There are several historic buildings on the territory of KPN: St.. Wawrzyniec on Śnieżka and shelters – Hunting Lodge, Samotnia and Strzecha Akademicka.
The management of the Karkonosze National Park
58-570 Jelenia Góra ul. Chałubiński 23
tel. 75 755 33 48, 75 755 37 26
e-mail: seki-etariat@kpnmab.pl
www.kpnmab.pl