The Malá Fatra National Park (Slovak: Národný park Malá Fatra) is located in the northern part of the Malá Fatra mountains, specifically in an area called Krivánska Malá Fatra. The park covers an area of 226.3 square kilometers (87.37 square miles) and includes a surrounding area of 232.62 square kilometers (89.81 square miles). It was officially established as a national park in 1988. Before that, from 1967 to 1988, it was protected as a landscape area. The tallest mountain in the park is Veľký Kriváň, which reaches an elevation of 1,708 meters above sea level. For more information about the geology and geography of the region, refer to the entry on Malá Fatra.
Flora
The mountain is mostly covered with mixed beech forests. At higher elevations, fir and spruce trees grow. Pine woods and meadows are found even higher up. Approximately 83% of the area is covered by forests.
The diversity and beauty of plant species include the following examples, which are among the most notable:
- gentian (Gentiana clusii)
- auricula (Primula auricula)
- Dianthus nitidus
- round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)
- lady's slipper orchid (Cypripedium calceolus)
Fauna
- golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos )
- eagle-owl ( Bubo bubo )
- black stork ( Ciconia nigra )
- brown bear ( Ursus arctos )
- lynx ( Lynx lynx )
- beech marten ( Martes foina )
- European otter ( Lutra lutra )
- wildcat ( Felis silvestris )
- grey wolf ( Canis lupus )
Remarkable places
- Kryštálová jaskyňa (Crystal Cave), which has crystal formations, is found in the Malý Rozsutec Mountain
- Šútovo Waterfall, which is 38 meters tall
- castles, including Strečno Castle and Starhrad
- traditional architecture in the villages of Štefanová and Podšíp
- Slovak folklore centers, like the village of Terchová
- Jánošíkove diery (trans: Janosik holes), which is a system of gorges and canyons