Narew National Park

Narew National Park
Narwiański Park Narodowy
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Narew River at Uhowo
Location	Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland
Nearest city	Kurowo
Coordinates	53°03′N 22°24′E
Area	73.5 km2 (28.4 sq mi)
Established	1996
Governing body	Ministry of the Environment
Official website

Narew National Park (Polish: Narwiański Park Narodowy) is a National Park in Podlaskie Voivodeship, north-eastern Poland, traversed by the Narew River. The total area of the Park is 73.5 square kilometres (28.4 sq mi), of which only 20.57 km² is state-owned. Narew National Park was created in 1996.

The park covers the Upper Narew Valley, a swampy area between the towns of Suraz and Rzedziany. Around 90% of Park’s area are either swamps or waters with the Narew as the main river but also numerous smaller rivers, such as Liza, Szeroka Struga, Awissa, Kurówka, Kowalówka, Turośnianka and Czaplinianka.

The Park’s landscape is predominantly made up by many varieties of rushes, and there are also meadows and forests. The Narew Valley is a haven for birds - there are 179 species of them, including those unique for the area. Mammals are represented by around 40 species, among them some elk and otter as well as numerous beavers - around 260 of them. The Park’s waters are full of fish - 22 species - as well as amphibians. The Park is a wetland site protected under the Ramsar convention.

Cultural attractions of the Park are mostly represented by buildings such as numerous traditional village huts, ancient crosses by the roads and windmills. One of the Park’s attractions is a private archaeological museum, owned by Władysław Litwinczuk. The Park also includes an antique manor house at Kurów.

The Park has its headquarters in the village of Kurowo. Its buffer zone includes a less strictly protected area called Narew Landscape Park.

External links

• Official website
• The Board of Polish National Parks