Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park

Coordinates: 42°35′13″N 0°58′28″E / 42.58694°N 0.97444°E / 42.58694; 0.97444
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Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park
Lake Colomers
Nearest cityLleida
Coordinates42°35′13″N 0°58′28″E / 42.58694°N 0.97444°E / 42.58694; 0.97444
Area141 km2 (54 sq mi)
Established1956
Governing bodySpanish Ministry of Environment. managed: Catalan Department of Environment and Housing

Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park (Catalan Parc Nacional d'Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici, Spanish: Parque Nacional de Aiguestortes y el Lago San Mauricio) is one of the fourteen Spanish National Parks, the second in the Pyrenees and the only one in Catalonia.

A wild mountain region in the Pyrenees, with peaks rising to 3,017 m (Besiberri Sud) and with nearly 200 lakes, many of them of glacial origin, the park comprises:

  • the core area (141 km²)
  • a peripheral or buffer zone surrounding the park (267 km²)

The park has an elevation range from 1,600 to 3,000 metres and contains four major vegetation zones: lower montane, upper montane, subalpine and alpine. It has a great variety of alpine vegetation, including dark-coniferous mountain forest (fir, mountain pine) and subalpine pine forest.

The fauna includes Pyrenean chamois, marmot, ermine, roe deer, among other mammals and numerous birds (Black Woodpecker, Common Crossbill, Lammergeier, Golden Eagle).

The park was created in 1956 after Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park, first spanish National Park in the Pyrenees in 1918. Its administrative seats are in Espot and Boí. The park is mainly located in the comarques of Pallars Sobirà and Alta Ribagorça.

Refuges

Trekkers can find up to 10 guarded refuges in the park and its peripherical area. These are open during four months (end of spring and summer). During the winter, every refuge has its own opening calendar (usually around Christmas and Easter). The refuges are the following:

  • Amitges [1]
  • Colomers
  • Colomina
  • Ernest Mallafré
  • Estany Llong
  • Josep Mª Blanc
  • Pla de la Font
  • Restanca
  • Saboredo [2]
  • Ventosa i Calvell [3]

Additionally, there are two unguarded but well-equipped refuges (Mataró and Besiberri).

Surroundings

Close to the park there is a rich architectural heritage, including the Catalan Romanesque churches of the Vall de Boí. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in November 2000.[4] A good example is the Sant Climent de Taüll church.

Gallery

  • Refugi Colomina
    Refugi Colomina
  • San Maurici lake
    San Maurici lake
  • Pond de Ratera
    Pond de Ratera

References

  1. ^ Template:Es icon REFUGI D'AMITGES 2.380 mts
  2. ^ Oc, Nheu, neu, val d'aran, Saboredo
  3. ^ Template:It icon http://www.refugiventosa.com/
  4. ^ Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí - World Heritage website

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Parc Nacional d'Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici.
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