Aggtelek National Park

Aggtelek National Park
IUCN category II (national park)
Stalagmite in the Baradla cave
Location	Hungary
Coordinates	48°28′32.628″N 20°29′12.732″E
Area	198.92 km2 (76.80 sq mi)
Established	1985
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Natural
Criteria	viii
Designated	1995
Reference no.	725
State Party	Hungary, Slovakia
Region	Eastern Europe

Aggtelek National Park (Hungarian: Aggteleki Nemzeti Park) is a national park in Northern Hungary, in the Aggtelek Karst region. The most significant values of the national park are the special surface formations and underground caves in this limestone landscape.

Description

The park consists of 280 caves with different sizes. It covers a total area of 198.92 km² of which 39.22 km² are under increased protection. The largest stalactite cave of Europe is situated in this area: the Baradla cave (26 km long, of which 8 km is in Slovakia, known under the name of Domica). Several of the caves have different specialities. For example, the Peace Cave has a sanatorium which help treating people suffering from asthma.

History

The first written documentation of the caves can be dated back to 1549. Since 1920 it has been used as a tourist attraction. The Aggtelek National Park itself was founded in 1985. It has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 1995 along with the Slovak Karst caves.

Fauna

Animals present in the Aggtelek National Park included the fire salamander, hucul pony, common buzzard, eastern imperial eagle, European copper skink, white-throated dipper, red deer, Eurasian lynx, gray wolf, wild boar, crested tit, goldcrest, Eurasian bullfinch, hazel grouse, common kingfisher, red-backed shrike, old World swallowtail, scarce swallowtail and the saga pedo.

Gallery

• 
  Baradla Cave in Aggtelek
• 
  Vass Imre Cave in Jósvafő
• 
  The Bódva river
• 
  Aerial photo of Esztramos-hegy

See also

• Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst UNESCO World Heritage Site
• List of national parks of Hungary