Carpathian Biosphere Reserve.
This is untouched nature, the largest continuous massif of primeval beech forest in the world. Hold your breath, where half-a-thousand-year-old beech trees grow and reach 45 meters. Scientists from all over the world come to study them. This is where the highest mountain in Ukraine, Hoverla, pierces the clouds. Where among the mountains, Lake Brebeneskul reflects the sky in its waters. Where Marmaroshi rises. Here, Svydovets is covered with lakes left by glaciers and the celebrated Chornogora. And what a fascinating ritual of admiring high-altitude flowers in the Valley of Narcissus.
This is home to more than 8,000 species of animals and plants, half a thousand of which require special attention, as they are listed in the Red Book. Here you can stand directly in the Center of Europe, and in a few hours explore the caves in which the first people lived.
It is here that tens of thousands of tourists on bicycles, on foot and even on horseback discover the unique beauty of the harmonious coexistence of living nature. Of course, so as not to harm nature, on permitted trails. This is the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve.
Territory
The Carpathian Biosphere Reserve is one of the largest nature conservation sites in Ukraine. It covers an area of 66,417.4 hectares. The highest peak of Ukraine (Mount Hoverla, 2,061 m), the legendary Blyznytsia, high-altitude lakes, the geographical Center of Europe, the Valley of Narcissus, world-famous beech forests, the largest karst cave of the Ukrainian Carpathians, Druzhba, are only part of its territory. The entire landscape and biological diversity of the Ukrainian Carpathians is represented here - from the foothills to subalpine and alpine meadows (180 - 2,061 m above sea level).
The reserve is located within the Rakhiv, Tyachiv, Khust and Beregov districts of the Transcarpathian region and consists of 8 territorially isolated massifs: Svydovetsky, Chornohirsky, Kuziy-Trybushansky, Marmaroshsky, Ugolsko-Shyrokoluzhansky, Valley of Narcissus, as well as two botanical reserves of state importance - "Chorna Hora" and "Yuliivska Hora".
The territory is divided into four functional zones: reserve, buffer, anthropogenic landscapes and regulated reserve regime.
Brief history
1968 - By the resolution of the Government of the Ukrainian SSR, the Carpathian State Reserve was established on an area of 12,672 hectares
1993 - By the decision of the Secretariat of the MAB program, the institution was included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves
1993 - By the decree of the President of Ukraine, the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve was established on the basis of the Carpathian Nature Reserve reserve
1990, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2010 – By the Resolution of the Government of Ukraine and the Decrees of the President of Ukraine, the territory of the reserve was expanded to 58,035.8 hectares
1997, 2002, 2007, 2012 – The Carpathian Biosphere Reserve was awarded the European Diploma of the Council of Europe for nature conservation areas
2007 – the beech forests of the reserve with an area of 20,980.5 hectares were included in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List
2017 – a sustainable development area (transit zone) with an area of 136,900 hectares was created on the lands adjacent to the reserve
2017 – separate territories were included in the Wilderness network
2019 – Ozirny-Brebeneskul tract, Dolyna massif Narcissus and Druzhba karst cave received the status of wetlands of international importance under the auspices of the Ramsar Convention
