Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe

Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Beușnița Waterfall in Nera Gorge-Beușnița National Park
Location	(see map)
Reference	1133quater
Inscription	2007 (31st Session)
Extensions	2011, 2017, 2021

Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe is a transnational serial nature UNESCO World Heritage Site, encompassing 94 component parts (forests) in 18 European countries.^[1]

Carpathian region[]

This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: This part appears to be written before 2017. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (August 2021)

The Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians include ten separate massifs located along the 185 km (115 mi) long axis from the Rakhiv mountains and Chornohora ridge in Ukraine over the Poloniny Ridge (Slovakia) to the Vihorlat Mountains in Slovakia. The Ancient Beech Forests of Germany include five locations, cover 4,391 hectares and were added in 2011.

The Carpathian site covers a total area of 77,971.6 ha (192,672 acres), out of which only 29,278.9 ha (72,350 acres) are part of the actual preserved area, while the rest is considered a "buffer zone". Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians cover areas of Zakarpattia and Prešov Regions. Over 70% of the site is located in Ukraine. The area includes two national parks, and some habitat controlled areas, mostly in Slovakia. Both national parks, along with a neighboring area in Poland, compose a separate biosphere reserve, the East Carpathian Biosphere Reserve. Besides Havešová, Rožok, and Stužica (all of them located in Bukovské vrchy), there is a fourth component situated in Slovakia, named Kyjovský prales of Vihorlat. Ukrainian locations include Chornohora, Kuziy-Trybushany, Maramarosh, Stuzhytsia–Uzhok, Svydovets, and Uholka–Shyrikyi Luh. Only a few of the ten components are accessible to visitors. Stužica is the only one of three locations in Bukovské vrchy (Slovakia) with available hiking trails. In 2017, UNESCO extended the site, adding forests in Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, and Spain.^[2][3]

The last intact virgin forest in the temperate latitudes of Europe is to be found in the Carpathians. Trees can live to a hundred years old in these forests, providing an important habitat for organisms such as mushrooms, moss, lichen, insects, rare birds (e.g. capercaillie and black grouse) and mammals (e.g. bats, brown bear, wolf and lynx). Large parts of the forest in the Romanian part of the Carpathians have been lost due to deforestation. The pressure on timber as a resource may increase due to international demand and European companies may start large-scale felling in neighbouring Ukraine. Currently unprotected areas of virgin forest can be permanently preserved in the Ukrainian Carpathians by expanding and reinforcing conservation areas. In the Ukrainian Carpathians there are nine national parks and two biosphere reserves. There is a general ban on tree felling in coniferous forest areas above 1,100 metres. If park administrations are shown to work, management of larger, previously unprotected areas of virgin forest to preserve them on a permanent basis, may occur. There are roughly 100,000 additional hectares of forest which could be integrated into the existing conservation areas.^[4]

List of component parts[]

Location of the Primary Beech World Heritage Sites (component clusters) in Europe.

The component parts included in the site as of August 2021 are:^{[1][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]}

Country	Serial ID No. or ID	Component part	Component cluster	Property [ha]	Buffer zone [ha]	Year inscrib.	Centre point coordinates
Carpathian Beech Forest Region
Ukraine	1133-001	Chornohora		2,476.80	12,925.00	2007	48°8′25″N 24°23′35″E / 48.14028°N 24.39306°E / 48.14028; 24.39306
	1133-003			1,369.60	3,163.40	2007	47°56′21″N 24°8′26″E / 47.93917°N 24.14056°E / 47.93917; 24.14056
	1133-004			2,243.60	6,230.40	2007	47°56′12″N 24°19′35″E / 47.93667°N 24.32639°E / 47.93667; 24.32639
	1133-007	Stuzhytsia-Uzhok		2,532.00	3,615.00	2007	49°4′58″N 22°35′45″E / 49.08278°N 22.59583°E / 49.08278; 22.59583[n 1]
	1133-008	Svydovets		3,030.50	5,639.50	2007	48°11′21″N 24°13′37″E / 48.18917°N 24.22694°E / 48.18917; 24.22694
	1133-009	Uholka-Shyrokyi Luh[n 2]		11,860.00	3,301.00	2007	48°18′22″N 23°41′46″E / 48.30611°N 23.69611°E / 48.30611; 23.69611
	1133ter-055	Gorgany		753.48	4,637.59	2017	48°28′19″N 24°17′58″E / 48.47194°N 24.29944°E / 48.47194; 24.29944
	1133ter-058		Synevyr	1,588.46	312.32	2017	48°29′14″N 23°44′56″E / 48.48722°N 23.74889°E / 48.48722; 23.74889
	1133ter-059			561.62	333.63	2017	48°23′6″N 23°42′46″E / 48.38500°N 23.71278°E / 48.38500; 23.71278
	1133ter-060	Strymba		260.65	191.14	2017	48°27′11″N 23°47′48″E / 48.45306°N 23.79667°E / 48.45306; 23.79667
	1133ter-061			454.31	253.85	2017	48°21′20″N 23°39′36″E / 48.35556°N 23.66000°E / 48.35556; 23.66000
	1133ter-062		Zacharovanyi Krai	93.97	1,275.44	2017	48°27′9″N 23°5′23″E / 48.45250°N 23.08972°E / 48.45250; 23.08972
	1133ter-063			1,164.16		2017	48°25′21″N 23°9′42″E / 48.42250°N 23.16167°E / 48.42250; 23.16167
Slovakia	1133-002 1133quater-103 SK-POLO-01*		Poloniny	167.88	6,474.84	2007 2021*	49°0′35″N 22°20′14″E / 49.00972°N 22.33722°E / 49.00972; 22.33722
	1133-005 1133quater-104 SK-POLO-02*			74.37	1,138.89	2007 2021*	48°58′40″N 22°27′52″E / 48.97778°N 22.46444°E / 48.97778; 22.46444
	1133-006 1133quater-105 SK-POLO-03*	Stužica – Bukovské Vrchy		1,742.47	5,694.84	2007 2021*	49°5′3″N 22°29′42″E / 49.08417°N 22.49500°E / 49.08417; 22.49500
	1133-006 1133quater-106 SK-POLO-04*			455.82	814.69	2007 2021*	49°10′31″N 22°13′39″E / 49.17528°N 22.22750°E / 49.17528; 22.22750
	1133-010 1133quater-108 SK-VIHO-02*	Vihorlat		1,553.06	854.08	2007 2021*	48°54′56″N 22°11′13″E / 48.91556°N 22.18694°E / 48.91556; 22.18694
Romania	1133ter-035	Cheile Nerei-Beușnița		4,292.27	5,959.87	2017	44°54′19″N 21°48′40″E / 44.90528°N 21.81111°E / 44.90528; 21.81111
	1133ter-036	(Codrul secular Șinca)		338.24	445.76	2017	45°40′0″N 25°10′14″E / 45.66667°N 25.17056°E / 45.66667; 25.17056
	1133ter-037	(Codrul secular Slătioara)		609.12	429.43	2017	47°26′36″N 25°37′39″E / 47.44333°N 25.62750°E / 47.44333; 25.62750
	1133ter-038		Cozia	2,285.86	2,408.83	2017	45°19′54″N 24°19′32″E / 45.33167°N 24.32556°E / 45.33167; 24.32556
	1133ter-039			1,103.30		2017	45°17′43″N 24°15′33″E / 45.29528°N 24.25917°E / 45.29528; 24.25917
	1133ter-040	Domogled-Coronini-Bedina	Domogled – Valea Cernei	5,110.63	51,461.28	2017	44°56′31″N 22°28′7″E / 44.94194°N 22.46861°E / 44.94194; 22.46861
	1133ter-041			3,517.36		2017	45°6′31″N 22°34′41″E / 45.10861°N 22.57806°E / 45.10861; 22.57806
	1133ter-042			1,104.27		2017	45°14′40″N 22°49′23″E / 45.24444°N 22.82306°E / 45.24444; 22.82306
	1133ter-043		Groșii Țibleșului	210.55	563.57	2017	47°32′59″N 24°11′9″E / 47.54972°N 24.18583°E / 47.54972; 24.18583
	1133ter-044			135.82		2017	47°32′5″N 24°13′13″E / 47.53472°N 24.22028°E / 47.53472; 24.22028
	1133ter-045	Izvoarele Nerei		4,677.21	2,494.83	2017	45°7′21″N 22°3′59″E / 45.12250°N 22.06639°E / 45.12250; 22.06639
	1133ter-046	Strâmbu Băiuț[n 3]		598.14	713.09	2017	47°37′33″N 24°4′23″E / 47.62583°N 24.07306°E / 47.62583; 24.07306
Poland	1133quater-094 PL-BIES-01	and valley[n 4]	Bieszczady	1,506.05	24,330.52	2021	49°5′58″N 22°33′24″E / 49.09944°N 22.55667°E / 49.09944; 22.55667
	1133quater-095 PL-BIES-02	and [n 5]		1,178.03		2021	49°10′51″N 22°30′12″E / 49.18083°N 22.50333°E / 49.18083; 22.50333
	1133quater-096 PL-BIES-03	stream valley		201.00		2021	49°5′37″N 22°43′29″E / 49.09361°N 22.72472°E / 49.09361; 22.72472
	1133quater-097 PL-BIES-04	Wołosatka stream valley		586.66		2021	49°4′1″N 22°44′41″E / 49.06694°N 22.74472°E / 49.06694; 22.74472
Polonic-Podoloc-Moldovan Beech Forest Region
Ukraine	1133ter-056	[n 6]		384.81	598.21	2017	49°57′44″N 23°38′58″E / 49.96222°N 23.64944°E / 49.96222; 23.64944
	1133ter-057	Satanіvska Dacha		212.01	559.37	2017	49°10′26″N 26°14′56″E / 49.17389°N 26.24889°E / 49.17389; 26.24889
Baltic Beech Forest Region
Germany	1133bis-011	Jasmund		492.50	2,510.50	2011	54°32′53″N 13°38′43″E / 54.54806°N 13.64528°E / 54.54806; 13.64528
	1133bis-012	Serrahn		268.10	2,568.00	2011	53°20′24″N 13°11′52″E / 53.34000°N 13.19778°E / 53.34000; 13.19778
	1133bis-013			590.10	274.30	2011	52°59′11″N 13°53′44″E / 52.98639°N 13.89556°E / 52.98639; 13.89556
Subatlantic-Hercynic Beech Forest Region
Germany	1133bis-014	Hainich		1,573.40	4,085.40	2011	51°04′43″N 10°26′08″E / 51.07861°N 10.43556°E / 51.07861; 10.43556
	1133bis-015	Kellerwald		1,467.10	4,271.40	2011	51°08′43″N 8°58′25″E / 51.14528°N 8.97361°E / 51.14528; 8.97361
Czech Republic	1133quater-076 CZ-JIZE-01	Jizera Mountains		444.81	2,279.40	2021	50°51′30″N 15°9′20″E / 50.85833°N 15.15556°E / 50.85833; 15.15556
France	1133quater-082 FR-GRAN-01			319.00	1,328.00	2021	47°58′20″N 6°56′23″E / 47.97222°N 6.93972°E / 47.97222; 6.93972
Switzerland	1133quater-074 CH-BETT-01	(Forêt de la Bettlachstock)		195.43	1,094.16	2021	47°13′22″N 7°24′43″E / 47.22278°N 7.41194°E / 47.22278; 7.41194
Alpic Beech Forest Region
Austria	1133ter-003			1,867.45	1,545.05	2017	47°46′12″N 15°2′51″E / 47.77000°N 15.04750°E / 47.77000; 15.04750
	1133ter-004		Kalkalpen	2,946.20	14,197.24	2017	47°44′58″N 14°28′56″E / 47.74944°N 14.48222°E / 47.74944; 14.48222
	1133ter-005			890.89		2017	47°47′14″N 14°21′12″E / 47.78722°N 14.35333°E / 47.78722; 14.35333
	1133ter-006			264.82		2017	47°48′15″N 14°14′22″E / 47.80417°N 14.23944°E / 47.80417; 14.23944
	1133ter-007			1,149.75		2017	47°50′00″N 14°26′1″E / 47.83333°N 14.43361°E / 47.83333; 14.43361
Switzerland	1133quater-075 CH-LODA-01	Forest reserves of Lodano, Busai and Soladino Valleys		806.78	2,330.74	2021	46°15′49″N 8°39′11″E / 46.26361°N 8.65306°E / 46.26361; 8.65306
France	1133quater-078 FR-CHAP-01			371.30	41.65	2021	44°38′4″N 5°59′55″E / 44.63444°N 5.99861°E / 44.63444; 5.99861
Atlantic Beech Forest Region
Belgium	1133ter-008		Sonian Forest (Forêt de Soignes)	187.34	4,650.86	2017	50°45′23″N 4°25′00″E / 50.75639°N 4.41667°E / 50.75639; 4.41667
	1133ter-009			24.11		2017	50°46′54″N 4°25′36″E / 50.78167°N 4.42667°E / 50.78167; 4.42667
	1133ter-010	Grippensdelle B		37.38		2017	50°47′1″N 4°25′57″E / 50.78361°N 4.43250°E / 50.78361; 4.43250
	1133ter-011			13.98		2017	50°44′3″N 4°26′13″E / 50.73417°N 4.43694°E / 50.73417; 4.43694
	1133ter-012	Réserve forestière du Ticton B		6.50		2017	50°43′37″N 4°25′51″E / 50.72694°N 4.43083°E / 50.72694; 4.43083
Moesian-Balcanic Beech Forest Region
Albania	1133ter-001	Lumi i gashit		1,261.52	8,977.48	2017	42°28′53″N 20°3′26″E / 42.48139°N 20.05722°E / 42.48139; 20.05722
	1133ter-002	Rrajca		2,129.45	2,569.75	2017	41°12′11″N 20°30′2″E / 41.20306°N 20.50056°E / 41.20306; 20.50056
North Macedonia	1133quater-093 MN-DLAB-01	Dlaboka Reka		193.27	234.70	2021	41°45′47″N 20°35′16″E / 41.76306°N 20.58778°E / 41.76306; 20.58778
Bulgaria	1133ter-013	Reserve	Central Balkan	1,226.88	851.22	2017	42°48′10″N 24°16′9″E / 42.80278°N 24.26917°E / 42.80278; 24.26917
	1133ter-014			1,485.81	1,945.99	2017	42°46′32″N 24°24′18″E / 42.77556°N 24.40500°E / 42.77556; 24.40500
	1133ter-015	Reserve		644,43	289.82	2017	42°47′47″N 24°31′2″E / 42.79639°N 24.51722°E / 42.79639; 24.51722
	1133ter-016	Reserve[n 7]		2,466.10	1,762.01	2017	42°44′43″N 24°42′26″E / 42.74528°N 24.70722°E / 42.74528; 24.70722
	1133ter-017	Stara Reka Reserve[n 8]		591.20	1,480.04	2017	42°42′11″N 24°49′8″E / 42.70306°N 24.81889°E / 42.70306; 24.81889
	1133ter-018	Dzhendema Reserve		1,774.12	2,576.63	2017	42°41′44″N 24°58′23″E / 42.69556°N 24.97306°E / 42.69556; 24.97306
	1133ter-019	Reserve		926.37	1,066.47	2017	42°44′44″N 24°56′5″E / 42.74556°N 24.93472°E / 42.74556; 24.93472
	1133ter-020	Reserve[n 9]		1,049.10	968.14	2017	42°45′54″N 25°4′29″E / 42.76500°N 25.07472°E / 42.76500; 25.07472
	1133ter-021			824.90	780.55	2017	42°41′52″N 25°8′18″E / 42.69778°N 25.13833°E / 42.69778; 25.13833
Illyric Beech Forest Region
Croatia	1133ter-022	Forest reserves Hajdučki i Rožanski kukovi		1,289.11	9,869.25	2017	44°45′59″N 15°0′39″E / 44.76639°N 15.01083°E / 44.76639; 15.01083
	1133ter-023		Paklenica National Park	1,241.04	414.76	2017	44°20′26″N 15°30′1″E / 44.34056°N 15.50028°E / 44.34056; 15.50028
	1133ter-024			790,74	395.35	2017	44°23′4″N 15°26′59″E / 44.38444°N 15.44972°E / 44.38444; 15.44972
Slovenia	1133ter-047			74.50	47.90	2017	45°32′31″N 14°46′8″E / 45.54194°N 14.76889°E / 45.54194; 14.76889
	1133ter-048			720.24	128.80	2017	45°35′5″N 14°27′19″E / 45.58472°N 14.45528°E / 45.58472; 14.45528
Bosnia and Herzegovina	1133quater-073 BH-JANJ-01			295.04	380.74	2021	44°8′48″N 17°16′52″E / 44.14667°N 17.28111°E / 44.14667; 17.28111
Central Mediterranean Beech Forest Region
Italy	1133ter-025	(Valle Cervara)	Abruzzo, Lazio & Molise	119.70	751.61	2017	41°49′56″N 13°43′43″E / 41.83222°N 13.72861°E / 41.83222; 13.72861
	1133ter-026			192.70		2017	41°50′49″N 13°42′20″E / 41.84694°N 13.70556°E / 41.84694; 13.70556
	1133ter-027			104.71	415.51	2017	41°51′37″N 13°50′48″E / 41.86028°N 13.84667°E / 41.86028; 13.84667
	1133ter-028			194.49	446.62	2017	41°47′15″N 13°44′39″E / 41.78750°N 13.74417°E / 41.78750; 13.74417
	1133ter-029	(Val Fondillo)		325.03	700.95	2017	41°45′15″N 13°53′9″E / 41.75417°N 13.88583°E / 41.75417; 13.88583
	1133ter-030 1133quater-088 IT-POLL-01*		Pollino National Park	95.75	2,851.83	2017 2021*	39°54′19″N 16°6′4″E / 39.90528°N 16.10111°E / 39.90528; 16.10111
	1133quater-089 IT-POLL-02			477.94		2021	39°53′43″N 16°11′54″E / 39.89528°N 16.19833°E / 39.89528; 16.19833
	1133quater-090 IT-VALL-01	Infernale Valley (Valle Infernale)		320.79	2,191.36	2021	38°7′55″N 15°57′41″E / 38.13194°N 15.96139°E / 38.13194; 15.96139
	1133ter-031 1133quater-086 IT-FUMB-01*		Umbra Forest (Foresta Umbra)	254.30	3,486.29	2017 2021*	41°48′21″N 15°58′41″E / 41.80583°N 15.97806°E / 41.80583; 15.97806
	1133quater-087 IT-FUMB-02			667.13		2021	41°50′20″N 16°1′25″E / 41.83889°N 16.02361°E / 41.83889; 16.02361
	1133ter-032			57.54	87.96	2017	42°24′31″N 12°12′11″E / 42.40861°N 12.20306°E / 42.40861; 12.20306
	1133ter-033			73.73	54.75	2017	42°10′25″N 12°9′40″E / 42.17361°N 12.16111°E / 42.17361; 12.16111
	1133ter-034			781.43	6,936.64	2017	43°50′40″N 11°48′11″E / 43.84444°N 11.80306°E / 43.84444; 11.80306
Pyrenaic-Iberian Beech Forest Region
Spain	1133ter-049		(Hayedos de Ayllón)	255.52	13,880.86	2017	41°14′43″N 3°23′19″W / 41.24528°N 3.38861°W / 41.24528; -3.38861[n 10]
	1133ter-050	Montejo		71.79		2017	41°6′44″N 3°29′58″W / 41.11222°N 3.49944°W / 41.11222; -3.49944
	1133ter-051		(Hayedos de Navarra)	63.97	24,494.52	2017	43°0′23″N 1°6′46″W / 43.00639°N 1.11278°W / 43.00639; -1.11278
	1133ter-052			171.06		2017	42°54′39″N 0°48′58″W / 42.91083°N 0.81611°W / 42.91083; -0.81611
	1133ter-053		Beech forests of Picos de Europa (Hayedos de Picos de Europa)	213.65	14,253.00	2017	43°10′21″N 4°59′16″W / 43.17250°N 4.98778°W / 43.17250; -4.98778
	1133ter-054			109.58		2017	43°10′16″N 4°53′21″W / 43.17111°N 4.88917°W / 43.17111; -4.88917
France	1133quater-083 FR-MASS-01			239.50	1,432.30	2021	42°28′58″N 3°1′45″E / 42.48278°N 3.02917°E / 42.48278; 3.02917

* Only boundary modification.

Udava (Bukovské Vrchy, Slovakia) was created by modifying the boundary of Stužica before. Falascone (Italy) in turn was named previously Umbra Forest (Foresta Umbra).^[11][12]

This is a transnational serial nature UNESCO World Heritage Site, encompassing 94 component parts (forests) in 18 European countries.^[1] The total area of component parts is 98,125.15 ha (242,472.5 acres), including buffer zones 392,846.02 ha (970,743.7 acres). The largest total area of component parts is in Ukraine and Romania – 54% total (41% including buffer zones).

Forms of protection[]

Component parts of this property overlap more or less with various protected areas like national parks, nature reserves, Natura 2000 network.^{[13][14][15][9][11][16][17]}
Abbreviations:
C – count of component parts in a given cluster
N – overlapping with Natura 2000 areas

Tentative list[]

This forest is placed on the World Heritage Tentative list as a proposal for the expansion of the Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe site:

Montenegro^[18]

• Virgin Forest Reserve in NP Biogradska Gora

Gallery[]

• 

  Forest in Stuzica

• 

  Havešová

• 

  Stužica

• 

  Freshwater stream in Stužica

• 

  Stužica

• 

  Dlaboka Reka

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ancient and primeval beech forests of the Carpathians and other regions of Europe.

• "Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
• Beauty and changes of Primeval beech forests throughout a year