Established by Decree of the Ministry of Culture of the SSR No. 9/1973 Coll. of 28 December, 1973, as amended by Act of the National Council of the Slovak Republic No. 287/1994 Coll., amended by Decree of the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic No. 111/1999 Coll. of 19 April, 1999.
Address:
Správa CHKO Vihorlat
(Administration of the Vihorlat PLA)
ul. Fraňa Kráľa 1
071 01 Michalovce
Web:
https://chkovihorlat.sopsr.sk
Tel.:
056 688 25 41
HOT LINE:
0911 485 268
Area of operation: the Protected Landscape Area, the districts of Sobrance and Michalovce
Despite its relatively small area and altitude, Vihorlat is an impressive volcanic mountain range. It rises above the vast Východoslovenská nížina lowland, and its highest peaks exceed 1,000 meters. The highest point of the Protected Landscape Area (PLA) is Vihorlat mount (1,076 m a.s.l.), and the lowest point is the forest edge near the village of Jovsa (162 m a.s.l.).
The geographical position of Vihorlat within Slovakia is unique and interesting as it lies at the interface of Pannonian and Carpathian flora. It is among the most heavily forested mountain ranges in Slovakia, dominated by deciduous forests, particularly beech forests. Among tree species, the beech has the greatest representation, forming forest communities along with oak, ash, maple, and fir within the framework of vegetation altitudinal zonation.
Its geographical location and unique geological development led to the formation of natural peculiarities such as Morské oko lake, Sninský kameň rock, mountain peat bogs, and the occurrence of plant species from both the Carpathian and Pannonian flora. Among protected species found here are the Carpathian snowflake, heart-leaved oxeye, woolly-fruited monkshood and others. On the northern side of Vihorlat, mountain species grow, such as the Carpathian soldanella, while on the southern slopes, forest-steppe communities with thermophilic species occur.
Based on current knowledge, over 2,000 invertebrate species occur in the area. As for vertebrates, these include, for example, the Carpathian salamander, the mountain salamander and the tree snake, as well as more than 100 species of nesting birds, such as the black stork, the lesser spotted eagle, the short-toed snake eagle and the long-tailed owl. A great treasure of the Vihorlat forests is the presence of carnivores – the wolf, the lynx, the wildcat and the otter.
Two educational trails run through the territory of the Protected Landscape Area (PLA). The first educational trail, Morské oko lake – Sninský kameň rock – Sninské rybníky ponds, passes around Morské oko lake, through Sninský kameň rock, and ends at Sninské rybníky ponds. The second educational trail, Through the Vihorlat Beech Forests (Vihorlatské bučiny), passes through an extensive complex of natural beech forests inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as “Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe”.
On June 28, 2007, in Christchurch, New Zealand, the World Heritage Committee approved the inscription of Slovak and Ukrainian Carpathian primeval beech forests onto the UNESCO World Heritage List. This extensive complex of primeval beech forests stretches along the arc of the main ridge of the Vihorlat Mountains. Another point of interest in the area, the Senianske rybníky ponds, surrounded by meadows and wetlands, are of irreplaceable importance for the conservation of biodiversity and the survival of many endangered plant and animal species. A total of up to 283 bird species have been recorded here. The ponds are the only regular breeding site for the Eurasian spoonbill in Slovakia and home to other rare water birds. During migration, thousands of flocks of waders, ducks, geese, and common cranes use the site. The Bird Paradise (Vtáčím rajom) educational trail guides you through a site of European importance, introducing you not only to its present, but also to its history and the coexistence of humans and nature in the Senianska mokraď wetland area.