Retezat National Park | |
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Parcul Național Retezat | |
Location within Romania | |
Location | Romania Hunedoara County |
Nearest city | Lupeni |
Coordinates | 45°20′N 22°50′E / 45.34°N 22.83°E[1] |
Area | 38047 hectares (94020 acres) |
Established | 2000[2] |
Website | retezat.ro |
The Retezat National Park (Romanian: Parcul Naţional Retezat) is a protected area located in the Retezat Mountains in Hunedoara county, Romania. Founded in 1935, it is the oldest national park in the country and categorized as a category II IUCN national park.
Retezat is particularly notable for its biodiverse flora, with over 1,000 species of plants present within the park. It is also home to some of the last remaining pristine old-growth forests in Europe. Despite its protected status, recent decades have seen an increase in damaging activities such as logging and sheep-grazing in the park, as well as threats to its status as public property.