Llogara National Park

Llogora National Park
Parku Kombëtar i Llogarasë
Official logo
Map showing the location of Llogora National Park
Map showing the location of Llogora National Park
Location within Albania
Map showing the location of Llogora National Park
Map showing the location of Llogora National Park
Llogara National Park (Europe)
LocationVlorë County
Nearest townOrikum
Coordinates40°12′52″N 19°34′51″E / 40.2145°N 19.5809°E / 40.2145; 19.5809[2]
Area1,769.20 hectares (17.6920 km2)
Designated21 November 1966 (1966-11-21)[3][4]
Governing body National Agency of Protected Areas

Llogara National Park (Albanian: Parku Kombëtar i Llogarasë/Llogorasë) is a national park centered on the Ceraunian Mountains along the Albanian Riviera in southwestern Albania, spanning a surface area of 1,769 ha (17.69 km2).[5][6][7] The park's terrain includes large alpine meadows, vertical rock faces, precipices and dense forests. Most area of the park is covered by forests and was established in 1966 to protect several ecosystems and biodiversity of national importance.[8] The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the park as Category II. The region has been recognised as an important Bird and Plant Area, supporting significant number of species.[9][10]

The park features outstanding diversity with the landscape ranging from the alpine peaks of the Ceraunian Mountains covered with snow in winter to the sunny Albanian Ionian Sea Coast in summer. At 1,027 m (3,369 ft), the Llogara Pass provides a striking scenery, with tall mountains overlooking the Albanian Riviera and several islands in the sea. The region experiences a mediterranean climate. This means that the summers are hot and the winters generally dry to warm to cool. Despite the vicinity to the mediterranean climatic region, an alpine climate prevails at the Maja e Çikës. Geomorphologically, carbonate rocks occupy most of the area, while the mountains are composed of limestones and dolomites.[11]

Phytogeographically, the park falls within the Illyrian deciduous forests terrestrial ecoregion of the Palearctic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. Its flora is diverse and characterised with high endemism, due to the combination of southern geographic latitude and high altitude variation. The forests are composed of diverse deciduous and coniferous species among other by bosnian pine, black pine, bulgarian fir, silver fir, ash trees, kermes oak and other species.[12] Air currents that flow through the area have caused trees to bend in many interesting shapes, such as the Pisha e Flamurit.[13] The vertebrate fauna consists of a wide range of species. Among the species of highest conservation value are the griffon vulture, golden eagle, rock partridge, fallow deer, roe deer, european wildcat, chamois, red squirrel, otter, wolf and red fox.

Tourist village in Llogara

Tourism is the most important sector in the park and has the largest potential to be a source for sustainable income. Along the National Road 8 there are several restaurants, hotels, and a small wooden cabin complex. The area of the park and the surrounding mountains are used mainly for hiking and tracking tours. A paragliding site serving annually as the 9th FAI World Paragliding Accuracy Championship venue is located south of the park. Along the twisting road are several local vendors of honey and mountain tea. Caesar's Pass, named after Julius Caesar who marched down near the area in pursuit of Pompey, is also located nearby the Llogara Pass.

  1. ^ "Llogara". Protected Planet. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
  2. ^ "Llogara National Park". protectedplanet.net.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "RRJETI I ZONAVE TË MBROJTURA NË SHQIPËRI" (PDF). mjedisi.gov.al (in Albanian). p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-09-05. Retrieved 2017-09-08.
  4. ^ Lonely Planet Southeastern Europe (Lonely Planet, Marika McAdam, James Bainbridge, Mark Baker, Peter Dragicevich, Mark Elliott, Tom Masters, Craig McLachlan, Anja Mutic, Tamara Sheward ed.). Lonely Planet, 2013. September 2013. ISBN 9781743217900.
  5. ^ "Geotourism development in the protected area LlogaraKaraburun" (PDF). geotur.tuke.sk. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-18. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
  6. ^ "The assessment and project idea to improve landscape of the National Park of "Llogara"". researchgate.net.
  7. ^ "Vlerësimi Strategjik Mjedisor për Planin e Integruar Ndersektorial te Bregdetit" (PDF). planifikimi.gov.al (in Albanian). p. 44. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-10-28. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  8. ^ "RRJETI I ZONAVE TE MBROJTURA NE SHQIPERI" (PDF). Albanian Ministry of Environment, Forests and Water Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2010-06-30.
  9. ^ BirdLife International. "Vlora Bay, Karaburun Peninsula and Cika mountain". datazone.birdlife.org.
  10. ^ IUCN, World Wide Fund for Nature, Plantlife. "Important Plant Areas of the south and east Mediterranean region" (PDF). portals.iucn.org. p. 75.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ "Llogora-Rreza e Kanalit-Dukat -Orikum-TragjasRadhime-Karaburun Complex Site" (PDF). vinc.s.free.fr. p. 38.
  12. ^ "Protected area gap assessment, marine biodiversity and legislation on marine protected areas" (PDF). undp.org. p. 102. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-02. Retrieved 2017-07-15.
  13. ^ "Llogara National Park". CMS Lounge. Archived from the original on 2011-01-19.