COMPONENTS of SLOVAKIA, GERMANY and ITALY

I really love this WHS and spent quite a lot of days&nights in beech forests mostly of Slovakia components. Paradoxically, I am not surprised by low ratings of other travellers, since it is not easy to recognize qualities of this WHS. Though this huge transnational property looks a bit odd and quality of individual comonents is hardly comparable, if it results in better protection of beech forest it makes me very happy. In my case it was love at first sight, and as true love it has its ups and downs. To be clear: the entire ecosystem of primeval beech forests is simply amazing and fascinating, sadly, this is not definitely true for several state parties and even their NGOs (ego of NGO) that should take care about WHS...

Visited sites:

(1) Slovakia - they have incredibly valuable naturale heritage in these WHS components, but even after 10 years after inscriptions the state party of Slovakia has not been able to decide what belongs to the component and what not, because there are huge discrepancies between reality and official proposal. The worst thing is that the strict protection has been declared in the nomination text, but reality is completely different - only certain parts of WHS are sufficiently protected by law. Unfortunately, almost nobody form Goverment, Municipalities, and local people carred about this problem in the past. Even NGOs attitude and action were problematic in my opinion. In the past and even now, logging and hunting is legal in several parts of WHS.

The management of National parks of Slovakia in general is simply said one big tragedy, and wood production is sometimes prefered to nature protection. Thus, you can see too many clear cuts terribly close to WHS or even inside.

Fortunately, after pressure from UNESCO, they are working hard to propose modifications of components and their buffer zones to ensure sufficient protection of OUV. The new boundaries should be examined by UNESCO together with extensions of this transnational WHS in 2020.

(i) main range of Bukovske Hills between Udava and Stuzica natural reserves is still relatively unspoiled, and accesible from both Slovak (Osadne village - yellow-marked track uphills to beautiful Udava; Nova Sedlica - three tracks to the main range, red or blue to the most valuable part of WHS in Slovakia Stuzica reserve (PHOTO), yellow to very nice Jaraba skala reserve; or Runina - green track uphills or blue track to Ruske Sedlo saddle) and Polish sides (ca. three tracks from Ustrzyki Gorne and nearby villages, or alternatively by narrow track railway - getting-off at Balnica station - highly recommended - fortunately now it is legal to cross the border from Polish side, but I remember times it was quite adrenaline sport not to be caught by Polish border police...)

(ii) Vihorlat main range around Morske Oko lake (accesible by ca. 5 marked tracks from Snina, Remetske Hamre, Strihovce, etc.). This are is very nice area with beautiful views and large virgin forests, but protection is even lower as compared to Bukovske Hills, because Vihorlat is not national park. Thus, relatively unspoiled areas are surrounded and penetrated by destroyed ones.

 

(2) Germany (i) Jasmund - the chalk cliffs surrounded by beech forest is certainly beautiful and valuable, but I am afraid it is not comparable to genuine primeval forests of Carpatians.

 

(3) Italy

(i) Monte Cimino close to Viterbo. I could see it only from distance when travelling to Lake Vico. The site seems impresive and well protected, and I am planning to visit it as well as nearby Monte Raschio in near future.

(ii) Foresta Umbra in Apulia region, Promontorio Gargano. The area is simply amazing and deserves protection as WHS. Unfortunatelly, the site is crossed by road from Mattinata to Peschici, but the most valuable parts are fenced due to strict protection. There are however footways that allows visiting the interior of the forest. The forest is unique and is influenced by so called gigantism due to excess of nutrients and minerals - I have not seen such huge yew and beech trees before. What I also liked is a contrast between nearby Adriatic cost and the beech forests in attitude 800m.

My only criticism goes to the visitors center of Foresta Umbra, which is advertised on numerous road banners in Gargano region. In fact, there is no visitors center at all. There are several buildings within the forest. Most of them are military or National Park management properties and thus inaccesible; The Natural History Museum looked very bizzare; Trattoria was closed in September; The nearby lake was however quite pleasent to stroll around.

 

(Possible extension) Poland - Bieszcziady

It certainly deserves WHS status. It is more touristy and maybe not so wild as forests on Slovakia part. Due to a bit higher attitude there are large poloninas (mountain meadows) on the mountains ranges, which are very attractive and worth-visiting as well (although poloniny area itself is not part of proposed WHS). I also admired forest management that is 1000-times better than in official WHS of Slovakia.

Only shadow on my optimism concerning Polish contribution to this WHS lays in unclear politics in Poland nowdays. Therefore, the nomination was withdrawn by state party in 2017 in spite of high qualities of Polish component, which would be perfetly complementar to sites in Slovakia and Ukraine. I am afraid that it is somehow related to issue in Bielowieza forest, and Polish side wants to avoid "problems" with UNESCO in case of controversial management in forests.

We will see in 2020...