Vyzhnytsia National Nature Park

Vyzhnytsia National Nature Park (Вижницький національний природний парк; Vyzhnytskyi natsionalnyi pryrodnyi park or VNNP). A national park established in 1995. One of the Carpathian protected areas, the VNNP is located in Vyzhnytsia raion, Chernivtsi oblast. It covers an area of 7,928.4 ha and is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine.

Located in the border area between the Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains and Subcarpathia, this national park features typical lower mountain landscapes characteristic of the Cheremosh River and Seret River basins with variegated ground cover, smoothly-shaped mountains with gentle slopes, wide valleys as well as rock formations and waterfalls. The flora of the VNNP is represented by mountainous spruce-fir-beech forests and piedmont fir-beech forests with remnants of ancient pristine forests. Occasionally there are secondary meadows and swamps, with aquatic and coastal vegetation.

The landscapes of the VNNP are particularly picturesque, especially the cliffs along the Dnister River valley, waterfalls on the Prut River and Cheremosh River, and some caves. This national park is a popular tourist destination and features several hiking and eco-tourist trails.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Popovych, S. Pryrodno-zapovidna sprava (Kyiv 2007)

Volodymyr Kricsfalusy

[This article was written in 2011.]