Wigry National Park

Czarna Hańcza
Jezioro Wigry

Wigry National Park

  • Country: 
    Poland
  • Site number: 
    1567
  • Area: 
    15,085 ha
  • Designation date: 
    29-10-2002
  • Coordinates: 
    54°02'N 23°05'E
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Overview

Wigry National Park, close to the border with Lithuania in the north-east of Poland, is a diverse wetland system which encompasses Wigry Lake, several peat bogs, and woodland surrounding the Lake. The Site and its landscapes, which range from hills of glacial moraine in the north to flat land in the south, provide a wide variety of ecological niches which support a rich biodiversity. The Site supports globally endangered bird species including the red kite, white-tailed eagle and corncrake, and a further 150 breeding bird species. The numerous small rivers in a natural state provide habitat for beavers, which affect the water regime with their damming activities. The Site also includes Paleolithic archaeological sites, with remnants of stone and iron age nomadic hunter settlements, a graveyard of the Jacwing people with mounds from the 3rd and 4th centuries, and a valuable baroque monastery. Environmentally friendly methods are used for agriculture, forestry and fishing on the Site, and they are widely accepted by local communities for the preservation of the Site. Nonetheless, urbanization, water pollution, habitat destruction and the presence of alien species still remain significant threats. Site management plans are developed each year, and they establish the protective actions which the land managers use to protect the Site from these threats.

Administrative region: 
Podlaskie

  • National legal designation: 
    • National Park - Wigry National Park
  • Regional (international) legal designations: 
    • EU Natura 2000
  • Last publication date: 
    24-01-2019