Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe is a transnational serial nature UNESCO World Heritage Site, encompassing 93 component parts (forests of European beech, Fagus sylvatica) in 18 European countries. Together, the sites protect the largest and least disturbed forests dominated by the beech tree. In many of these stands, especially those in the Carpathians, beech forests have persisted without interruption or interference since the last ice age. These sites document the undisturbed postglacial repopulation of the species.
Carpathian region
The Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians include ten separate massifs located along the long axis from the Rakhiv mountains and Chornohora ridge in Ukraine over the Poloniny Ridge (Slovakia) to the Vihorlat Mountains in Slovakia. The Ancient Beech Forests of Germany includes five locations, covers 4,391 hectares and were added in 2011.
The Carpathian site covers a total area of , out of which only are part of the actual preserved area, while the rest is considered a "buffer zone". Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians cover areas of Zakarpattia and Prešov Regions. Over 70% of the site is located in Ukraine. The area includes two national parks, and some habitat controlled areas, mostly in Slovakia. Both national parks, along with a neighboring area in Poland, compose a separate biosphere reserve, the East Carpathian Biosphere Reserve. Besides Havešová, Rožok, and Stužica (all of them located in Bukovské vrchy), there is a fourth component situated in Slovakia, named Kyjovský prales of Vihorlat. Ukrainian locations include Chornohora, Kuziy-Trybushany, Maramarosh, Stuzhytsia–Uzhok, Svydovets, and Uholka–Shyrikyi Luh. Only a few of the ten components are accessible to visitors. Stužica is the only one of three locations in Bukovské vrchy (Slovakia) with available hiking trails. In 2017, UNESCO extended the site, adding forests in Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, and Spain. In 2021 UNESCO extended the site again adding forests in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, France, Italy, North Macedonia, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland. Then, in 2023 further minor extensions were made, including an expansion to the Dürrenstein-Lassingtal site in Austria, and the addition of a forest at Paklenica National Park in Croatia, including former Paklenica National Park-Suva draga-Klimenta and -Oglavinovac-Javornik.
List of component parts
The component parts included in the site as of December 2023 are:
Country Serial ID No.or ID Component part Component cluster Property [ha] Bufferzone [ha] Yearinscrib. Centre pointcoordinatesCarpathian Beech Forest Region Ukraine 1133quinquies-001UA_CBR Chornohora 2,476.80 12,925.00 2007 1133quinquies-002UA_CBR Kuziy-Trybushany 1,369.60 3,163.40 2007 1133quinquies-003UA_CBR Maramarosh 2,243.60 6,230.40 2007 1133quinquies-004UA_UNNP Stuzhytsia-Uzhok 2,532.00 3,615.00 2007 1133quinquies-005UA_CBR Svydovets 3,030.50 5,639.50 2007 1133quinquies-006UA_CBR Uholka-Shyrokyi Luh 11,860.00 3,301.00 2007 1133quinquies-063UA_GORG Gorgany 753.48 4,637.59 2017 1133quinquies-066UA_SYNE Darvaika Synevyr 1,588.46 312.32 2017 1133quinquies-067UA_SYNE Kvasovets 561.62 333.63 2017 1133quinquies-068UA_SYNE Strymba 260.65 191.14 2017 1133quinquies-069UA_SYNE Vilshany 454.31 253.85 2017 1133quinquies-070UA_ZACH Irshavka Zacharovanyi Krai 93.97 1,275.44 2017 1133quinquies-071UA_ZACH Velykyi Dil 1,164.16 2017 Slovakia 1133quinquies-089SK-POLO-01 Havešová Poloniny 167.88 6,474.84 20072021* 1133quinquies-090SK-POLO-02 Rožok 74.37 1,138.89 20072021* 1133quinquies-091SK-POLO-03 Stužica – Bukovské Vrchy 1,742.47 5,694.84 20072021* 1133quinquies-092SK-POLO-04 Udava 455.82 814.69 20072021* 1133quinquies-093SK-VIHO-02 Vihorlat 1,553.06 854.08 20072021* Romania 1133quinquies-043RO_NERE Cheile Nerei-Beușnița 4,292.27 5,959.87 2017 1133quinquies-044RO_SINC Sinca secular forest (Codrul secular Șinca) 338.24 445.76 2017 1133quinquies-045RO_SLAT Slătioara secular forest (Codrul secular Slătioara) 609.12 429.43 2017 1133quinquies-046RO_COZI Cozia Massif Cozia 2,285.86 2,408.83 2017 1133quinquies-047RO_COZI Lotrisor 1,103.30 2017 1133quinquies-048RO_DOMO Domogled-Coronini-Bedina Domogled –Valea Cernei 5,110.63 51,461.28 2017 1133quinquies-049RO_DOMO Iauna Craiovei 3,517.36 2017 1133quinquies-050RO_DOMO Ciucevele Cernei 1,104.27 2017 1133quinquies-051RO_TIBL Izvorul Șurii Groșii Țibleșului 210.55 563.57 2017 1133quinquies-052RO_TIBL Preluci 135.82 2017 1133quinquies-053RO_IZVO Izvoarele Nerei 4,677.21 2,494.83 2017 1133ter-046RO_STRA Strâmbu Băiuț 598.14 713.09 2017 Poland 1133quinquies-085PL-BIES-01 Border Ridge andGórna Solinka valley Bieszczady 1,506.05 24,330.52 2021 1133quinquies-086PL-BIES-02 Połonina Wetlińska and Smerek 1,178.03 2021 1133quinquies-087PL-BIES-03 Terebowiec stream valley 201.00 2021 1133quinquies-088PL-BIES-04 Wołosatka stream valley 586.66 2021 Polonic-Podoloc-Moldovan Beech Forest Region Ukraine 1133quinquies-064UA_ROZT Roztochchia 384.81 598.21 2017 1133quinquies-065UA_SATA Satanіvska Dacha 212.01 559.37 2017 Baltic Beech Forest Region Germany 1133quinquies-007DE_JASM Jasmund 492.50 2,510.50 2011 1133quinquies-008DE_SERR Serrahn 268.10 2,568.00 2011 1133quinquies-009DE_GRUM Grumsin 590.10 274.30 2011 Subatlantic-Hercynic Beech Forest Region Germany 1133quinquies-010DE_HAIN Hainich 1,573.40 4,085.40 2011 1133quinquies-011DE_KELL Kellerwald 1,467.10 4,271.40 2011 Czech Republic 1133quinquies-075CZ-JIZE-01 Jizera Mountains 444.81 2,279.40 2021 France 1133quinquies-077FR-GRAN-01 Grand Ventron 319.00 1,328.00 2021 Switzerland 1133quinquies-073CH-BETT-01 Bettlachstock Forest(Forêt de la Bettlachstock) 195.43 1,094.16 2021 Alpic Beech Forest Region Austria 1133quinquies-014AT_DUER Dürrenstein-Lassingtal 3,685.27 3,089.78 20172023* 1133quinquies-015AT_KALK Hintergebirge Kalkalpen 2,946.20 14,197.24 2017 1133quinquies-016AT_KALK Bodinggraben 890.89 2017 1133quinquies-017AT_KALK Urlach 264.82 2017 1133quinquies-018AT_KALK Wilder Graben 1,149.75 2017 Switzerland 1133quinquies-074CH-LODA-01 Forest reserves of Lodano, Busai and Soladino Valleys 806.78 2,330.74 2021 France 1133quinquies-076FR-CHAP-01 Chapitre 371.30 41.65 2021 Atlantic Beech Forest Region Belgium 1133quinquies-019BE_SONI Forest Reserve “Joseph Zwaenepoel” Sonian Forest(Forêt de Soignes) 187.34 4,650.86 2017 1133quinquies-020BE_SONI Grippensdelle A 24.11 2017 1133quinquies-021BE_SONI Grippensdelle B 37.38 2017 1133quinquies-022BE_SONI Réserve forestière du Ticton A 13.98 2017 1133quinquies-023BE_SONI Réserve forestière du Ticton B 6.50 2017 Moesian-Balcanic Beech Forest Region Albania 1133quinquies-012AL_LUMI Lumi i gashit 1,261.52 8,977.48 2017 1133quinquies-013AL_RRAJ Rrajca 2,129.45 2,569.75 2017 North Macedonia 1133quinquies-084MN-DLAB-01 Dlaboka Reka 193.27 234.70 2021 Bulgaria 1133quinquies-024BG_BALK Boatin Reserve Central Balkan 1,226.88 851.22 2017 1133quinquies-025BG_BALK Tsarichina Reserve 1,485.81 1,945.99 2017 1133quinquies-026BG_BALK Kozya stena Reserve 644,43 289.82 2017 1133quinquies-027BG_BALK Steneto Reserve 2,466.10 1,762.01 2017 1133quinquies-028BG_BALK Stara Reka Reserve 591.20 1,480.04 2017 1133quinquies-029BG_BALK Dzhendema Reserve 1,774.12 2,576.63 2017 1133quinquies-030BG_BALK Severen Dzhendem Reserve 926.37 1,066.47 2017 1133quinquies-031BG_BALK Peeshti skali Reserve 1,049.10 968.14 2017 1133quinquies-032BG_BALK Sokolna Reserve 824.90 780.55 2017 Illyric Beech Forest Region Croatia 1133quinquies-033HR_HAJD Forest reserves Hajdučki i Rožanski kukovi 1,289.11 9,869.25 2017 1133quinquies-034HR_PAKL-01 Paklenica National Park(formerlyPNP – Suva draga-Klimenta andPNP – Oglavinovac-Javornik) 2,036.81 824.86 20172023* Slovenia 1133quinquies-055SI_KROK Krokar 74.50 47.90 2017 1133quinquies-056SI_SNEZ Snežnik-Ždrocle 720.24 128.80 2017 Bosnia andHerzegovina 1133quinquies-072BH-JANJ-01 Prašuma Janj 295.04 380.74 2021 Central Mediterranean Beech Forest Region Italy 1133quinquies-035IT_ABRU Cervara Valley (Valle Cervara) Abruzzo, Lazio & Molise 119.70 751.61 2017 1133quinquies-036IT_ABRU Selva Moricento 192.70 2017 1133quinquies-037IT_ABRU Coppo del Morto 104.71 415.51 2017 1133quinquies-038IT_ABRU Coppo del Principe 194.49 446.62 2017 1133quinquies-039IT_ABRU Fondillo Valley (Val Fondillo) 325.03 700.95 2017 1133quinquies-081IT-POLL-01 Cozzo Ferriero Pollino National Park 95.75 2,851.83 20172021* 1133quinquies-082IT-POLL-02 Pollinello 477.94 2021 1133quinquies-083IT-VALL-01 Infernale Valley (Valle Infernale) 320.79 2,191.36 2021 1133quinquies-079IT-FUMB-01 Falascone Umbra Forest(Foresta Umbra) 254.30 3,486.29 20172021* 1133quinquies-080IT-FUMB-02 Pavari-Sfilzi 667.13 2021 1133quinquies-040IT_CIMI Monte Cimino 57.54 87.96 2017 1133quinquies-041IT_RASC Monte Raschio 73.73 54.75 2017 1133quinquies-042IT_SASS Sasso Fratino 781.43 6,936.64 2017 Pyrenaic-Iberian Beech Forest Region Spain 1133quinquies-057ES_AYLL Tejera Negra Beech forests of Ayllón(Hayedos de Ayllón) 255.52 13,880.86 2017 1133quinquies-058ES_AYLL Montejo 71.79 2017 1133quinquies-059ES_NAVA Lizardoia Beech forests of Navarra(Hayedos de Navarra) 63.97 24,494.52 2017 1133quinquies-060ES_NAVA Aztaparreta 171.06 2017 1133quinquies-061ES_PICO Cuesta Fría Beech forests ofPicos de Europa(Hayedos de Picos de Europa) 213.65 14,253.00 2017 1133quinquies-062ES_PICO Canal de Asotin 109.58 2017 France 1133quinquies-078FR-MASS-01 Massane 239.50 1,432.30 2021 * Only boundary modification.
Udava (Bukovské Vrchy, Slovakia) was created by modifying the boundary of Stužica before. Falascone (Italy) in turn was named previously Umbra Forest (Foresta Umbra).
This is a transnational serial nature UNESCO World Heritage Site, encompassing 94 component parts (forests) in 18 European countries. The total area of component parts is , including buffer zones . The largest total area of component parts is in Ukraine and Romania – 53% total (41% including buffer zones).
Forms of protection Component parts of this property overlap more or less with various protected areas like national parks, nature reserves, Natura 2000 network.Abbreviations:C – count of component parts in a given clusterN – overlapping with Natura 2000 areas