“Shar- Planin ” ( Serb. National Park Shar-planina ) is a national park in the autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija in Serbia . Founded in 1986 . The park covers an area of 39,000 hectares .
| National Park "Shar Planina" | |
|---|---|
| Serb. National Park Shar-planina | |
 | |
| IUCN Category II ( National Park ) | |
| basic information | |
| Square | 39 000 ha |
| Founding date | 1986 |
| Location | |
| A country |
|
| Nearest town | Prizren |
The Shar-Planina mountain range in ancient Greece was called Scardon ( Greek Σκάρδον ), or Scardos ( Greek Σκάρδος ), which sounds like Scardus in Latin style ( Latin Scardus ). It is believed that the modern name Shar-Planina comes from the Greek word Scardon .
The park has the following reserves:
- mixed deciduous forests and rocky gorge at the Russenica mountain, habitat of the Balkan lynx ( lat. Lynx lynx balcanicus );
- Popovo prasa ( Serb. Popovo prasa ) - unmixed and mixed forests, where Bosnian pine grows, or Geldreyha pine ( lat. Pinus heldreichii );
- Oshlyak ( Serb. Oshak ) - boron, where mountain pine grows, unmixed spruce forests;
- Golem Forest ( Serb. Golem Forest ) is an ancient forest that has survived to the present day.
The Shar Planina National Park contains 147 species of butterflies , more than 200 species of birds ( bearded vulture , griffon vulture , golden eagle , wood grouse ), which makes up 60% of Serbia's avifauna. In the open spaces of the park you can see such endemic and relict species of small rodents , such as the snow vole , as well as such species as pine marten , otter , forest cat , lynx , bear and chamois .
With numerous glacial lakes and various forms of glacial relief, the Shar-Planina mountain range is a real open-air glacial relief museum.
34 medieval churches and monasteries, such as the monastery of St. Peter of Korishsky of the XIII century and the monastery of St. Archangel of the 15th century not far from Prizren, represent a rich cultural and historical heritage. Tourists can use the ski center in Brezovice and visit the picturesque Lake Livadici located nearby.