Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park
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| Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park | |
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IUCN Category II (National Park)
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 Lake Colomers |
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| Nearest city | Lleida |
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| Coordinates | 42°35′13″N 0°58′28″E / 42.58694°N 0.97444°ECoordinates: 42°35′13″N 0°58′28″E / 42.58694°N 0.97444°E |
| Area | 141 km2 (54 sq mi) |
| Established | 1956 |
| Governing body | Catalan Department of Environment and Housing |
Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park (Catalan: 'Parc Nacional d'Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici') is the only national park in Catalonia, Spain.
A wild mountain region in the Pyrenees, with peaks rising to 3,017 m (Besiberri Sud) and with nearly 200 lakes, many of them of glacial origin, the park comprises:
- the core area (141 km²)
- a peripheral or buffer zone surrounding the park (267 km²)
The park has an elevation range from 1,600 to 3,000 metres and contains four major vegetation zones: lower montane, upper montane, subalpine and alpine. It has a great variety of alpine vegetation, including dark-coniferous mountain forest (fir, mountain pine) and subalpine pine forest.
The fauna includes Pyrenean chamois, marmot, ermine, roe deer, among other mammals and numerous birds (Black Woodpecker, Common Crossbill, Lammergeier, Golden Eagle).
The park was created in 1956. Its administrative seats are in Espot and Boí. The park is mainly located in the comarques of Pallars Sobirà and Alta Ribagorça.
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[edit] Refuges
Trekkers can find up to 10 guarded refuges in the park and its peripherical area. These are open during four months (end of spring and summer). During the winter, every refuge has its own opening calendar (usually around Christmas and Easter). The refuges are the following:
- Amitges [1]
- Colomers
- Colomina
- Ernest Mallafré
- Estany Llong
- Josep Mª Blanc
- Pla de la Font
- Restanca
- Saboredo [2]
- Ventosa i Calvell [3]
Additionally, there are two unguarded but well-equipped refuges (Mataró and Besiberri).
[edit] Surroundings
Close to the park there is a rich architectural heritage, including the Catalan Romanesque churches of the Vall de Boí. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in November 2000.[4] A good example is the Sant Climent de Taüll church.
[edit] Gallery
 Refugi Colomina |
 San Maurici lake |
 Pond de Ratera |
[edit] References
- ^ (Spanish) REFUGI D'AMITGES 2.380 mts
- ^ Oc, Nheu, neu, val d'aran, Saboredo
- ^ (Italian) http://www.refugiventosa.com/
- ^ Catalan Romanesque Churches of the Vall de Boí - World Heritage website
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Parc Nacional d'Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici |
