Fulufjället National Park

The National Park Fulufjällens (Swedish Fulufjällets national park ) in Dalarna covers the entire Swedish part of the Fulufjälls, a Fjällgebirges on the Norwegian - Swedish border, and parts of the adjacent lowlands. The park is the largest national park outside the Swedish Norrbotten and the southernmost Fjällnationalpark Sweden. It covers 384.14 km ² (of which 230.48 km ² wilderness zone) and extends from an altitude of about 500 m up to 1042 m ( Brattfjället ). The park is owned by the State in Sweden, but the park management is the responsibility of the province of Dalarna County. The already since 1973 a nature conservation area has the status of a national park since 2002. On the Norwegian side closes since 2012 at 82.5 km ² national park Fulufjellet.

22,140 ha of the core zone of the national park are certified as so-called " PAN Parks Wilderness Area " and belong to the Network of European Wildlife sanctuaries.

Special

Typical of the park are bald mountain regions, jungle-like valleys and steep cliffs, lush mats of the reindeer lichen. Also, is the 93 -meter-high Njupeskär Sweden's highest waterfall in the National Park. An archaeological site is the altar rings lying in the middle of the fells. The purpose of this circular stone structure is still unclear, it is thought that it could be a place of worship or an old plant for falconry. The National Park also known because of their advanced age spruce Old Tjikko stands.

Flora and Fauna

65 % of the National Park are covered by tundra. The Reindeer here is particularly lush pads, as in Fulufjäll in contrast to the more northern Sweden Fjällregionen no grazing reindeer. A total of 815 lichen and moss species occur in the park. Moreover, in the subalpine heath dwarf birch, Scheuchzers cotton grass and mat grass are typical. The eastern flank of the fell is dominated to a height of 700 to 800 m of lichen-rich old-growth forests with up to 500 years old pine trees. This area was once indeed partially used as summer pasture for cattle and goats, but today the forests are no longer cultivated. The vegetation of the gorges is characterized by high shrubs of Wolf - aconite, Alpine Milchlattich and drug - angelica. The deeper regions in the east of the National Park are characterized by swamps and taiga vegetation.

In Fulufjäll spruce Old Tjikko that has the same genetic material as 9500 years old deadwood at its foot stands. It is therefore sometimes referred to as " the oldest tree in the world ".

Noteworthy are also the large amounts of dead wood that originated by a large flood in 1997 and provide a valuable habitat today. The end of August were here within 24 hours up to 400 mm of rain, the highest ever measured in Scandinavia amount, which led to large landslides and floods. Particularly affected was the river Göljån in the east of the national park, whose swollen waters on the 500 -fold. With up to 6 meters high tsunami about 10,000 square meters of timber were uprooted.

The fauna of the national park is extremely varied and includes, for example, bear, lynx, beaver, otter, mountain and forest Lemming and moose. Wolf, wolverine and arctic fox are less common, the reindeer is missing here. The avifauna includes golden eagle, capercaillie and ptarmigan, as characteristic bird of the National Park is considered the Siberian jay.

Infrastructure

The visitor center is in the village of Nationalparks61.63638888888912.715833333333720 Mörkret about 20 km west of Särna in the northeast of Fulufjälls near the waterfall Njupeskär. 140 km of marked hiking trails lead through the park, including the southern portion of the King's Trail also the most famous long-distance path in Sweden. There are 15 rest houses, including nights suitable for self-catering chalets. In the core zone are activities that could interfere with the experience of nature, is prohibited. On the periphery, there are moose hunting, sport fishing, boat rentals and snowmobile rides on fixed routes.

Fulufjällens Gallery

The High Moor

Landscape in Fulufjällens

Fulufjällens in winter

View over the Fulufjäll

Old Tjikko ( the oldest tree )