Narwiański Park Narodowy

The Narew National Park is located in the north-east of Poland and occupies a total area of 6810 ha. The Park was established on July 22, 1996 and occupies a part of the Narew valley between Suraz and Rzedziany. The park’s office is located in Kurowo in an antique manor house surrounded by an old rural park with numerous nature monuments.

The aim of the establishment of the Narew National Park was to protect the swampy Narew valley and its unique anastomosing river-system with richness of flora and fauna. Widespread, highly complicated systems of river channels have lead to the formation of a vast wetland ecosystem that nearly fills the entire valley bottom and forms a mosaic of flood plains, swamps and sandy mounds.

In total, 58 plants communities are found in the area. Marsh plants, mainly reed and pendulous sedge but also a huge number of aquatic plants dominate this area. Willows and beech-trees are found at the edges of the valley. More than 650 species of vascular plants represent the flora of the Park (including many protected species). The vegetation of the NNP is rich in species being under strict protection, e.g. Siberian iris, Greek valerian, common sundew, gladiolus, superb pink and orchids.

The Narew National Park and its buffer zones are a core bird life area of European importance. About 203 species of birds live in the various ecosystems. Moreover, the Narew valley is an important stop over for many migrating birds and provides excellent resting sites, particularly during spring time. Several of these species are threatened, including bittern, Montagu's harrier, great snipe, curlew, spotted crake, little crake, and aquatic warbler. The emblem of the National Park is the marsh harrier. Due to the unique diversity of the flora and fauna in the Narew National Park this area is an important site regarding the European Network of Natura 2000.

The Narew National Park is inhabited by 40 species of mammals, of witch the most characteristic ones - beaver and other are connected with water or marshy areas. The visitors can also meet elk, roe deer, wild boar, musk-rat, fox, raccoon dog, weasel, ermine, American mink, stone marten and others. Waters of the Narew River are inhabited by fish species including: pike, wels, roach, common bream, burbot and ide.