... one-third of all European vascular plant species can be found in the Carpathians? That means almost 4,000 plant species, and 481 of them are found only in the Carpathians!
… Gerlachovsky Peak (2,655 m altitude) in the High Tatras in Slovak Republic is the highest peak of the Carpathians?
… the European Union’s largest populations of brown bears, wolves, lynx, European bisons and imperial eagles (globally threatened species) are found in the Carpathians?
… 36 national parks, 51 nature parks and protected landscape areas, 19 biosphere reserves and 200 other protected areas are member of the Carpathian Network of Protected areas
… there are 36 registered UNESCO World Heritage sites and 49 important pilgrimage destinations in the Carpathian area?
… the number of hotels in the Carpathians has increased by nearly 60% in the last ten years?
… the Carpathians contain the continent's largest remaining natural mountain beech and beech/coniferous forest ecosystems and the largest area of pristine forest in Europe (outside Russia)?
... the Carpathians are the largest, most twisted and fragmented mountain chain in Europe? They are Europe’s largest mountains by area.
… in the 1970’s, about 1,000,000 people worked in the mining sector in the Carpathians? Today, the number of employees in this sector is about 340,000.
… the Carpathians were put on the WWF ‘Global 200’ list of major ecoregions in need of biodiversity and habitat conservation?
… more than half of the Carpathians are covered by forests? The Carpathian forests are a vital link between the forests of the north and those of the west and south-west of Europe.
The Carpathians belong to the most important European eco-regions. Biodiversity loss and increasing pressures threaten its outstanding natural values. Traditional approaches to resource management and nature conservation are no longer sufficient to guarantee long-lasting economic benefits and provision of ecosystem services. Such problems cannot be solved by one country alone and require transnational cooperation.
To tackle these challenges and to improve management capacities in protected areas, the project “Centralparks” was developed. After three successful years, the project now comes to an end and will present its conclusive outcomes to the wider public. Therefore, we are pleased to invite you to join the Centralparks final conference with the title “Transnational cooperation for the sustainable future of the Carpathian region” and discuss together the sustainable future of the Carpathian region.
Please find the agenda and all necessary information below. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to write us an email ( isidoro.debortoli@eurac.edu and hanna.ollos@wilderness-society.org ).
23 + 24 March 2022, Hotel Turówka, Wielicka, Poland and online.
Register here for ONSITE attendance!
This above registration is for on-site-participation only. If you would like to attend online, please register here:
You can view the draft agenda HERE. The agenda is subject to change in accordance with the organisational needs.
To be able to participate on-site you must present a valid EU Digital Covid Certificate or a negative PCR-test-result no older than 48 h on each day.
For further information please consultant the official guidelines of the Polish government.
On day 2 (24.03.) in the afternoon, an excursion to the local Wieliczka salt mine will be offered. This will be an interesting opportunity to discover one of the oldest salt mines in the world and dive into the history of the region. The sightseeing will take around 3 hours and cost 25 €. The costs are borne by the participants. Please indicate in the registration form whether you would like to join.