VIDEO: Lonjsko Polje Nature Park – Horses & Storks on the Pastures
- by croatiaweek
- in Travel
(Photo: Lonjsko Polje NP)
Lonjsko Polje is the largest protected wetland in both Croatia and the entire Danube basin.
It covers an area of 505.6 square kilometres, extending along the river Sava from the areas east of Sisak, the lower course of the river Lonja for which it is named, to the areas west of Nova Gradiška along the course of the river Veliki Strug.
The area of Lonjsko Polje has been a designated protected nature park since 1998.
(Photo: Goran Safarek)
(Photo: Goran Safarek)
Lonjsko Polje Nature Park is also an important area for birds according to the criteria of the Birds Directive of the European Union and has 250 recorded bird species.
(Photo: Goran Safarek)
In European and indeed in world terms, such a large concentration of birds on a relatively small area of 506 square kilometres gives a good picture how rich the avian fauna is.
(Photo: Goran Safarek)
Lonjsko Polje is an important site for the nesting, overwintering, and habitation of numbers of bird species.
113 of the bird species that live here are endangered at a national level, whilst 79 species are threatened at the European level. 227 species are protected by the Croatian Nature Protection Law and 133 species are protected by international conventions.
(Photo: Goran Safarek)
The village of Čigoč is located on the right bank of the Sava River along the Tišina oxbow and in 1984 was proclaimed the First European Stork Village because of the large number of nests on the roofs of the wooden Posavina-style houses.
Village of Čigoč (Photo: Goran Safarek)
Check out the stunning video below of Lonjsko Polje Nature Park filmed by Goran Safarek.
