Nationalpark Šumava (NP Šumava)

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Description

The Protected Landscape Area of Šumava is located in the administrative territory of the South Bohemia and Pilsen regions, extending into the districts of Český Krumlov, Prachatice and Klatovy. The Šumava (Bohemian) Forest together with the neighbouring Bavarian Forest creates the most extensive forest landscape in Central Europe, called the "Green Roof of Europe". The plateaus with emerging peaks and canyons formed by a natural force of water erosion in the western part, or the extensive Trojmezenská mountain massif along with the Vltava alluvial plain in the south, are home to various communities of plant and animal species.
Numerous peatlands communities enable even some postglacial-age species to survive. Primeval mountain forest remnants, glacial lakes, mountain and valley raised bogs make this area a unique "gem" of natural beauty ingled with traces of secular human presence, giving this sparsely inhabited area a special magic and a touch of eeriness.

The Protected Landscape Area of Šumava which covers 168,654 hectares was established by the Ministry of Education and Culture on 27.12.1963 by Decree No. 53855/63. This decree was newly regulated by the Ministry of Culture Decree No. 5954/75 of 17 March 1975. Government Regulation No. 163/1991 Coll. from 20.3.1991 established the Šumava National Park in part of Šumava PLA resulting in an area of 99,624 hectares which is no longer included in the National Park.
Under the provisions of § 78 article 1 of Act No. 144/1992 Coll. on Nature Conservation and Landscape Protection as amended; the Administration of the National Park also acts as the administrating body for the Protected Landscape Area of Šumava.

The mission of the area (the subject and the objective of the protection) is to protect all the values of the landscape, its appearance and its characteristic features and natural resources and to create a balanced living environment; the typical features of the landscape particularly include the surface shaping with water surfaces and streams, the vegetation and wild fauna, the layout and use of the forest and the agricultural land and in relation to its deployment, the urban structure of the housing estates, the architectural composition and the local traditional housing.

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