Bratislavský lesný park or Bratislava Forest Park is a forestpark (actually a forest) in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, located in the foothills of the Little Carpathians. Officially, it is part of numerous boroughs of Bratislava: Dúbravka, Karlova Ves, Záhorská Bystrica, Vinohrady, Old Town, New Town and Rača. The park is administered by Mestské lesy v Bratislave (Bratislava City Forests), a specialized non-profit organization (Slovak: samostatne hospodáriaca príspevková organizácia hlavného mesta SR Bratislavy). It covers an area of 27.3km² (10.54mi²), of which 96% is covered with forests; the rest consists of meadows, water and built-up areas. The Vydrica river originates in the park's territory.
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (May 2013)
With its dense network of hiking trails, roads and recreational facilities, Bratislava Forest Park includes many localities popular among visitors, such as Železná studienka (Little iron well), Partizánska lúka (Partisan meadow), Koliba and the Kamzík TV Tower. Two-thirds of visitors enter the Bratislava Forest Park through the Červený most area near Patrónka, a major transport junction in the city.[1] The park is served by the Železná studienka Bratislava train station, the public city transport and parking is provided for up to 150 vehicles.
History
The area of the Bratislava Forest Park has been inhabited since the paleolithic age by hunter-gatherers.[2]Neolithic age brought the transition to farming marking the beginning of human transformation of the local environment. Iron Age brought the usage of iron and numerous tribe movements, often conducting warfare in the areas they were moving into. Notable ethnic groups from this time include the Celts and the Quadi, the latter had to divide their power with the Roman Empire, whose northern border was the Danube river, just south of the area of today's Bratislava Forest Park. The Romans exploited the natural resources across their border, hunting larger animals and cutting down the primeval forest, transporting the wood on the Danube downstream to their military camps and provinces. The Romans also introduced viticulture into the region that would be famous for its wines later, in the Middle Ages.
Division
Sitina
Partizánska lúka
Železná studienka
Kamzík
Description
Flora
The park flora belongs to the Western Carpathians flora (Carpaticum occidentale) and into its part Praecarpaticum slovacum. The area is densely forested, original trees are oak and beech. Other plants include field maple, and elderberry.
The whole area of the Bratislava Forest Park is an official, active hunting ground. There are seven crops fields for wild animals, three Red deer feeders, 25 Roe deer feeders and 16 hunter's watch towers. There is no hunter's lodge in the park.
Hunting is managed by the Bratislava City Forests (Slovak: Mestské lesy v Bratislave) using their own hunters and eight hunting dogs. The company also sells hunting tickets. Fishing is managed by the Bratislava subsidiary of the Slovak fisher's union in Žilina (Slovak: Slovenský rybársky zväz v Žiline, mestská organizácia v Bratislave).
Tourism
Bratislava Forest Park is accessible by public transport. Železná studienka itself can be reached in five minutes by bus No. 43, starting from Patrónka (a major transport junction in Bratislava). Automobile access to the park is limited.
The last research of the visitors to the Bratislava Forest Park was conducted during June and July 2012 as part of the Urbannatur project, which is part of the Cross-border Cooperation Program Slovakia - Austria 2007-2013, financed by the European Union and the state budget of the Slovak Republic. The research concluded that the most important entrance point into the park is Červený most with 62% total visitors, other entrance points in descending order of use are Koliba and Pekná cesta – Horáreň Krasňany. Cyclists represent 13% of all visitors, most of them - 37% access the park from Potočná Street in Rača.
While dogs are allowed entry into the park, visitors are prohibited from letting them off the leash.[3] According to VZN 6/2003 §2, letter C, the Bratislava Forest Park is a public area (Slovak: verejné priestranstvo).