Ukrainian nature reserves are outstanding, special sights of this amazing country. Many corners of the reserved places remember the times that have gone far into the depths of centuries and millennia and have brought to our days a piece of the most ancient nature in all its pristine beauty. Gorgany Nature Reserve is one of such amazing places, and it will be interesting to visit it for everyone who is interested in flora, fauna, grandeur and fabulous nature of the most interesting corners of our planet.
The Gorgany Reserve was founded in 1996 in the western part of Nadvornyansky district of Ivano-Frankivsk region near Dovbushanka mountain. It was formed due to the transformation of the Gorgany Reserve Forestry, established in 1974, and included in its composition reserves of national importance Sadki, Giurdzhu, tracts Hnilyak, Chernik, Novostroika, Stoly, Dovzhynets and Elmy. Today its area is more than 5 thousand hectares, and all these are amazing places that have preserved ancient vegetation and natural landscapes of breathtaking beauty.
The reserve owes its memorable name to the local word Gorgany, which is the name given to the stone placers formed by sandstone and covering more than 11% of the entire area of the reserve. Covering the slopes of the Dovbushansky Gorgans, the stony placers, among which trees rise to the sky, overcoming all obstacles, present a fantastic picture to the eye, forming an unforgettable picture together with the sharp peaks of mountain tops. The highest mountains are Medvezhik (1736m) and Dovbushanka (1754m), and the reserve itself lies at an altitude of 750 to 1750 meters above sea level, where about 30 mountain rivers originate, which then flow into the Nadvornianska Bystitsa.
The forest cover of the reserve is beech, spruce and fir forests, including spruce and fir forests, where there are relict plants, among which there are European cedar pine preserved since the early Holocene epoch, European cedar pine, multifarious bunchgrass, wolf’s bald, plaunus barnacle, Blechnum colosum, ostrich and others. In general, the Gorgany Reserve has the richest flora and fauna. Many rare, endemic and relict plants grow here, and the rarest animals live here.
The reserve is home to 235 species of mosses and 451 species of vascular plants, 30 of which are listed in the Ukrainian Red Data Book: Lunnik ovitalnyi, Jatryshniki schlemonosnyi and male, pololepestnik green, ovoid stash and others. There are 25 species of endemic (growing only here) plants — these are Carpathian Totia, Carpathian and Marmaro cornflowers, Carpathian carnation, round-leaved Nyvyanik, deviated violet and others.
The animal world of the reserve includes more than 1000 species of invertebrates, 149 species of vertebrates, 103 species of birds, 47 species of mammals, 12 species of fish, as well as 9 species of amphibians. There are brown bear, fox, lynx, deer, roe deer, hare, wild boar, otter, mink, marten, wolf, woodpecker, robin, grouse, thrush, hawk, owl, trout. There are also rare animals in the reserve — newt, salamander, long-tailed owl, owl, ermine, forest cat, black stork, grouse and other endangered species of animals. 23 species of «local inhabitants» are included in the Red Book, 10 of which are also included in the European Red List.
There are three scientific and educational trails through the Gorgany Nature Reserve that offer fascinating tourist walks: «Djurji», «Above the Lake» and «Polenski Slope». A trip to the corners of this Carpathian landmark will certainly be memorable for each of its guests, will amaze with the beauty of nature untouched by civilization and will make you spend your holiday in Polyanitsa.