Vihorlat Protected Landscape Area

€20 silver collector coin

The Vihorlat Mountains (Slovak: Vihorlatské vrchy) are the easternmost of Slovakia’s volcanically formed mountains. The Vihorlat Protected Landscape Area (PLA) was created in 1973. Although not large in terms of their area and height above sea level, the Vihorlat Mountains are impressive. The dominant rock is andesite, and in many places there are rock cliffs formed by ancient lava flows. The Vihorlat Mountains are one of the most forested mountain ranges in Slovakia, with 80% of their area covered by forest ecosystems. These include areas of primeval forest that are largely untouched by human activity. A highlight of the mountains is Morské oko lake, one of the largest non-karst lakes in the Carpathians. When viewed from Sninský kameň hill, it has the shape of an irregular five-pointed star. Straddling the border between the Pannonian and Carpathian bioregions, the Vihorlat PLA features around 400 species of fungi, 60 lichens, 110 bryophytes and 600 species of higher plants. The local fauna is also diverse, with around 100 species of birds nesting in the area and various carnivorous mammals inhabiting its dense forests.