Braslau Lakes is one of the seven Belarus National Parks. It is a unique ecosystem with a number of lakes and large area of pine forest with a general area of about 700 km 2. This include 30 lakes. The largest lakes are Drivaty (be: Дрывяты), Snudy (be: Снуды), and Strusto (be: Струсто).
| Braslau Lakes | |
|---|---|
| Parent company | Belarus National Parks |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Founder | Belarus National Parks |
| Distributor(s) | [[]] |
| Country of origin | Belarus |
| Location | Belarus |
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Location
The territory oа the National Park is separate and it is in Braslav administrative district near the border with Lithuania. In the north it is adjacent to Belorussian-Latvian border. The entire territory of the park stretches in the north-eastern direction. In this direction it is 55 km long and in width it is between 5 to 29 km. Total area of the park is 69.1 thousand hectares. The southern part of the park is represented by lowlands covered with forests. The major part of the area is occupied by different types of bogs. One can encounter several beautiful forest lakes. Here you can find the lake Boginskoye - one of the most beautiful in the Braskav area. The forests here belong to coniferous-deciduous group and occupy 31 thousands hectares. One can distinguish the following woodlands: Borunsky, Belmont, Boguinsky, Druiskaya Dacha. Pine-woods and fir-woods are widely spread.
History
Through the latest glacial period, about 18-29 thousand years ago, the area of Braslav Lakes was covered with vast ice fields, the thickness of up to several hundreds meters. The warming, which came afterwards brought along slow ice melting and its movement further to the north. As a result of the complicated process, which accompany the melting of such a huge amount of ice, the characteristic features of the nature of Poozerye with its hilly relief and lakes have shaped. Their concentration at certain relatively small territories is sometimes simply unique. In the North-West of the Republic of Belarus one of the most picturesque lake group of Belorussian Poozerye - the Braslav lakes- is located. An amazing lace comprising 30 big and small lake connected between each other spread out at the area of 114 km2. The biggest lakes are Drivyaty, Snudy, Strusto, Voiso, Volosovo, Nedrovo, Nespish, Berezhe. This group of lakes made up the core of the Braslav Lakes National Park, which was set up in September 1995.
Animals and plants
Out of the rare species, which are entered in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Belarus, the habitat of badger, lynx, bear are noticed. Out of the water-fowl you can distinguish the swans. This beautiful bird was practically ousted by people but now it inhabits the Braslav lakes. You can meet a black stork, grey crane, silver seagull, willow grouse, dunlin, etc. The lakes of Braslav are rich with different kinds of fish. Pike perch, bream, white bait, tench, whitefish are widely spread. Eel is of especial value. Widely spread are bore, roe, squirrel, brown and white hare, fox, raccoon, wolf, marten, otter, mink.