Welcome to the Park of the Week Newsletter for March 14, 2024. When this week’s park opens in 2024, it will be the first wild river national park in Europe.
Vjosa Wild River National Park
Location
Pindus Mountains to the Adriatic Sea, Southern Albania
Claim to fame
Vjosa Wild River National Park is set to become the first wild river national park in Europe. The park will open to visitors in 2024 and protect one of the few remaining wild rivers in Europe.
Vjosa park was established after a decade of urging from environmental activists and NGOs. Organizations like Save the Blue Heart of Europe (which aims to protect Balkan rivers) and the clothing company Patagonia, have donated money to support the creation of the park.
The park will protect 400 km (250 miles) of wild river, home to more than 1000 species, several of which are threatened or endangered. The Vjosa River’s dams and other barriers have been removed, making it one of the healthiest waterways in Europe.
Reason to visit
Already known for its beautiful wilderness, Albania attracts around 7.5 million tourists a year, more than twice the nation’s population. With the introduction of Vjosa park, Albanian leaders are hoping to develop the country into a prime destination for ecotourism.
The park will host campers, hikers, and rafters. The river’s abundant wildlife, including 31 freshwater fish species and over 250 bird species, make it an ideal spot for animal-lovers. Thirteen of the park’s animal species and 30 of its plant species have been listed as globally threatened, which means that a visit to the park not only supports the region’s burgeoning ecotourism but helps preserve a critical habitat.
The Vjosa River is important to the people of Albania and their heritage. The national park will also contain a previously designated UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site–a village containing some of the rarest Ottoman-era architecture in the world.
Wild Fact
This week’s wild fact is about something not so wild: Europe has the most obstructed riverway system in the world. There are over a million barriers–like dams, weirs, and fords–on European waterways. Wild rivers like the Vjosa have nearly been extirpated on the European continent.
The constrictions on these waterways impact their health–reducing their biodiversity as well as the amount and quality of their water. 60% of European rivers have been classified as unhealthy, and one out of three freshwater fish species in Europe is nearing extinction.
The creation of Vjosa Wild River National Park signals a hopeful turning point for Europe’s rivers. The EU has committed to restoring 25,000 km (1,550 miles) of free-flowing rivers by removing dams and other barriers.
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