30 years have passed since the founding of the Valdai National Park (the Novgorod region). It is located in the northern part of the Valdai Upland, which is the main watershed of the Russian Plain and one of the six major planetary watersheds.
According to the Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, this special protected natural area was created in 1990 in order to preserve this unique lake-forest complex.
The Ministry of Natural Resources reminded that the National Park is one of the largest protected areas in the European part of Russia. Within its borders, there are about 200 lakes.
In 1994, the national park was admitted to the Federation of Natural National Parks of Europe. In 2004, the territory was granted the status of an international biosphere reserve under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere program.
As part of the development of eco-tourism in 2019, a unique eco-route “The Great Valdai Trail” was opened in the national park, its length is 59 km. The route is equipped with everything necessary for an active and comfortable stay. There are base camps and parking lots, bridges over rivers and wooden flooring have been built. In the future, the length of the route is expected to be increased.
