Karula National Park

Karula National Park lies in southern Estonia, in the Antsla and Rouge parishes of Voru County and the Valga parish of Valga County. It was first protected in 1979 and became a national park in 1993, and is the smallest national park in Estonia, covering almost a third of the hilly Karula Uplands. Its rich flora includes species on the Estonian red list such as the Baltic orchid, mezereon and the daisyleaf grape fern, the last found in only three locations in the country. The fauna of the park includes threatened species such as the pond bat, lesser spotted eagle and black stork, alongside common mammals such as elk, Eurasian lynx and European polecat.