CZECH  REPUBLIC;TOUR DESTINATIONS IN CZECH REPUBLIC: 1. KRKONOSE NATIONAL PARK( CZECH REPUBLIC); Establishment: 1963. Krkonose means “Giant Mountains” (German: Riesengebirge). The range with famous ski slopes is about 40 km long and 32 km wide. An area of peat bogs, valleys, forested slopes, alpine meadows, and plateaus, the region is also the source of the Elbe River. Highest peak is Mt. Sneska, “snow mountain” 1,602 meters. Glacial relicts of plants and animals that formerly had a much wider distribution in Europe may still be found here. Geographical location: Along the NW border with Poland. Size: 38,000 ha ( 5,600 in Poland). Climate; Temperate, but montane with much snow. Accessibility: By a variety of transportation from Prague (150 km).GEOLOGY: The Giant Mountains represent remnants of rocks originating about 500 million years ago.FLORA : Coniferous forests dominate; mountain pine and Carpathian birch grow on the mountain ridges and slopes. Plants of particular interests ; snow ball saxifrage, cloudberry on some peat soil, two endemic species; Arabis sudetica and Serbus sudetica, the willows- polar willow, pygmy willow, and Lapland willow- and sedges; Carex magellanica and C. panciflora;MAMMALS: Include red deer, roe deer, mouflon (introduced) and wild boar.BIRDS: Three birds with very restricted distribution in Europe may be found here; the dotterel, the nutcracker, and the ring ouzel.