User:Svetovid/baparksandlakes

Parks and lakes

Sad Janka Kráľa in Petržalka, the oldest public park in Europe.

Kuchajda lake with the Little Carpathians in the background.

Thanks to its location on the foothills of the Little Carpathians and riparian vegetation on floodplains, Bratislava has forests close to the city centre. Total space of public green per inhabitant in Bratislava is 110 square meters, i.e. 46.8 km² for the whole city. The largest city park is Horský park (literally Mountain(ous) Park) situated in the Old Town. The Bratislava Forest Park, managed by the Bratislava City Forests, is located in the Little Carpathians and includes many localities popular among visitors, such as Železná studienka and Koliba. The Forest Park covers an area of 27.3 km² (10.54 mi²), of which 96% is covered with forests and the rest consists of meadows, water and built-up areas. The Forest Park contains original flora and fauna, for example, European badger, red fox and mouflon. On the right bank of the Danube in the Petržalka city part is Sad Janka Kráľa, the first public park in Europe, founded in 1774-76. A new city park is planned for Petržalka between the Malý Draždiak and Veľký Draždiak lakes.

Bratislava's zoological park is located in Mlynská dolina, close to the headquarters of the Slovak Television. The zoo founded in 1960 currently houses 152 species of animals, including a rare white lion.

The city has a number of natural and man-made lakes, most of which are also used for recreation. Examples include Štrkovec lake and Kuchajda in Ružinov, the Vajnory lakes and Zlaté Piesky in the north-east, and Rusovce lake, which is popular with nudists.