Overview of Parks and Park Projects

The Swiss National Park in the Engadine has existed since 1914. It has a long history and its own legislative basis.

The new parks that have been established since 2008 in Switzerland are based on the Nature and Cultural Heritage Protection Act (NHG). The legislation differentiates between three categories of parks:

• National park
• Regional nature park
• Nature discovery park

The park projects are in varying stages of progress:

In 2008 the “UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch” received the label “Park of national significance” from the Federal Government, in 2009 the parks Thal and Wildnispark Zürich and 2010 the Biosfera Val Müstair followed its path. The seven parks Binntal, Chasseral, Diemtigtal, Ela, Gantrisch, Gruyère Pays-d'Enhaut and Jurapark Aargau received the label "Park of national significance" in September 2011. These 12 parks are now in the operational phase.

During the last three years, six parks received the “Candidate” label: Adula, Beverin, Doubs, Jura vaudois, Locarnese and Pfyn-Finges. They are now in the establishment phase. Some of them might hand in their charters to the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) in January 2012 to receive the label "Park of national significance" as well.