Switzerland reserves and national parks names. National parks and reserves in Switzerland. Swiss national park

Switzerland is a small country by European standards, so it is not surprising that there is only one national natural park. By the way, it’s called that: Swiss National Park. At the beginning of the 20th century, the territory of today's park was subjected to the so-called industrialization.

This term, translated into normal language, means the total development of natural resources. And after the latter were almost fully used, someone came up with the idea: "But would we create here, all of ourselves, a national natural park."


And since this idea absolutely did not contradict the democratic principles of building a society, it fell on fertile ground and is still there. In any case, in 1914, economic activity was completely prohibited on its territory.

And after some time it was announced the creation of a national park. And the reason for the creation of the park was announced: the need to study the ability of nature to restore.



The park is located in the Engadin Valley region and its total area is 172.4 square kilometers. Moreover, all of it is within the altitude from 1400 meters above sea level to 3174 meters.

Its second name is: Engodin Park, due to the fact that it occupies the southern slopes of the valley of the same name. This park became the first alpine reserve in Europe, created in a place actively developed by man.


What to see.



Since human economic activity in the park is prohibited in any field of activity, this fact has had a very favorable effect on the animal world of the park. In any case, not every nature reserve today can boast of more than 60 species of mammals.

Among the latter there are such rare species today as the alpine mountain goat, chamois, alpine marten, lynx, brown bear and a considerable number of others, among which there is even an endemic alpine newt.



It is clear that such types of illegal fishing as poaching are unacceptable here. Moreover, there are many prohibitions in the park, which are not very easy to explain with Slavic logic.

In particular, it is forbidden to ride a bicycle in the park, make loud noises and spend the night in tents. Moreover, fines are not prescribed by the human traffic police, but by a strict and incorruptible security service of the park.



But the main treasure in the park are 21 hiking trails. Their total length is 80 kilometers and they fully represent the opportunity to admire the beauties of these places and see the local inhabitants in their natural conditions.

It is also interesting that the entrance to the park is absolutely free, which is quite rare for Switzerland. In addition, along its perimeter there are 9 parking lots, which are also free and have their own routes departing from them.

The park is open from June to October, so everyone is welcome to hurry up, otherwise the protracted economic crisis may make its not very good corrections to such a safe and cheap location.



The most interesting thing is that opposite the southern slopes of the Engadine Valley are the northern slopes. So, on these slopes there is also a nature reserve created in 2006. His name is Al Regional Park.

It covers the territory of the local mountain range between the peaks of El and Kesh. Its area is 600 square kilometers and here human economic activity is allowed on a limited scale.


Its last feature in particular allows you to ride on the Rhaetische Bahn railway, which is included in UNESCO lists. Its length is 63 kilometers. It would seem that this is, if not for 55 bridges and 39 tunnels, which are also included in the route.

But actually there is nothing to say about the views of the Engadin mountains, because it must be seen. In addition, there are ski resorts, which do not pass the fashion of skiing from year to year.



There is another popular Jura Nature Park in Switzerland. Apparently they named him in honor of the first cosmonaut of the Earth. It lies along the shores of Lake Geneva from Le Santier to Nyon. The pearls of the park are the Jurassic Mountains and one of the most beautiful valleys in Switzerland, the Zhu Valley.



Despite the fairly populated area there is a very rich world of flora and fauna. And in Lake Zhu, there are over 50 species of fish. As elsewhere in Switzerland, an excellent network of hiking and skiing routes is built here. Their total length is 523 kilometers.

And the local food service sector in the form of restaurants and cafes will add flavor. There are also bicycle routes, which enjoy increased attention among fans of two-wheeled cars with foot drive. Search for cheap hotels.


How to get there.

The best option for outdoor activities in the Engadin National Park is a stop in St. Moritz. This area has a very developed infrastructure and anyone who suffers from natural spectacles will feel comfortable here.

The main mode of transport for arriving at the resort of St. Moritz is the railway. The most convenient train from Zurich, which runs every hour to the Chur. In the latter, a transfer is made to St. Moritz. Trains run from Kura once an hour, starting at 13.58 and ending at 17.58.

Travel company Travel Plan - “DSBW Travel Collection” organizes sightseeing tours to Switzerland in 2020, which we offer at very competitive prices for mini-groups of up to 12 people, which provide the highest level of comfort on a sightseeing trip. We have tours as soon as Switzerland and in combination with Bavaria, for example a tour Bavaria - Switzerland  or tour "Switzerland Classic"  . Zurich and Bern, Geneva and Lucerne, Montreux and Vivey, the Rhine Falls and the medieval Stein am Rhein, the Fondue dinner in Gruyere and much more await you on our tours.

Switzerland is an amazing country that has been ignored by the war and adversities of the past century. For many, it is a model of comfort and peace. Switzerland is diverse and diverse. Different traditions and cultures coexist here: the German-speaking Zurich and the French-speaking Geneva, speaking Italian Ticino - they are all part of a single, but very different country. Sightseeing tours to Switzerland allow our travelers to see the whole diversity of the culture of life of this country. Here you will also find many interesting tours covering three countries at once - Switzerland, Germany and Austria.

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Switzerland is very interesting in terms of sightseeing and educational, but quite expensive country. We have developed our programs in such a way that the cost of traveling in Switzerland would be comparable with tours to other countries and regions of Europe. With extensive experience in Switzerland, we offer a variety of tours both to Switzerland itself, and in combination with Bavaria, Austria or Italy. Using our own transport allows us to provide both high quality service and guarantee all the stated dates of the tours.

Not much can compare with the magic and magnificence of African wildlife. It is unlikely that any other national park in the world in terms of its unspoilt countryside, wildlife and vastness of the area can be compared with the Kruger reserve in South Africa.

Kruger National Park is able to offer one of the best safaris in the world. In one place you can see a wide range of the largest mammals on earth, a large number of birds, large predators and their victims. If you are a wildlife lover then this is definitely the place for you.

Sagarmatha National Reserve, Nepal

Highly and majestically located in the Himalayas, the Sagarmatha Nepali Nature Reserve includes three of the ten highest mountains in the world, including Mount Everest. Endless glaciers, breathtaking valleys with pristine snow make Sagarmatha Natural Park a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And, of course, for wildlife lovers not to visit this alpine reserve - it means to lose something important.

Fiordland Nature Reserve, New Zealand

If you are a lover of magnificent fjords and boat trips, then this is a place to visit. The main attraction is Milford Sound, but in addition, the remaining 14 fjords with the most romantic landscapes make this park a unique place, unlike any nature reserve in the world.

Galapagos Islands National Park, Ecuador

The Galapagos Islands with amazing landscapes surrounded by clear blue water - just a paradise for exotic animals and wildlife. The unique atmosphere of the islands is of historical and scientific value. Recently, ecotourism initiatives have been strongly supported here.

Tikal National Park, Guatemala

A trip to Tikal National Park is, first of all, a means to explore the Mayan heritage. Situated in the wild jungle, Tikal hides the fantastic ruins of the Mayan settlements, which date from around 250-900 AD. Even what remains of those times amazes tourists with the amazing architecture of the temples and the variety of different wildlife. Tikal is a place for amazing adventures and unforgettable experiences.

Yellow Dragon Conservation Area, China

The precipitate of calcium creates here the illusion of gold, which gave the name to this place - "Yellow Dragon". Also, this reserve is home to the cute, world famous panda - the symbol of WWF.

The territory is characterized by a unique closed ecosystem with waterfalls, hot springs, virgin forests and snow caps on the tops of the mountains, where endangered species such as Sichuan gold-bearing monkeys and a giant panda live. The Yellow Dragon is a true mecca for photographers from around the world.

Iguazu National Reserve, Argentina

The World Heritage Protected Area is the most impressive site in Brazil and Argentina. Spectacular waterfalls with a height of more than 70 meters and a width of 1,500 meters are the habitat of the best species of fauna of South America. Views of the surrounding subtropical forests will not leave anyone indifferent.

Kakadu National Reserve, Australia

Kakadu National Wildlife Refuge is located in Northern Australia. This typically Australian landscape is one of the few places on the World Heritage List, both because of its natural and cultural significance.

The reserve extends over 3.2 million acres and includes several areas of traditional residence of the indigenous peoples of the continent. The marvelous South Alligator rivers, coastal beaches, rainforests and monsoon winds make Kakadu National Wildlife Refuge a desirable place to visit.

National Reserve, Switzerland

Although Switzerland is best known for the magic of the Alps, there is the only national reserve here that is nevertheless worth a visit. The Swiss National Park was created in 1914 and is populated by a huge variety of interesting animals such as chamois, mountain goat, golden eagle or bearded vulture. Rivers, peaks of snowy mountains and alpine valleys represent nature in its most picturesque manifestations.

Machu Picchu, Peru

The majestic Machu Picchu has been Peru's most popular tourist destination for many years. No matter how many times a tourist has been here to enjoy the grandeur of ancient monuments, a journey in the wake of the Incas always brings excitement, adventure and secrets.

Hiking is one of the most popular ways of spending leisure time in the country - more than 50 thousand (!!) kilometers of marked walking paths are laid across Switzerland - this is 1.25 of the Earth's equator. For such a small country, the figure is simply unbelievable, but it will become even more if you take into account about 23 thousand kilometers of specialized mountain routes with a higher level of difficulty, as well as an unimaginable number of cross-country skiing tracks, snowshoeing, sleigh rides, dog sledding and horse riding, and also about 4 thousand routes for boating. All this makes Switzerland one of the best places in Europe for outdoor activities and ecotourism.

  Swiss national park

Despite the very modest size of the country, nature protection territories occupy to one extent or another up to 14% of its area. And at the same time, there is one single full-fledged reserve - the Swiss National Park, or Engadin Park (www.nationalpark.ch), created in 1914 in the eastern part of the canton of Graubünden, on the southern slopes of the Engadine valley. This is the first alpine reserve in Central Europe, in addition, created in an area intensively developed by man. In 1979, it was included in the list of UNESCO biosphere reserves along with the adjacent Stelvio Italian National Park.

Here, over an area of \u200b\u200bmore than 172 quadrant kilometers, the unique natural complexes of the Rethian Alps are protected - mountain pine forests, alpine and subalpine meadows, as well as numerous lakes and wastelands, with almost half of this territory being secondary forests recreated after the cessation of human activities. The fauna of the park is very rich - more than 60 species of mammals (including alpine mountain goat, chamois, stone marten, alpine marmot, lynx, brown bear and others), about 100 species of birds, as well as about 70 species of amphibians, including endemic alpine triton. Despite the fact that literally everything is protected here (a fine can be issued even for loud sounds!), 21 walking tour trails with a total length of about 80 km are laid across the territory, which allow you to see the lives of the inhabitants of these beautiful places. But cycling within the park is prohibited.

The entrance to the park is free and free, along its perimeter there are nine of the same free parking for cars, from which the majority of trails and routes depart. The reserve is open for visits from June to October daily, from 8.30 to 18.00, on Thursdays - until 22.00.

You can get to the park by buses running at hourly intervals between the towns of Zernez (Zernez, the head office of the park is located 1 km east of it) and Mustair.

  Al Park

The largest and youngest regional nature park in Switzerland - Ela (Parc Ela, www.parc-ela.ch) starts just 18 km from the northwestern border of the Swiss National Park. It was created in 2006 as a territory protecting the untouched world of a vast mountain range between the peaks of El (Piz Ela, 3339 m) and Kesh (Kesch, 3417 m). The reserve's area is 600 quadrant kilometers, which is 3.5 times the area of \u200b\u200bthe Engadin National Park, and here human activities are allowed on a limited scale. This leads to the fact that in Ela Park, in addition to exploring the magnificent nature of the northern slopes of the Engadine, you can take a ride on the Rhaetische Bahn railway, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List (55 bridges and 39 tunnels over 63 km of the park, about the beauty of landscapes and there’s nothing to say!), skiing on the slopes of Savognin, Samedan, Celerina, Pontresina or St. Moritz (all these resorts lie literally within 15-20 minutes by car from the most beautiful places in the park), relax on the shores of Lake Marmorera ( Lai da Marmorera) or Ossetia is the highest place of pilgrimage in Europe - a sanctuary Tsiteyl (Ziteil, founded in 1580, height - 2434 meters above sea level) near Saloufa (Salouf).

  Entlebuch

Well, the country's most easily accessible reserve is the Entlebuch Biosphere Reserve (www.biosphaere.ch), located in the canton of Lucerne, only 20 km southwest of its capital. This is the first and only park of this type in the central part of Switzerland. Here, on the picturesque slopes of the Kleine Emme valley (Kleine Emme, Kleine Emme), on an area of \u200b\u200b395 quadrant kilometers, quite unusual landscapes for the country are represented - endless peatlands and moorlands, idyllic alpine pastures and forests, rocky karst formations and picturesque wild mountains. These lands are often figuratively called the "Wild West of Lucerne" - the local natural complexes are so diverse and beautiful. And at the same time there is a huge selection of facilities, hotels and mountain chalets, many old churches and monasteries, about 75 km of hiking trails and even therapeutic mud baths at local thermal springs.

  Jura National Park

Green slopes stretch from Le Santier to Nyon on the shores of Lake Geneva jura national park  (Parc naturel régional Jura vaudois) www.parc-jurassien.ch - the country's second largest in size and richness of flora. Despite the dense population of these places, it was possible to preserve many local natural complexes characteristic of the low Jurassic Mountains and the famous Ju Valley (Vallée de Joux), considered one of the most beautiful in Switzerland. Among the beauties of these places are beautiful mountain forests (the composition of the flora is one of the richest in the region - more than 320 species), ancient swamps, limestone rocks, secluded glades and mountain pastures. More than 90 species of mammals and 160 species of birds live here, and the picturesque Lake Zhu has almost 50 species of fish. Since there is an excellent network of hiking and skiing routes with a total length of 523 km (!!), there are many colorful Alpine cheese farms and vineyards, restaurants and chalets, the park is extremely popular among fans of hiking, horse riding and cycling, and in winter it becomes one of the best centers mountain recreation - it is quite obvious that he is not guided by skiers, but by fans of snowshoes and flat skiing.

You can get to the park in just a dozen ways, since it is located next to the main transport arteries of the country. By train, the easiest way to get from Nyon is by the Nyon - St-Cergue train with stops at Bassins, Arzier, St-Cergue and Givrine or the Nyon - Gimel train with stops at Bassins, Vaud, Marchissy, Longirod, St-George and Gimel . Departing from Vallorbe by train to Brassus, and from Morges by BAM by Bière et l "Isle with a stop in Montricher. Public transportation from all the major cities of Vaud canton is equally varied.

Swiss national park (Schweizerischer Nationalpark)  Is the only national park in the south. It is located in the Engadin Valley region. (Engadin), and is located at altitudes from 1400 to 3200 meters above sea level. Its area is more than 170 square kilometers, and it is also the oldest national park in the Alps.

This is an amazing place of primeval nature, where everyone can enjoy alpine meadows, forests, mountain slopes and simply picturesque views. There are many species of wild animals and birds. For every lover of nature in the national park, many hiking trails and excursion routes have been developed. This place is definitely worth a visit if you are traveling in Switzerland.

Swiss National Park: Getting there

The most convenient way to get to Zernets is (Zernez)where is the main entrance to the Swiss National Park. In addition, it is highly recommended to use public transport in order to preserve the clean nature of the park.

Car. The distance between Zurich and Zernets is about 178 kilometers. The road will take you about 2.5 hours on the highway "A3" and number 28. Cars will need to be left in the parking lot.

Next you need to get to the information center (Nationalparkzentrum)  where is the main entrance to the park. It is located at Urtatsch 2, Zernez 7530, Switzerland. You can take a car or take a taxi.

Swiss National Park: Lifehacks

From the very beginning of exploring the Swiss National Park, you should visit the information center (Nationalparkzentrum), where there is also a museum, exhibitions, and you can book a guided tour. There you will find information for tourists, and by visiting the museum you will have the opportunity to find out the history of the national park, its features and learn about its inhabitants. Entrance ticket costs 7 EUR for adults, 3 EUR for children 6-16 years old, and free for children under 6 years. It is possible to take a family ticket for 15 EUR. Information on prices for tours, the museum, as well as contacts and descriptions can be found on the official website of the Swiss National Park.

Then you can take a walk in the park itself. You can book a guided tour or take a walk on your own. About 80 kilometers of hiking trails and 21 routes will be available for you. You must also prepare in advance and take sunscreen and glasses, a raincoat, replaceable clothes and shoes, food and water. There are also some rules that must be strictly observed. For example, you cannot pick mushrooms and flowers, use a bicycle or bring pets with you.