Protected areas

Protected areas constiute the majority of EUROPARC Nordic-Baltic Section's members. Some of them are national parks, others nature reserves or nature parks. It is not always easy to know what the differences are. On this page you can learn about the classification of protected areas and read about nature protection in each of the Nordic-Baltic section's member countries. Most importantly, you can browse our protected areas by country.

Nature protection is at the heart of our network and the protected areas that our members represent are our pride. We would like to introduce these beautiful nature areas to you and invite you to browse them by country. Once acquainted with them, we hope you will be inspired to know more, to visit, or - if you are a protected area manager - to become part of our network.

Since some of our members represent large numbers of protected areas, not all of them are presented here. For more information please do not hesitate to contact the secretariat or our members directly.

What is a protected area?
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN, a protected area is a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed through legal or other effective means to achieve the long term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.

Classification according to management objectives
The IUCN classifies protected areas according to their management objectives. The categories are recognised by international bodies such as the United Nations and by many national governments as the global standard for defining and recording protected areas and as such are increasingly being incorporated into government legislation.

• IUCN Protected Areas Categories System