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What we do

We believe that the beautiful and vulnerable world of nature should be saved the for coming generations. Therefore, we strive to strengthen and unify nature protection across the borders of countries and languages.

The EUROPARC Nordic-Baltic Section is a tool for effective information exchange between over 50 EUROPARC members in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden. Experts work together to share experiences and find the best solutions for protected area management in our region. Please use the menu at the top of the page to find out more about who we are and what we do.

Protected areas

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.

Rain and big clouds approaching a wetland

Denmark

Denmark is a small country of merely 43 000 km2. The land is intensively used: 62% is farmland, 11% (mainly production) forest and 17% is covered by cities, roads and infrastructure. Thus, only about 10 percent remain for nature protection. Yet, although nature areas may generally be small and ...

Roots of a fallen tree growing moss

Estonia

Estonia is the Amazon of the Nordic countries! Estonia has a very rich nature on account of its advantageous geographical position and landscapes that have been left relatively or completely untouched by human activity. The biodiversity and characteristical traits are influenced by the geological history, cli ...

Oulanka Canyon from a distance

Finland

The Finnish landscape is very varied, as Finland is over 1 000 kilometres long. Its northernmost parts lie above the Arctic Circle with vast wilderness areas and rolling fells. In the southernmost part, there is the archipelago with thousands of islands and islets. In between, vast forested areas and mires co ...

Aurora borealis reflecting from a lake

Iceland

Iceland's first protected area was established in 1929 when Þingvellir National Park was designated a "national sanctuary". Today, Þingvellir is a protected national shrine. Along with Þingvellir there are 115 protected areas in Iceland. Together they cover 26.100 km2 which is 22% of the ...

Forest in autumn colours by a lake

Latvia

Latvia, the midmost country among the Baltic states, is located in North-eastern Europe on the east coast of the Baltic Sea. It consists of fertile lowland plains and moderate hills, crossed by an extensive network of rivers. There are thousands of lakes and hundreds of kilometres of seashore lined by pine fo ...

A path running through sand dunes

Lithuania

Lithuania has its very own system of protected areas, and long-standing traditions of the protection of natural and cultural heritage. Protected areas are established not only for the protection of natural and cultural values, but also for their adaptation to allow public use and access, be it for educational ...

Glaciers and rocky mountains

Norway

Norway is characterised by considerable local variation in terms of topography, geology and climate. The environmental conditions change rapidly over short distances. The Norwegian land area is a mosaic of ecosystems and habitats, with a unique combination of species. For instance, Norway comprises 26 differe ...

Trees in autumn colours reflecting from a still lake

Sweden

In Sweden, the natural world is never far away! We invite you to come and enjoy our 30 national parks and more than 5 000 nature reserves. The national parks represent the most outstanding examples of Sweden’s natural landscapes. The most recently founded national park is Åsnen National Park in Kronoberg County (est. 2018).