National park:
Core zone(s): min. 100 km2 in the Alps, 75 km2 in the Jura and south of the Alps and 50 km2 on the Central Plateau
Buffer zone: A proportionate area, i.e. it encloses the core zone as completely as possible.
Regional Nature Park:
No zones. Total area min. 100 km2. The communities essentially place their whole territory in the park.
Nature Discovery Park:
Core zone: min. 4 km2
transition zone: min. 2 km2
Three categories of parks
The Nature and Cultural Heritage Protection Act (NHG) provides the legislative foundation for the parks of national importance. It differentiates between three categories:
- National Park
- Regional Nature Park
- Nature Discovery Park
National parks offer intact habitats in the core zones for indigenous flora and fauna and allow the landscape to evolve naturally and dynamically. In the buffer zones of the national parks the cultural landscapes are managed in harmony with nature and protected from harmful interventions.
Regional nature parks are partly populated rural areas, characterized by high nature and landscape values, with buildings and installations that fit harmoniously into the landscape and sites of local character. In the regional nature parks the quality of nature and landscape is preserved and the sustainably operated management consolidated.
Nature discovery parks are situated close to densely populated areas. They offer intact habitats in the core zones for the dynamic development of the indigenous animal and plant world. In the transition zones which also serve as a buffer against harmful influences, experiences of nature are made possible for the population.