Landscape parks are already 50 years old. Few people realize how important they are

Landscape parks cover a larger area than all of Poland’s national parks combined and are now celebrating their 50th anniversary. Experts are reminding the public why they play such an important role in nature conservation, education, and sustainable tourism.

Landscape parks in Poland celebrate and take stock

On 30 June, the Ministry of Climate and Environment hosted the conference 50 Years of Landscape Parks in Poland. The event provided an opportunity to summarize the achievements of the country’s 125 landscape parks. Speakers emphasized that these forms of nature protection support regional development through education, sustainable tourism, and responsible management.

Conference participants noted that the role of landscape parks has been changing dynamically. Originally established mainly for tourism and recreation, they now focus on protecting entire living landscapes within broader conservation systems. Park directors presented examples of active nature conservation carried out in the areas under their management. They discussed, among other initiatives, efforts to save the European pond turtle in Polesie and support bird populations in the Warta Valley.

Experts associated with landscape parks also highlighted the challenges they face. These primarily concern the need for stable funding and the necessity of adapting to European standards for nature and landscape protection.

Landscape parks are closest to local communities and their home regions. They are places of rest and relaxation. Protecting nature in 125 landscape parks across Poland is becoming increasingly important in an era of accelerating climate change, said Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska during her opening speech at the conference.

How many landscape parks are there in Poland? Which is the largest and which is the oldest?

Poland has 125 landscape parks, covering a total of 8 percent of the country’s territory. This is more than all of the nation’s national parks combined.

The oldest landscape park in Poland is Suwałki Landscape Park. It is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its establishment this year, having been founded in 1976. However, the concept of this form of landscape protection dates back much earlier, to 1956.

The largest landscape park in Poland is Barycz Valley Landscape Park, covering an area comparable to the entire Opole Voivodeship. The smallest is Miedzichowo Landscape Park, with an area similar in size to Warsaw’s Śródmieście district.

The highest concentration of landscape parks can be found in southeastern Poland and the Pomerania region. Many of them are grouped into so-called landscape park complexes. Each voivodeship has one such complex, while the Podkarpackie region has two. It is also in Podkarpackie that a conservation project is underway to protect the Aesculapian snake, one of Poland’s rarest and most endangered reptiles.

More information about landscape parks in the anniversary brochure

To mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Poland’s first landscape park, the Ministry of Climate and Environment and the Association of Polish Landscape Parks published the brochure Landscape Parks in Poland: 50 Years of a Shared Landscape. It is a rich source of knowledge about these protected areas, presented in an accessible and concise way.

The brochure explains the idea behind landscape parks, their history, how they operate, and the species and habitats they protect. The authors emphasize that Poland’s landscape parks are home to environmental education centers and wildlife rehabilitation facilities, and that they organize green and blue school programs. They also demonstrate that visitors can enjoy many forms of active tourism within the parks.