Centuries-old Romanian primeval forests

benefit from experience gained in Sihlwald

"I was more than impressed by my visit to Semenic National Park in Romania," enthuses Isabelle Roth, Deputy Managing Director of the Zurich Wilderness Park Foundation. She and another employee of the Wilderness Park recently traveled to the Southwest Carpathians to support the establishment of a contiguous wilderness area consisting of various nature and national parks. The project is being implemented by WWF Romania in close cooperation with WWF Switzerland and financed by the Swiss contribution to the enlarged European Union. "The potential of Romania's primeval forests is immense. They are therefore used as parks. However, there are still many unanswered questions when it comes to concrete implementation. Tourism development is still in its infancy," explains Isabelle Roth. The aim of her trip was therefore to pass on the experiences of the Zurich Wilderness Park to those responsible: The Sihlwald as an example of a nature experience park where both the protected nature and the visitors get their money's worth.

Useful experiences from the Sihlwald

The experts from Switzerland were able to pass on specific tips from their own experiences to the park managers in Romania. For example, Sihlwald has shown that a functioning visitor center is very important. Visitors want to be greeted and informed. In the Zurich Wilderness Park, young and old are warmly welcomed in the visitor center with its nature museum, playground and restaurant. Exciting discussions arose about what such a center could look like in Romania. Individual offers such as museums or small hotels are already sprouting up in various places in the Romanian parks. What is missing is a coherent tourist infrastructure.

In addition, open questions were addressed by those responsible from Romania: How are the boundaries between protected areas and areas used for the timber industry clearly defined in such large forests? The solution from Sihlwald is pragmatic: some trees on the border to the core zone are marked with special signs. This provides clarity - for everyone.

On the way to a natural forest

Trees were felled in the Sihlwald until the turn of the millennium. The forest was then placed under protection. As a result, Sihlwald is on its way back to becoming a natural forest. However, the creation of a forest mosaic like the one in Romania requires one thing above all: centuries without human intervention. The forests in Romania - mixed beech forests like the Sihlwald - are large and remote, and many areas have remained largely untouched.

Further information

Isabelle Roth
Thu, 10-12 o'clock, Fri. 11-12 o'clock
Deputy Managing Director and Head of Natural Forest
Tel. 044 722 55 22 (head office)
isabelle.roth@wildnispark.ch

Further information

WWF Romania: Sălbăticia din Carpați, bogăție pentru oameni

Southwestern Carpathian Wilderness and Sustainable Development Initiatives