PAN Parks
Encyclopedia
PAN Parks works to protect Europe
's wilderness
, the continent's most undisturbed areas of nature.
PAN Parks, the only European-wide organisation focusing on the protection of wilderness areas, applies an approach combining wilderness protection and sustainable tourism
development.
The organisation creates a network of European wilderness areas where natural systems of animals and plants are safe to thrive, where people appreciate the pleasures offered by wilderness with the respect it deserves. These areas offer real wilderness and high quality tourism facilities, well balanced with wilderness protection and sustainable local development.
The park management co-operates closely with the people who live around the park. Local PAN Parks partners, offering facilities and working together with the park, are recognised by the PAN Parks logo based on environmental standards and their commitment to conservation. These partners are knowledgeable about the park and help visitors discover wilderness firsthand. They offer activities - from hiking on high-elevation trails to exploring an underwater trail and from Mediterranean hikes to experiencing the Northern lights
near the Arctic circle
.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
's wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
, the continent's most undisturbed areas of nature.
PAN Parks, the only European-wide organisation focusing on the protection of wilderness areas, applies an approach combining wilderness protection and sustainable tourism
Sustainable tourism
Sustainable tourism is tourism attempting to make a low impact on the environment and local culture, while helping to generate future employment for local people. The aim of sustainable tourism is to ensure that development brings a positive experience for local people, tourism companies and the...
development.
The organisation creates a network of European wilderness areas where natural systems of animals and plants are safe to thrive, where people appreciate the pleasures offered by wilderness with the respect it deserves. These areas offer real wilderness and high quality tourism facilities, well balanced with wilderness protection and sustainable local development.
The park management co-operates closely with the people who live around the park. Local PAN Parks partners, offering facilities and working together with the park, are recognised by the PAN Parks logo based on environmental standards and their commitment to conservation. These partners are knowledgeable about the park and help visitors discover wilderness firsthand. They offer activities - from hiking on high-elevation trails to exploring an underwater trail and from Mediterranean hikes to experiencing the Northern lights
Aurora (astronomy)
An aurora is a natural light display in the sky particularly in the high latitude regions, caused by the collision of energetic charged particles with atoms in the high altitude atmosphere...
near the Arctic circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
.
List of PAN Parks
- Central Balkan National ParkCentral Balkan National ParkThe Central Balkan National Park lies in the heart of Bulgaria, nestled in the central and higher portions of the Balkan Range. The Park contains rare and endangered wildlife species and communities, self-regulating ecosystems of biological diversity, as well as historical sites of global cultural...
, BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... - Fulufjället National Park, SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
- Majella National ParkMajella National ParkThe Majella National Park is a national park located in the provinces of Chieti, Pescara and L'Aquila, in the region Abruzzo, Italy....
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... - Oulanka National ParkOulanka National ParkOulanka National Park is a national park in the Northern Ostrobothnia and Lapland regions of Finland, covering . It was established in 1956 and was expanded again in 1982 and 1989, and it borders with Paanajärvi National Park in Russia...
, FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... - Paanajärvi National ParkPaanajärvi National ParkThe Paanajärvi National Park is a national park in North-Western Republic of Karelia, Russia with pristine nature. It was established in 1992 and covers . Right behind the border in Finland is Oulanka National Park....
, RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... - Retezat National ParkRetezat National ParkRetezat National Park is a natural reserve area located in the Retezat Mountains in Hunedoara county, Romania.Containing more than 60 peaks over and over 100 crystal clear deep glacier lakes, the Retezat Mountains are some of the most beautiful in the Carpathians...
, RomaniaRomaniaRomania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea... - Rila National ParkRilaRila is a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria and the highest mountain range of Bulgaria and the Balkans, with its highest peak being Musala at 2,925 m...
, BulgariaBulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east... - Borjomi-Kharagauli National ParkBorjomi-Kharagauli National ParkThe Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park is a protected area in central Georgia, situated in the Lesser Caucasus, southwest to the nation’s capital of Tbilisi....
, Georgia (country)Georgia (country)Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of... - Southwestern Archipelago National ParkSouthwestern Archipelago National ParkArchipelago National Park is a national park in Finland Proper. It was established in 1983 and covers of land areas. It is part of the UNESCO biosphere reserves and received a PAN Parks certificate in 2007....
, FinlandFinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... - Peneda-Gerês National ParkPeneda-Gerês National ParkThe Peneda-Gerês National Park , also known simply as Gerês, is the only national park in Portugal...
, PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... - Soomaa National ParkSoomaa National ParkSoomaa National Park is national park in south-western Estonia. Soomaa protects 390 km², and is a Ramsar site of protected wetlands...
, EstoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies... - Čepkeliai-Dzūkija National Park, LithuaniaLithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...