regional park

Regional parks are well established in other European countries, but in Norway this is a concept that is constantly being developed. The concept aims to create integrated area management and increase value creation based on local natural and cultural resources.

Nærøyfjorden The World Heritage Park is one of the first Norwegian versions of a regional park and is the result of development processes that have started at the grassroots. The establishment arose from a desire for a holistic approach to nature- and culture-based social development and a need to coordinate municipalities and actors associated with the World Heritage area.

From volume to niche

Like many other rural communities, Aurland has challenges in terms of emigration, weak business development, conflicts around nature conservation and safeguarding nature and cultural heritage. A current issue is the dramatic change in agriculture. In Aurland more than most places, this actualizes a time difference from volume production to niche production. More and more people in agriculture see new opportunities in offering content in a relatively traffic-dominated and passive tourism product. Can the ruling transport, accommodation and catering-focused tourism industry find a community of interest with the new experience-based agricultural industry? Can such economic development combine protection and development in a binding way?

Common platform and meeting places

Experience from the European regional nature parks shows that this is actually possible provided that two conditions are present: - that one is able to rally around a common qualitative platform - that one is able to establish meeting places and a framework for strategic interaction between all actors with legitimate roles to fulfill in this picture.

This is part of the background for the creation of Nærøyfjorden World Heritage Park.

The Western Norwegian fjord landscape received official UNESCO World Heritage status in 2005. Nærøyfjorden is one of the sub-areas of the West Norwegian fjord landscape. The World Heritage area includes the protected areas, but in addition there are the inhabited areas of Undredal, Dyrdal, Bakka , Styvi, Tufte, Gudvangen and Nærøydalen.

World Heritage Site

The three nature reserves and two landscape protection areas cover an area of approximately 683 km2. They were established as protected areas between 1995 and 2004. Nærøyfjorden landscape conservation area (2002), was innovative in that the protection regulations were developed with a high degree of involvement of local communities. Nærøyfjorden The protected area board with the protected area manager is responsible for the protected areas.

The three tourist reserves and the two landscape protection areas cover an area of approximately 683 km2. They were designated as a conservation area between 1995 and 2004. Nærøyfjorden landscape conservation area, adopted in 2002, was innovative in that the protection regulations were

Conservation area

Nærøyfjorden The World Heritage Park was established as a foundation in 2008. Its purpose is to promote social and economic development. Development work, maintenance and restoration contribute to safeguarding the world heritage and local culture. The World Heritage Park shall be a beacon and a driver for world heritage as a quality platform.