Zürich Wilderness Park

Zürich Wilderness Park (Wildnispark Zürich in German) is a nature park located near the city of Zürich in Switzerland. It consists of two main areas: the Sihlwald forest and the Langenberg Wildlife Park. The Sihlwald forest is the biggest mixed forest in the Swiss Mittelland and the Langenberg Wildlife Park is the oldest wildlife park in Switzerland. These sites are located in the Sihl Valley, to the south of Zürich.

Zürich Wilderness Park
Wildnispark Zurich
Wildnispark Zürich.JPG
Map showing the two sites of the Zürich Wilderness Park, with the Langenberg Wildlife Park to the north and the larger Sihlwald to the south
Nearest cityZurich
Coordinates47°16′N 8°33′E / 47.26°N 8.55°E / 47.26; 8.55Coordinates: 47°16′N 8°33′E / 47.26°N 8.55°E / 47.26; 8.55
Official website
The Sihlwald
The Langenberg Wildlife Park

History

Hapsburgers gifted the Sihlwald forest to the city of Zürich in 1309 and again in 1524. It provided timber and firewood to the city for many years. Since the 1990s, the forest has been preserved by forest director Andreas Speich, who stopped cutting down trees to protect its unique composition.[1][2]

The Langenberg Wildlife Park was founded in 1869 by city forester Carl Anton Ludwig von Orelli.[1]

On August 28, 2009, the Sihlwald forest was named a "regional nature park of national importance" by the FOEN (Federal Office for the Environment).[3]

Zürich Wilderness Park was officially formed, bringing together the Langenberg Wildlife Park and the Sihlwald forest.

Today, the park welcomes more than half a million visitors every year. Visitors can barbecue, hike, cycle, ride horseback through the park.[4][5]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Brigitte Commarmot; Hansheinrich Bachofen; Yosyp Bundziak; Anton Bürgi; Bernhard Ramp; Yuriy Shparyk; Dmytro Sukhariuk; Roman Viter; Andreas Zingg (2005). "Structures of virgin and managed beech forests in Uholka (Ukraine) and Sihlwald (Switzerland): a comparative study" (PDF). Forest Snow and Landscape Research. 79 (1/2): 45–56. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  2. "Wilderness Park Zurich Sihlwald" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  3. "Wildnispark Zurich". Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  4. "Wildnispark Zurich" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  5. Zürich Wilderness Park Media

    "Wildnispark Zürich" [Zurich Wilderness Park] (in Deutsch). City of Zürich. Archived from the original on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 25 June 2015.