In Denmark, national parks are a somewhat new phenomenon. The first national park, located in Thy, was opened in August 2008, Mols Bjerge was opened in 2009, the Wadden Sea opened in 2010, Skjoldungernes Land in 2015 and
Establishment of the national parks is based on broad local support. Each national park has a decentralised management, consisting of a board, a national park council and a secretariat. The board and its chairman are appointed by the Danish Minister for the Environment.
What Defines a Danish National Park?
A Danish national park is home to some of Denmark's most unique and valuable nature areas and landscapes. These are areas of importance to the Danes, but they are also given and will receive international attention and significance. National parks also include areas which have already been nominated as international nature protection areas (NATURA 2000 areas).
The aim is for Danish national parks to display the most important types of nature in Denmark. The forests and the open countryside with cultivated fields, grazing and hedgerows will be included together with small villages and urban communities. A national park may cover both land and sea.
The Danish national parks are not museums. People live, work and stay in the Danish national parks. Parts of the national parks are privately owned.
The individual national parks will have broadly differering contents, and therefore it would be a good idea to look up the information about every national park, in which you are interested, to find out exactly what can be experienced there.