Protected Natural Areas of the Slovak Republic
The fundamental legislative document governing nature and landscape conservation in the Slovak Republic is Act No. 543/2002 Coll. of the National Council of the Slovak Republic of 25 June 2002 on nature and landscape conservation, as amended (hereinafter referred to as „the Act“)
This Act governs the competence of state administration authorities and municipalities, as well as the rights and responsibilities of legal entities and natural persons in nature and landscape conservation, with the objective of ensuring the long-term preservation of ecological balance and the protection of the diversity of life conditions and forms, natural values, and beauty, and of creating conditions for the sustainable use of natural resources and the provision of ecosystem services, taking into account economic, social, and cultural needs, as well as regional and local conditions.
One way of achieving this objective is through territorial nature and landscape conservation. According to the Act, this refers to the conservation of nature and the landscape within the territory of the Slovak Republic or part thereof. Five levels of protection were established for territorial conservation. The scope of restrictions increases as the level of protection rises. If protected areas and other levels of protection overlap (for example, a national park that is also a nature reserve, or a protected site that is also a special area of conservation), the level of protection is determined by the most recent regulation designating the protected area.
The first level of protection applies within the territory of the Slovak Republic, unless this Act or a generally binding legal regulation issued on the basis thereof provides otherwise. Under the first level of protection, the provisions on general nature and landscape protection set out in the Act apply. This level of protection is therefore not subject to territorial protection under Sections 17 to 31 of the Act. In other words, this refers to areas outside specifically designated protected areas, with the exception of Special Protection Areas for birds, caves and waterfalls and their protection zones, and municipal protected areas. In these categories, it is not the levels of protection that apply, but the conditions set out in the regulations designating them.
Protected Areas (PA) may be designated in localities that feature habitats of European importance, habitats of national importance, habitats of species of European importance, habitats of species of national importance, and bird habitats—including migratory species (for the protection of which protected areas are designated)—as well as significant landscape elements or natural formations.
National Network of Protected Areas
National parks and protected landscape areas are referred to as large-scale protected areas (LPA). Protected areas, nature reserves, national nature reserves, natural monuments, national natural monuments, nature parks, protected landscape features and municipal protected areas are designated as small-scale protected areas (SPA). All these protected areas form the national system of protected areas, divided into the following categories:
Protected Landscape Area (PLA) is a large area, generally covering more than 1,000 ha, containing scattered ecosystems that are important for the conservation of biodiversity and ecological stability, with a distinctive landscape character or specific forms of historical settlement. It may be designated by the Government of the Slovak Republic (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Government’) by regulation, and the second level of protection applies within its territory, unless otherwise provided for by the Act (for example, through the zoning, a small-scale protected area or special areas of conservation (SAC) within the PLA). As of 31 December 2025, 14 protected landscape areas have been designated.
National Park (NP) is a large area, generally covering more than 10,000 ha, predominantly comprising ecosystems that have remained largely unaltered by human activity or featuring a unique and natural landscape structure, constituting the most significant natural heritage, within which nature conservation takes precedence over all other activities. It may be designated by the government by decree, and the third level of protection applies within its boundaries, unless otherwise stipulated by the Act. As at 31 December 2025, there are 9 national parks.
Nature Park is a large area, generally covering more than 500 ha, comprising mainly ecosystems altered by human activity, which form biocentres of supra-regional importance or which are important for ensuring the favourable conservation status of habitats of European importance, habitats of national importance, habitats of species of European importance or habitats of species of national importance. It may be designated by the government, and the second or third level of protection applies within its boundaries, unless otherwise provided for by the Act. No protected area has yet been designated in this new category (since 2020).
Protected Area (PA) is a site, generally covering an area of up to 500 ha, which contains habitats of European importance or habitats of national importance, or which is a habitat for a species of European importance or a habitat for a species of national importance, and where the favourable conservation status of these habitats depends on human management. It may be designated by the Government by regulation, and the second, third, fourth or fifth level of protection applies within its boundaries. As at 31 December 2025, there were 191 PAs (including 1 private one).
Nature Reserve (NR) is a site, generally covering an area of up to 1,000 ha, which comprises natural habitats or habitats that have been little altered by human activity and are of European or national importance, or habitats of species of European or national importance. It may be designated by the government by decree, and the fourth or fifth level of protection applies within its boundaries. A nature reserve, which generally constitutes a supra-regional biocentre as part of the country’s most significant natural heritage, may be designated by the government by decree as a national nature reserve (NNR). As at 31 December 2025, there were 421 nature reserves (including 3 private reserves and 166 NNCH).
Natural Monument (NM) is a point, linear or other small-scale ecosystem, its components or elements, generally covering an area of up to 50 ha, which are of scientific, cultural, ecological, aesthetic or landscape significance. It may be designated by the Government by regulation, and the fourth or fifth level of protection applies within its boundaries. A unique natural monument which forms part of the country’s most significant natural heritage may be designated by the government, by regulation, as a national natural monument (NNM). As at 31 December 2025, there were 212 natural monuments and 11 national natural monuments according to specific legislation, excluding caves and natural waterfalls.
Protected Landscape Element (PLE) is a significant landscape feature that serves as a biocentre, bio-corridor or interaction element, primarily of local or regional importance. It may be designated by the government by regulation, and the second, third, fourth or fifth level of protection applies within its boundaries. As at 31 December 2025, one PLE has been designated.
Municipal Protected Area (MPA) is a site, usually covering an area of up to 100 ha, of cultural, scientific, ecological, aesthetic or landscape significance. It may be designated by a local authority through a generally binding regulation setting out the conditions for its protection. As at 31 December 2025 there were 14 PMAs.
Protection Zones of Protected Areas
If the interests of protecting a national park, protected area, nature reserve, national nature reserve, nature monument, or national nature monument so require, a protection zone may be established for them in the same manner as the respective protected area is established pursuant to the Act. Within the protection zone of a protected area with a third level of protection, the second level of protection applies; within the protection zone of a protected area with a fourth level of protection, the third level of protection applies; and within the protection zone of a protected area with a fifth level of protection, the fourth level of protection applies.
If the protection zone of a nature reserve or the protection zone of a national nature reserve has not been specifically designated, it shall be an area up to 100 metres outwards from its boundary, while the third level of protection applies within it. If the protection zone of a natural monument or the protection zone of a national natural monument has not been specifically designated, it is an area of 60 metres outwards from its boundary, while the third level of protection applies within it; this provision does not apply in the case of the protection zone of a cave or the protection zone of a natural waterfall.
Unless a protection zone of a nature reserve, a protection zone of a natural monument, a protection zone of a national nature reserve or a protection zone of a national natural monument has been specifically designated, and unless it is in the interest of such a protected area to have a protection zone, the relevant regulation may stipulate that the protected area has no protection zone.
As of 31 December 2025, protection zones have been designated for all 9 national parks and 73 small-scale protected areas. A statutory protection zone up to the distance of 100 metres has been established for 474 national nature reserves (NNR) and protected areas (PA), whilst a statutory protection zone up to a distance of 60 metres has been established for 207 national nature monuments (NNM) and protected monuments (NM). There are 381 small-scale protected areas (SPA) without a protection zone.
Protected area zones
Large-scale protected areas (LPA) and small-scale protected areas (SLA) may be divided into a maximum of four zones, based on the condition of the habitats, if necessary, in terms of the management thereof. The purpose of dividing a protected area into zones is to differentiate protection measures and adapt them to the nature of the protected area’s natural values. Zones are generally delineated as contiguous parts of a protected area, taking into account the nature of the natural values present, the degree of naturalness of the ecosystems, the extent of human intervention, and the use of the area by people, so that the fifth level of protection applies in Zone A, the fourth level of protection in Zone B, the third level of protection in Zone C, and the second level of protection in Zone D. Zones may also be subdivided into sub-zones if parts of the protected area within a zone are subject to different management approaches or if different conservation objectives apply to them. The zoning of a protected area may be declared by a generally binding regulation by the authority competent to designate that protected area.
Small-scale protected areas that become part of designated zones within protected landscape areas or national parks are always abolished. This simplifies and harmonizes
the system of protection within individual protected landscape areas and national parks.
By 31 December 2025, zoning had been declared for six large-scale protected areas (LPA) – Horná Orava Protected Landscape Area, Pieniny National Park, Slovenský raj National Park, Muránska planina National Park, Veľká Fatra National Park and Slovenský kras National Park. Zoning was also declared for 40 small-scale protected areas (SLA).
Private protected areas
The owner of a land, which meets the conditions laid down by this Act for a protected area, nature reserve or nature monument, and which has not yet been designated as such, may, subject to a submitted conservation plan, apply to the district office at the regional capital for the designation of a private protected area, a private nature reserve or a private natural monument (hereinafter referred to as a “private protected area”). If the land meets the conditions for the designation of territorial protection, the district office in the regional capital shall designate it as a private protected area by means of a decree, which shall also specify the level of protection of the private protected area and details of the territorial protection of the private protected area and its protection zone, including their territorial and temporal scope of validity.
By 31 December 2025, four private protected areas had been designated – three nature reserves (Vlčia, Rysia, Roháčia) and one protected site (Langáčske skaly)
Caves and natural waterfalls
Caves and natural waterfalls constitute a specific category of protected areas. Pursuant to the Act, a cave is defined as a hollow underground space in the Earth’s crust, accessible to humans and formed by natural processes, where the length or depth exceeds 2 metres and the dimensions of the surface opening are smaller than its length or depth. A natural waterfall, as defined by the Act, is a natural rock formation through which a watercourse, under the influence of natural forces and without human intervention, falls from a height of more than 3 metres or flows over a continuous or cascading rock face with a slope steeper than 75°, and the water in the channel persists throughout the year. All caves and natural waterfalls that meet the above definitions are, within the meaning of the Act, natural monuments (NM). A unique cave or a unique natural waterfall that forms part of the country’s most significant natural heritage may be designated by the Government as a national natural monument (NNM). Caves and natural waterfalls, and their protection zones, are not subject to levels of protection but to specific protection conditions set out in Section 24 of the Act.
As of 31 December 2024, there were 8,124 caves and over 200 waterfalls registered in Slovakia, all of which are classified as natural monuments on the basis of the above-mentioned criteria. Of these, 44 caves and 5 natural waterfalls have been specifically designated as national natural monuments. A total of 22 caves have designated protection zones. Thirteen caves operated by the Slovak Caves Administration and four caves operated by other organisations are accessible with a guide. Other 60 caves are freely accessible to the public.
The European Natura 2000 network of protected areas in the Slovak Republic
By joining the European Union on 1 May 2004, the Slovak Republic became part of a community of states founded on the principles of a common domestic and foreign policy. Common rules and standards are binding on all EU Member States in the same way and take precedence over their individual national laws. The European Union thus presents a united front to the rest of the world.
Pursuant to legislation, Natura 2000, the European network of protected areas, is a coherent European ecological network comprising sites containing habitats of European importance, habitats of species of European importance and habitats of migratory species, the aim of which is to enable the conservation and, where necessary, the restoration of the favourable conservation status of these habitats and species within their natural range. Within the territory of the Slovak Republic, the European network of protected areas comprises Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Protection.
The network of Special Protection Areas (SPAs according to European legislation) has been established since 1979 under Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds (the so-called “Birds Directive”), which was replaced by the Directive 2009/ 147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds.
Special protection area (SPA) is defined by the Act as comprising the habitats of migratory bird species, in particular their breeding, rearing and wintering areas, as well as resting places along their migration routes and the habitats of bird species of European importance. To ensure their survival and reproduction, the government may designate such areas by regulation, in which it shall also set out a list of activities prohibited within the SPA, including any spatial and temporal restrictions.
Currently, there are 41 special protection areas (SPAs) covering an area of 1,284,806 ha, which represents 26.20 percent of total area of the Slovak Republic; a large part of this area overlaps with other protected areas.
Special Areas of Conservation (referred to in European legislation as Special Areas of Conservation, SACs), which has been established since 1992 under Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (the so-called Habitats Directive).
Pursuant to the Act, a special area of conservation (SAC) is defined as an area in the Slovak Republic comprising one or more sites
- which contain habitats of European importance or species of European importance, which the protected areas are meant to protect
- which are in the national list of such sites compiled by the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Slovak Republic
The National List of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) was established by Slovak Government Regulation No. 451/2023 Coll. and comprises 644 SACs. A large area covered by the SACs overlaps with protected areas within the national network.
Pursuant to the Act, a site of international importance is defined as a location to which apply the nature and landscape conservation obligations and recommendations arising for the Slovak Republic from international treaties to which it is a party, from its membership in international organisations and from international programmes to which the Slovak Republic has acceded. Sites of international importance currently comprise wetlands of international importance (14 so-called Ramsar sites), UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites (2 nominations comprising several sites), biosphere reserves (4 sites), sites awarded the Council of Europe Diploma (2 sites) and important underground sites for bats in Europe (83 sites). They may also include other internationally significant areas recorded in lists maintained by the relevant authorities established under international treaties to which the Slovak Republic is a party, by the bodies of international organisations of which the Slovak Republic is a member, or by the bodies of international programmes to which the Slovak Republic has acceded.
Where required by obligations and recommendations, a site of international importance must be designated as a protected area under this Act with a level of protection such that the site of international importance is safeguarded in accordance with those obligations and recommendations. All sites of international importance in Slovakia currently fall within one of the national categories of protected area.