This project aims to contribute to the mapping and protection of Romania's most valuable primary and old-growth forests.

Our idea: to promote and develop responsible and cautious primary forest tourism as a strategy for preserving Romania's valuable primary and old growth forests.

Under the leadership of the Rottenburg University of Applied Forest Sciences (HFR) and funded by the German Federal Environmental Foundation (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt / DBU) and the Heidehof Foundation, and in partnership with experts from Romania and Austria we have mapped Romanian primary forest clusters of particular scientific and ecological value, researched options and best practice models for "wild forest tourism" and contacted and networked stakeholders in Romania and abroad. We explored primary forests in two focus areas (Fagaras mountains and Domogled - Valea Cernei national park) for suitable hikes, tested and documented them and made them online  available to interested tourists on this website.

We have spoken to Romanian and international tourism stakeholders and have initiated partnerships and cooperation. We did cooperate with leading international experts on nature tourism, forest ecology and the importance of primary forests in Europe. 

As part of our previous project on protection of "Virgin and Old Growth Forests in Romania", which was also managed by HFR and funded by DBU, we were able to map more than 5000 ha of primary and old-growth forests in Romania and bring them under safe, long-term protection from logging. 

This very project here goes one step further: In addition to a detailed mapping of forests with high biodiversity value in two priority areas, we want to show that the promotion of careful nature tourism creates added economic value and thus additional incentives for the long-term protection of Romania's beautiful natural forests.

If "wild forest tourism" generates income in the affected forest regions without major impact on the natural ecosystems (different from logging), then nature conservation also contributes to local/regional economic development.

On this website we want to address all those people who want to experience primary forests and who want to learn more about the wild forests “nearby” in Europe, such as in Romania, and their accessibility.

In addition, we make many of the results of our research activities (eg. in best practice examples and success factors) and stakeholder workshops available to all those who want to initiate or further develop wild forest tourism in Romania. 

And you can help as well by visiting and experiencing Romania's magnificent primary and old-growth forests - and reporting about your travels, for example on social media. 

Thank you!

Rainer Luick, Monika Bachinger, Ion Holban, Matthias Schickhofer

PS.: This website has been created as part of the HFR Rottenburg project mentioned above and will be maintained by the “Partnership for the Preservation of Primary Forests in Romania” (Ion Holban, Matthias Schickhofer).