TransParcNet meeting 2016 of the EUROPARC FEDERATION in Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland,
jointly organized by
„Visitor Management in Protected Areas"
We are very pleased to invite you to the annual TransParcNet meeting 2016. The meeting will take place in Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland at the German-Czech border. We look forward to welcoming you from Tuesday 7th to Friday 10th June 2016 in Bad Schandau.
This year’s meeting will focus on “Visitor Management in Protected Areas” in transboundary regions. We will study experiences from transboundary areas and also enjoy views on the sandstone rock formations, deep gorges and romantic Elbe river valley, which annually attract hundreds of thousands of visitors.
We also seek your contribution and experiences with monitoring and management of visitors and with promoting acceptance for nature conservation in protected areas. The official opening of the TransParcNet meeting 2016 will take place on Tuesday 7th of June at 17.00 in Bad Schandau, Germany. Conference language is English.
Registration
The on-line registration, including reservation of accommodation, is available HERE (a new window with the registration form will open). Please note that the deadline for registration is April 22, 2016.
How to get to Bad Schandau
By airplane:
- Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL):
- with the Airport Express Bus to Berlin Main Train Station (Hauptbahnhof), from there with the Eurocity train EC (direction Praha hl.n., leaves every two hours, about 2.5h of travel time) to Bad Schandau (Nationalparkbahnhof)
- with the Airport Express Bus to Alexanderplatz, from there with an Intercity Bus (book in advance at flixbus.de, busses leave every two hours from 7am to 11pm, about 2.5 to 3h of travel time) directly to Dresden Main Station (Hauptbahnhof), change there into S1 train “Schöna” direction (tickets available at Dresden Main Station), about 45min to Bad Schandau (Nationalparkbahnhof) Train Station
- Berlin Schönefeld Airport (SXF)
- with an Intercity Bus (book in advance at flixbus.de, busses leave once to twice every two hours from 7am to 11pm, about 2h of travel time) directly from the Aiport to Dresden Main Station (Hauptbahnhof), change there into S1 train “Schöna” direction, about 45min to Bad Schandau (Nationalparkbahnhof) Train Station (tickets available at Dresden Main Station)
- S-Bahn “Berlin Bundesplatz” (train) to Berlin Südkreuz, from there with the Eurocity train EC (direction Praha Main Station/hlavní nádraží, leaves every two hours, about 2.5h of travel time) to Bad Schandau (Nationalparkbahnhof) Main Station
- Dresden Airport (DRS)
- directly from the Airport with S2 train “Pirna” to Dresden Main Station (Hauptbahnhof), change there into S1 train “Schöna” direction, about 45min to Bad Schandau (Nationalparkbahnhof) Train Station (tickets available at the airport train station)
- Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG)
- with public busses to metro & train station Holešovice (or Airport Express Busses directly to Prague Main Station/Praha hlavní nádraží), from there with the Eurocity train EC (direction Berlin or Hamburg-Altona, leaves every two hours, about 1h 45min travel time) to Bad Schandau (Nationalparkbahnhof) Train Station
- with Airport Express Busses to the train station Praha Masarykovo nádraží or with public busses to metro station Holešovice, underground train to Prague Masarykovo nádraží train station, with regional train to Děčin Main Station (hlavní nádraží), change there into RB train in direction Rumburk (about 2.5h travel time) to Bad Schandau (Nationalparkbahnhof) Train Station
Shuttles will be organized from Bad Schandau Train Station, alternatively take the ferry to reach the town centre of Bad Schandau that is situated on the other side of the Elbe river. From here the NationalPark Centre as well as your hotels are situated in walking distance. You can also ask for further information at the information desk inside the train station.
By train:
- The town of Bad Schandau is very conveniently situated at the main international railway line Hamburg – Berlin – Dresden – Bad Schandau – Děčín – Prague – Vienna – Budapest and all international trains make a stop here, so that train might by a reasonable alternative to the flights from less distant destinations. It is recommended to check the actual train timetable before the travel, e.g. at http://www.bahn.de
Shuttles will be organized from Bad Schandau Train Station, alternatively take the ferry to reach the town centre of Bad Schandau that is situated on the other side of the Elbe river. From here the NationalPark Centre as well as your hotels are situated in walking distance. You can also ask for further information at the information desk inside the train station.
By car:
- From northern directions: Highway A17 (Dresden-Prague), exit No. 6 Pirna.Then follow the sign „Pirna“, a few kilometers later at the right hand side „Bad Schandau“ on B172. ·
- From southern directions: Highway A17 (Dresden-Prague), exit No. 7 Bahretal. Then follow signs „Cotta“, "Krietzschwitz", "Königstein" and „Bad Schandau“.
Getting closer to Bad Schandau, please cross the Elbe river bridge, and follow the sign „P Nationalparkzentrum“, which takes you to the main public parking lot in town. The hotels and the National Park Centre are now signedposted and in walking distance. If you use a navigation system, please enter „Bad Schandau, Elbkai“ as destination point.
Venue
Conference venue and starting point for the excursions will be the National Park Centre Sächsische Schweiz (NationalparkZentrum Sächsische Schweiz) in D-01814 Bad Schandau, Dresdner Str. 2B. See also the map at: http://www.lanu.de/de/NationalparkZentrum/Anfahrt-und-Kontakt.html
Accommodation
The hotel rooms are pre-booked. For booking and more information see the registration part. All hotels are in a walking distance from the National Park Centre.
Currency
Euro. However, in case of travel through the Czech Republic and for the excursion to the Bohemian Switzerland National Park in the Czech Republic it might be useful to have some money in the Czech currency (Czech Crown, CZK).
Contacts
- For logistic issues, please contact the Saxon Switzerland National Park Centre at tpn@lanu.sachsen.de or call the conference hotline +49 152 563 32 572
- For thematic questions please contact Handrij Härtel (Bohemian Switzerland National Park) at h.hartel@npcs.cz or Jürgen Phoenix (Saxon Switzerland National Park) at juergen.phoenix@smul.sachsen.de
Program
Tuesday, 7 June
14.00 Arrival, registration in the Saxon Switzerland National Park Centre Bad Schandau, accommodation
17.00 Short welcome by heads of the Saxon-Bohemian-Switzerland transboundary protected areas and commented walk with the mayor of Bad Schandau through the town
18.00 Opening at the Saxon Switzerland National Park Centre: welcome by representatives of the National Park Centre and EUROPARC and ministries
Introductory presentation: Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland: Four protected areas, two countries, one landscape by Handrij Härtel (Bohemian Switzerland National Park) & Jürgen Phoenix (Saxon Switzerland National Park). Please download the presentation HERE (PDF; 12 MB)
19.00 Dinner and come-together in the National Park Centre, including presentation of the exhibitions
Wednesday, 8 June
Morning presentation session I moderated by Leo Reyrink
09.00-09.30 Nature and tourism – never ending story? by Jakub Kašpar (Krkonoše National Park). Please download the presentation HERE (PDF; 3,6 MB)
09.30-10:00 Visitor survey and route analysis - on the way to a cross-border tourism strategy by Maria Hußlein (Bavarian Forest National Park) & Pavel Bečka (Šumava National Park). Please download the presentation HERE (PDF; 3,4 MB)
10.00-10:30 Social Carrying Capacity of Protected Areas by Johannes Schamel (University Würzburg). Please download the presentation HERE (PDF; 4,5 MB)
10:30-11:00 coffee break
Morning presentation session II moderated by Jakub Kašpar
11.00-11:30 European Charter for Sustainable Tourism Strategy: looking for synergies with the TransParcNet by Paulo Castro (EUROPARC Federation). Please download the presentation HERE (PDF; 1 MB)
11.30-12:10 Results of the national parks evaluation projects in Germany and Austria from the perspective of visitor management by Karl Friedrich Sinner (EUROPARC Germany). Please download the presentation HERE (PDF; 18,9 MB)
12.10-12:30 Preparation of the evaluation project for the Czech national parks by Michael Hošek (Krkonoše National Park). Please download the presentation HERE (PDF; 0,7 MB)
Excursions to Bohemian Switzerland (for more information please click HERE)
13:00 Bus leaving for both excursions from Bad Schandau, Elbkai. Lunch package included, coffee break during the excursion
Option 1: Pravčická brána (Prebischtor) rock arch (medium demanding). Excursion guided by Jakub Šafránek and Tomáš Salov (Bohemian Switzerland National Park)
Option 2: Gorge of the river Kamenice and Elbe Canyon (easy walk, including transport by boat). Excursion guided by Handrij Härtel (Bohemian Switzerland National Park) and Petr Kříž (Czech Agency for Nature Conservation) Both excursion will end in the town Děčín.
19.00 Departure of the steam boat from Děčín to Bad Schandau. Dinner on the boat.
21:00 (app.) Arrival at Bad Schandau
Thursday, 9 June
Morning presentation and workshop session moderated by Michael Hošek (Vicepresident, Europarc Federation)
09.00-09:30 IUCN WCPA Transboundary Conservation Specialist Group: Activities and Plans by Maja Vasilijević (Chair, IUCN Transboundary Conservation Specialist Group)
09.30-11:50 Workshops
Workshop I: Visitor Monitoring and Management, led by Prof. Arne Arnberger (BOKU Vienna) and Maria Hußlein (Bavarian Forest National Park)
Workshop II: Promoting Acceptance, led by Sabine Stab (Saxon Switzerland National Park Centre)
12.00-12:10 Brief presentation of the results from the workshops. Please download:
Workshop presentation I/1 (PDF; 1,2 MB)
Workshop presentation I/2 (PDF; 3,7 MB)
Workshop presentation I/3 (PDF; 1,4 MB)
Workshop presentation II/1 (PDF; 1 MB)
Workshop presentation II/2 (PDF; 4,4 MB)
Workshop presentation II/3 (PDF; 2,3 MB)
12.10-12:20 Invitation to the 2017 TransParcNet meeting
12.30 Lunch in the National Park Centre
Excursion to Saxon Switzerland (for more information please click HERE)
14.00 Departure of the bus for the excursion from Bad Schandau, Elbkai. Excursion route: Hohburkersdorfer Rundblick – Hockstein – Bastei
Coffee break during the excursion
19.30 Dinner in the Bastei Hotel
23:00 Return to Bad Schandau
Friday, 10 June
Departure
Excursion descriptions:
Excursions to Bohemian Switzerland on Wednesday, 8 June
Option 1: Pravčická brána (Prebischtor) - the largest sandstone arch in Europe; guided by Jakub Šafránek and Tomáš Salov. Medium demanding walk. By bus from Bad Schandau along the Elbe River to Hřensko in Bohemian Switzerland. A walk from the village Mezná along the traditional tourist Gabriela path (Gabrielensteig) to the famous Pravčická brána (Prebischtor) sandstone rock arch, the most visited site in the national park. Large variety of morphologic forms (rock pillars, walls etc.), including explanation of weathering forms and processes. From the arch a nice view to the landscape of both, Saxon and Bohemian Switzerland. More at http://www.pbrana.cz/en/ Coffee break in the old traditional restaurant Sokolí hnízdo under the arch (Falkennest). The end of the excursion in the town of Děčín. From here by steamboat to Bad Schandau.
Option 2: Kamenice Gorge and Elbe Canyon; guided by Handrij Härtel and Petr Kříž. Easy walk. By bus from Bad Schandau along the Elbe River to Hřensko in Bohemian Switzerland. A walk from the village Mezná into the wild deep Edmunds' Gorge of the Kamenice stream. Rich diversity of morphologic forms and plants, mainly cryptogams related to the microclimate inversion. A core zone of the national parks, however frequently visited by tourists. A traditional boat service in a part of the gorge (since 1890). More at http://www.en.hrensko.net/ From Hřensko by bus to the spectacular Belvedere Lookout to the deep Canyon of the Elbe River (national nature reserve with large natural forests). Coffee break in the restaurant. For some impressions please click HERE. The end of the excursion in the town of Děčín. From here by steamboat to Bad Schandau.
Excursion to Saxon Switzerland on Thursday, 9 June
Elbe-sandstones born in the sea – landscape of outstanding natural beauty, guided by Jürgen Phoenix and Jens Posthoff. Visiting some very picturesque sites in the Saxon Switzerland National Park and the landscape protected area, well known by tourists for more than 200 years. The excursion is by bus with short walks. First stop is at Hohburkersdorfer Rundblick, a fine viewpoint with an excellent look around over the Elbe-sandstones and neighbouring landscapes. Next point is Hockstein, a viewpoint above the Polenz valley, situated in the core zone of the National Park where we have a good view into one of the oldest nature reserves in Saxony with its characteristic forest zones and an exciting walk through the wolf-gorge (Wolfsschlucht) down to the river Polenz. The excursion ends at the best known “balcony” of Saxony – the Bastei above the Elbe valley, the most visited site in the Elbe-sandstones. Dinner is at restaurant Bastei.
DOWNLOAD: All presentations as compressed (ZIP) file (70 MB)
Links:
- Saxon-Bohemian Switzerland National Park Region (transboundary cooperation details)
- Europarc Federation
- Sächsische Landesstiftung Natur und Umwelt - NationalparkZentrum Bad Schandau
- Nationalparkverwaltung Sächsische Schweiz
- Správa národního parku České Švýcarsko
- Chráněná krajinná oblast Labské pískovce
