Institution(s) in charge

• Office fédéral de la culture OFC
  Section patrimoine culturel et monuments historiques
  Hallwylstrasse 15 CH-3003 Bern

 Other actors

• Société suisse pour l'Art des Jardins SSAJ
  SwissPost 38741
  Zürcherstrasse 161 8010 Zurich
  The Society promotes the conservation and expansion of gardens, parks and other private and public landscaped areas. 
• ICOMOS Switzerland
  CH-3000 Bern
  The “historic gardens” working group of ICOMOS Switzerland was set up in 1992. It provides a forum for cooperation between specialists from the various disciplines involved in protecting historic gardens. 
• Fédération Suisse des Architectes Paysagistes BSLA FSAP
  Rue du Doubs 32, 2300 La Chaux-de-Fonds
  The FSAP is an association of qualified landscape architects practising in Switzerland. 
• Patrimoine Suisse Villa Patumbah
  Zollikerstrasse 128  8008 Zurich
  Patrimoine Suisse is Switzerland’s biggest non-profit-making organisation in the field of built heritage. Every year it awards the Schulthess Prize for outstanding achievements in the field of parks and gardens
• Fondation suisse pour l’architecture paysagère FAP / Swiss archives for landscape architecture
  The foundation manages Switzerland’s landscape architecture archives which collect, preserve and promote archival material from landscape architecture firms.

 Relevant legislation

Federal legislation

• Federal Law on the Protection of Nature and Heritage (LPN)
• Federal Law on Spatial Planning (LAT)

Cantonal legislation

 Protection measures

Gardens are protected at cantonal and municipal level. There is no central national register. 

Gardens are protected at cantonal and municipal level according to the current cantonal legislation. Protected status can be granted via a site plan, protection order or convention or as part of the land-use planning process.

Inventory of historic gardens and parks of Switzerland (number of gardens and parks recorded: 30,000)

Between 1995 and 2014 ICOMOS Switzerland compiled this systematic inventory covering the entire country. Completed in 2014, it includes nearly 30,000 gardens and parks created before 1960. The inventory has no legal force. It may serve as a starting point for more detailed inventory work and for protection measures.

There are also municipal and cantonal inventories which have been compiled for the purpose of protecting the gardens concerned (see above).

 Existing inventories

• Inventory of historic gardens and parks of Switzerland
• Federal Office of Culture OFC: Historic gardens of Switzerland
• Garden Memory, das Portal der Gartenkultur

 Online information

 Specialised training

• Bachelor of Science Landschaftsarchitektur
  In-service training:  no
  Initial training, level: Bachelor of Science
  HSR Hochschule für Technik Rapperswil
• Bachelor of Science in landscape architecture 
  In-service training: no
  Initial training, level: Bachelor of Science
  hepia Haute Ecole du paysage, de l'ingénierie et de l'architecture Geneva

Other opportunities for specialised training:

• HSR Hochschule für Technik Rapperswil
  Certificate of Advanced Studies CAS Gartendenkmalpflege

 Awareness-raising actions

Year of the Garden 2016 targets general public, policy makers, property owners, administrative authorities, etc.

European Heritage Days 2016. Theme: “Urban oasis, rural oasis” (10 and 11 September 2016)

 Terminology tools

 Documentation

• Archiv für Schweizer Gartenarchitektur und Landschaftsplanung (éd.) : Vom
• Landschaftsgarten zur Gartenlandschaft. Gartenkunst zwischen 1880 und 1980 im Archiv für Schweizer Gartenarchitektur und Landschaftsplanung. Zurich 1996
• Burbulla, Julia ; Karn, Susanne ; Lerch, Gabi (éd.) : Stadtlandschaften. Schweizer
• Gartenkunst im Zeitalter der Industrialisierung. Zurich 2006
• Département fédéral des finances, Office fédéral des constructions et de la logistique, Établissement horticole de la Confédération (éd.) : Les jardins historiques de l’Office fédéral des constructions et de la logistique OFCL. Berne 2013
• Heyer, Hans-Rudolf : Historische Gärten der Schweiz. Die Entwicklung vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart. Berne 1980
• ICOMOS Suisse, groupe de travail Jardins historiques (éd.) : Gartenwege der Schweiz.
• Série. Vol. 1 : Landschaftsgärten des 19. Jahrhunderts in Basel und Umgebung. Vol. 2 : Siedlungsgärten des 20. Jahrhunderts in Basel und Umgebung. Vol. 3 : Bauerngärten zwischen Säntis und Bodensee. Baden 2012, 2013 et 2015.
• ICOMOS Suisse et Office fédérale de la culture OFC :  Les jardins patrimoniaux dans la planification, Guide destiné aux autorités et aux spécialistes
• Oasen – Oasis, Le Bulletin NIKE 1-2/2016  (to be published in March 2016)
• Patrimoine Suisse (éd.) : Les plus beaux jardins et parcs de Suisse. 2e édition
• complétement remaniée. Zurich 2016
• Sigel, Brigitt ; Waeber Catherine ; Medici-Mall Katharina (éd.) : Nutzen und Zierde. Fünfzig historische Gärten in der Schweiz. Zurich 2006
• SGGK Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Gartenkultur (éd.): Topiaria Helvetica, Jahrbücher der SGGK 2010 – 2016
• Stoffler, Johannes : Gustav Ammann. Landschaften der Moderne in der Schweiz. Zurich 2008
• Stoffler, Johannes : Lebendiges Gartenerbe. Leitfaden für die Besitzer historischer Gärten und Parks. Liestal 2009
• Weilacher, Udo: Visionäre Gärten. Die modernen Landschaften von Ernst Cramer. Basel 2001