Garden policy: SWITZERLAND


 

 Institution(s) in charge

 

 Other actors

  • Swiss Society for Garden Art SSAJ
    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. 
  • Swiss Federation of Landscape Architects BSLA FSAP
    Rue du Doubs 32, 2300 La Chaux-de-Fonds
    The FSAP is an association of qualified landscape architects practising in Switzerland. 
  • Swiss Heritage 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
  • Swiss Foundation for Landscape Architecture FAP
    The foundation manages Switzerland’s landscape architecture archives which collect, preserve and promote archival material from landscape architecture firms.

 

 Relevant legislation

Federal legislation

Cantonal legislation

 

 Protection measures

Garden protection is done at the level of the cantons and municipalities. There is no central national register.

The protection of gardens is carried out at the level of the cantons and communes in accordance with the cantonal legislation in force. Protection can be done through a site map; a safeguard order, an agreement or at the level of land use planning

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

Between 1995 and 2014, ICOMOS Switzerland developed this systematic and nationwide census. Completed in 2014, it includes nearly 30,000 gardens and parks created before 1960. The census does not have the force of law. It can be used as a starting point for more in-depth inventory work and protection measures.

There are also communal and cantonal inventories of gardens for their protection (see above).

 

 Existing inventories

 Online information

 

 Specialised training

Other opportunities for specialised training:

 

 Awareness-raising actions

European Heritage Days 2026. theme "In danger?" (12 and 13 September 2026)

Cemetery Day 2025: is an annual initiative organised by the Swiss Union of Parks and Promenade Services. It aims to make cemeteries known as places of cultural, historical, landscape and ecological heritage, beyond their funerary function.

Swiss Castle Day 2026: Every year, Swiss castles and their historic gardens open their doors for a day. This year, the event will be held on October 4, 2026, with the theme "travel".

 

 Terminology tools

 

 Documentation

  • Archiv für Schweizer Gartenarchitektur und Landschaftsplanung (ed.): Vom
  • Landschaftsgarten zur Gartenlandschaft. Gartenkunst zwischen 1880 und 1980 im Archiv für Schweizer Gartenarchitektur und Landschaftsplanung. Zurich 1996
  • Burbulla, Julia; Karn, Susanne; Lerch, Gabi (ed.): Stadtlandschaften. Schweizer
  • Gartenkunst im Zeitalter der Industrialisierung. Zurich 2006
  • Federal Department of Finance, Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics, Federal Horticultural Establishment (ed.): The Historic Gardens of the Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics FOBL. Bern 2013
  • Heyer, Hans-Rudolf: Historische Gärten der Schweiz. Die Entwicklung vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart. Bern 1980
  • ICOMOS Switzerland, working group Historic gardens (ed.): Gartenwege der Schweiz.
  • Series. Vol. 1: Landschaftsgärten of 19. Jahrhunderts in Basel und Umgebung. Vol. 2: Siedlungsgärten of the 20. Jahrhunderts in Basel und Umgebung. Vol. 3: Bauerngärten zwischen Säntis und Bodensee. Baden 2012, 2013 and 2015.
  • ICOMOS Switzerland and Federal Office of Culture FOC: Heritage Gardens in Planning, Guide for Authorities and Practitioners
  • Oasen – Oasis, The NIKE Bulletin 1-2/2016 (to be published in March 2016)
  • Swiss Heritage (ed.): The most beautiful gardens and parks in Switzerland. 2nd edition
  • completely revised. Zurich 2016
  • Sigel, Brigitt; Waeber Catherine; Medici-Mall Katharina (ed.): Nutzen und Zierde. Fünfzig historische Gärten in der Schweiz. Zurich 2006
  • SGGK Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Gartenkultur (ed.):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