SWEDEN: Allemansrätten or “everyman’s right” gives Swedes a right to enjoy nature everywhere, except in private gardens, close to people’s homes and on cultivated land.
FINLAND: Finns have their own “everyman’s right”, although they call it jokamiehenoikeus. It gives people the right to walk, ski, cycle and camp anywhere in wilderness areas and forests.
GERMANY: Access rights reflect the Germans’ love of forests. They have a right to roam freely in forested areas, as well as unenclosed land like heats and marshes.
AUSTRIA: Freedom to walk and run in Austria’s forests is enshrined in federal law. Rules about access above the treeline vary from state to state.
SWITZERLAND: The Swiss have a right to roam under their Civil Code, which extends to forests and pasture land, whether private or publicly-owned.
IRELAND: There’s no legal right of access to privately-owned land in the Republic, and that includes uncultivated uplands.
( The above is an extract from a recent issue of Walk Magazine )
Updated : Mar 16th 2015