Protected areas cover a total of 12.3 thousand square kilometers. The history of nature protection in Slovakia dates back to the 13th century when the European bison and the area of the current "Badinsky prales" reserve near Banská Bystrica were protected. The first protected area - the Great Garden in the Wielicka Valley in the High Tatras - was designated in 1876. The first national park in Slovakia was the Tatra National Park, established in 1948.
