Cultivated land and grazing livestock
Cultivated land refers to areas used for farming or gardening. Always avoid cultivated land to protect the soil and vegetation. Stick to nearby paths or roads to protect growing crops.
If the trail passes through a pasture, it might be okay to cross, but be cautious animals like horses or cows with calves may react aggressively. Keep a safe distance, avoid bringing dogs, and always close the gates behind you.
Keep in mind
- Keep a respectful distance from houses.
- Always try to find a route around the pasture before entering.
- To feed or pet livestock, you need to ask the landowner first.
Consideration for livestock
The right of public access applies on both enclosed and open grazing land, but some animals can be disturbed or react aggressively. This is especially true for cows with calves, but also for horses, pigs, and sheep.
To walk through a pasture, you must not disturb the grazing animals. Always try to find a route around the pasture before entering. If you do go in, keep your distance and behave calmly.
- Never walk between a cow and her calf, a mare and her foal, or a ewe and her lamb.
- Avoid disturbing animals during the time they give birth and care for their young.
- Never leave food waste or litter behind, livestock may eat it and be harmed.
Virtual fences
In some places, virtual fences are now used to keep grazing livestock within a designated area. These fences are not visible in the landscape but function as a digital enclosure. The right of public access applies here as well, but since the boundaries are not visible, it is especially important to stay alert, be aware of the livestock, and keep your distance.
Stay off grwoing corps
Cultivated fields are sensitive areas, and you risk damaging crops if you walk on them. It is not permitted to pick the crops or walk on fields or plantations where they are growing. Use the paths and roads alongside cultivated land instead. In some cases, narrow margins at the edges of fields may be possible to walk on.
In winter, when the ground is frozen, the risk of damage is lower. With care, you may ski across a field, provided there are no sown crops beneath the surface that could be harmed.
Farmyards and the private protection zone
Agricultural landscapes often include farmyards, and the right of public access does not allow you to enter someone’s private property or private protection zone. This may include the farmyard itself, although public roads, marked trails, and paths that pass through the yard may still be used. However, you may not linger or stay on the farmyard.
Always stay alert for tractors and other agricultural machinery. There may also be loose livestock that you need to take into account.