Since 1989, International Friends of Nature has designated eleven Landscapes of the Year, all of which have certain things in common. Irrespective of their diverse topographies, which range from high and low mountain ranges, via river landscapes, lakes and estuaries to wooded areas and vast planes, all of them are border-crossing, most of the time structurally weak regions banking on gentle tourism. 

The formal proclamation event is the occasion on which the ‚baton’ is symbolically passed by the old to the new Landscape of the Year and the first direct link is forged between people from different regions. 

Another link has now been forged by setting up an international network and laying the groundwork for continuous cooperation. International Friends of Nature and its national federations both support and form part of the network.