Exploring forest visits: Comparing experiences across Switzerland, Baden-Württemberg, and Bayern in Germany

Abstract

Urban and peri-urban forests play an increasingly important role in public health and recreation, particularly in the context of urbanization and demographic change. This study compares forest visit patterns across Switzerland, Baden-Württemberg, and Bavaria based on harmonized, large-scale survey data. We analyze visit frequency, motives, satisfaction, and perceived forest health through multilevel and Bayesian models. Results show that individual factors strongly shape satisfaction and visit frequency, while regional effects are minimal. Our findings highlight the need for user-centered forest management that considers diverse motives and especially the needs of younger and more frequent users in urbanizing contexts.