The National Park was established in 1991. The area of the park is almost 235 km². The headquarters of the Directorate is in Sarród. The area preserves a great number of natural values from the foothills of the Bakony to the Sopron Mountains, from the River Danube to the oak forests and meadows of the Rábaköz. Our National Park and the neighbouring Austrian parks were acknowledged by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) and zoned accordingly in 1991. The core of this area is the westernmost Eurasian salt lake called Lake Fertő. Because of its unique flora and fauna, the Fertő has been under protection since 1977 and the Hanság region since 1976. In 1979, within the framework of the UNESCO-MAB Programme, this area was also declared a Biosphere Reserve. In 1989, it has been designated as a Ramsar site, to become part of an international network of protected wetlands. High international appraisal was also supported when the UNESCO World Heritage Convention declared the whole Fertő area (embracing all Hungarian and Austrian parks) as a World Heritage Site on 13th of December 2001. 

The Directorate maintains nature trails, demonstration places, visitor centres where visitors can learn about the natural assets of the region and about the routine tasks of conservation work.