Scotland NORWAY #35 #20 RUSSIA #10 RĪGA LATVIA Longyearbyen SWEDEN Spitsbergen #33 Smolensk Glasgow Edinburgh Baltic Greenland Northern North LITHUANIA Sea Greenland Barents Ireland Sea DENMARK Contents Sea Belfast COPENHAGEN #14 VILNIUS Sea 60 Kaliningrad Russia MINSK Introduction 5 Lemmenjoki 152 #13 #30 # Irish Sea Gdańsk Dnieper Loch Lomond and DUBLIN Manchester Abisko 6 The Trossachs 154 IRELAND BELARUS Jan Mayen #39 Abruzzo 12 National Marine Park #27 #53 Hamburg Vistula THE Aigüestortes i Estany of Alonnisos and Hammerfest Wales UNITED Elbe Denmark Strait 40 NETHERLANDS Brest de Sant Maurici 18 Northern Sporades 160 Murmansk # KINGDOM WARSAW Tromsø #9 AMSTERDAM Arcipelago di La Nordvest- Cardiff THE HAGUE BERLIN KYIV #32 LONDON POLAND Maddalena 22 Spitsbergen 162 England #1 Odra #52 #15 Rhine GERMANY UKRAINE Atlantic Islands of Ordesa 168 Dresden ICELAND Norwegian #48 Rovaniemi#37 BRUSSELS #49 Galicia 24 Oulanka 174 REYKJAVÍK English Channel Lviv #58 Sea NORTH BELGIUM Kraków Dolomiti Bellunesi 28 Paklenica 180 Dniester Luleå ATLANTIC Frankfurt PRAGUE Berchtesgaden 36 Peak District 184 Le Havre LUXEMBOURG CZECH REPUBLIC #55 Black Forest 40 Pembrokeshire SWEDEN OCEAN #51 Faroe PARIS #11 MOLDOVA Brecon Beacons 42 Coast 192 FINLAND SLOVAKIA Islands Trondheim Vaasa Seine CHIŞINĂU Cairngorms 48 Peneda-Gerês 200 Danube Munich VIENNA BRATISLAVA NORWAY Sundsvall Loire Rhine Carpathian 54 Picos de Europa 206 Tampere BUDAPEST #24 NORTH Dalälven #8 Cinque Terre 56 Pirin 212 Shetland #25 26 St Petersburg #7 AUSTRIA ATLANTIC # HELSINKI LIECHTENSTEIN Connemara 62 Plitvice 218 Islands #23 HUNGARY ROMANIA Bergen OSLO #29 RUSSIA FRANCE BERN Curonian Spit 68 Port-Cros 226 OCEAN #22 TALLINN SWITZERLAND#54 SLOVENIA #56 Tisa Dartmoor 70 Pyrenees 232 STOCKHOLM ESTONIA Lyon 6 Pskov Allier Geneva # #47 Scotland LJUBLJANA ZAGREB Doñana 76 Retezat 240 Kristiansand CROATIA BUCHAREST #20 Bordeaux Milan Venice Durmitor 80 Sarek 242 #10 RĪGA LATVIA Bay of Biscay Po #44 BOSNIA & BELGRADE Danube Écrins 86 Saxon Switzerland 250 Garonne #18 #1 Abisko #15 Dartmoor #31 Lake Skadar #46 Pyrenees HERZEGOVINA Etna 92 Sierra Nevada 256 Rhône #38 SERBIA #2 Abruzzo #16 Doñana #32 Lemmenjoki #47 Retezat #5 #42 Bilbao SAN MARINO SARAJEVO MONACO #12 #28 BULGARIA Gauja 98 Slovenský Raj 262 #3 Aigüestortes i Estany de #17 Durmitor #33 Loch Lomond and The #48 Sarek Florence SAN #41 46 Marseille 17 SOFIA Golfo di Orosei e del Snæfellsjökull 268 Sant Maurici #18 Écrins Trossachs #49 Saxon Switzerland # MONACO MARINO # KOSOVO #36 3 ANDORRA #45 MONTENEGRO Gennargentu 102 Snowdonia 274 #4 Arcipelago di La #19 Etna #34 National Marine Park of #50 Sierra Nevada Ebro # ANDORRA #57 ITALY SKOPJE 43 Hardangervidda 104 Swiss 280 Maddalena #20 Gauja Alonnisos #51 Slovenský Raj Duero Adriatic Sea #31 # Corsica MACEDONIA #5 Atlantic Islands of #21 Golfo di Orosei e del #35 Nordvest-Spitsbergen #52 Snæfellsjökull Hohe Tauern 108 Tatras 288 ROME #2 TIRANA Galicia Gennargentu #36 Ordesa #53 Snowdonia PORTUGAL Barcelona Thessaloniki Hortobágy 114 Triglav 294 MADRID #6 Dolomiti Bellunesi #22 Hardangervidda #37 Oulanka #54 Swiss #4 ALBANIA Jostedalsbreen 116 Valbona Valley 300 Tajo Naples #7 Berchtesgaden #23 Hohe Tauern #38 Paklenica #55 Tatras LISBON Balearic Jotunheimen 122 Vatnajökull 302 Sea #59 #8 Black Forest #24 Hortobágy #39 Peak District #56 Triglav 34 Aegean Killarney 130 Vikos-Aoös 310 SPAIN Valencia #21 # #9 Brecon Beacons #25 Jostedalsbreen #40 Pembrokeshire Coast #57 Valbona Valley GREECE Sea Kornati 136 Wadden Sea 312 Sardinia #10 Cairngorms #26 Jotunheimen #41 Peneda-Gerês #58 Vatnajökull Tyrrhenian Sea Lahemaa 138 Ionian #11 Carpathian #27 Killarney #42 Picos de Europa #59 Vikos-Aoös Cordoba ATHENS Seville Sea Lake District 140 Index 316 #12 Cinque Terre #28 Kornati #43 Pirin #60 Wadden Sea #16 Palermo Lake Skadar 146 Acknowledgements 320 #13 Connemara #29 Lahemaa #44 Plitvice Mediterranean Sea #50 19 #14 Curonian Spit #30 Lake District #45 Port-Cros Sicily# Gibraltar Catania Mediterranean Sea NATIONAL PARKS of EUROPE ↓ The medieval fishing village of Manarola in the Cinque Terre. ↓ Dartmoor National Park. ↓ Plitvice National Park. ↓ Picos de Europa. Introduction My first sight of Italy’s Cinque Terre National Park (p56) coast, high-altitude peaks in the Pyrenees and was through the train window as I headed south along Alps, and even parts of the frozen Arctic, with the coast from Genoa. It was painfully brief. And wildlife ranging from Carpathian squirrels and the same could be said for my second… and third fin whales to peregrine falcons and polar bears. looks. Mere glimpses of the beautiful Ligurian Setting out to choose Europe’s top 60 national parks coast, each a fleeting snapshot between the was no easy task, so we called on our expert writers and blinding darkness of lengthy rail tunnels. well-travelled Destination Editors. We asked them to tell My upset with the subterranean tracks didn’t last us which parks provide the best experiences and why. long, however, as I was soon gaping at the full The final selections were those that offered something coastal splendour of the Cinque Terre from the truly unique, often an enthralling mixture of stunning village of Vernazza’s splendid natural harbour. natural beauty, incredible wildlife, fulfilling activities, local Cliffs plunged into the sea, forested hills marked culture and (occasionally) a compelling history too. the horizon and ancient drystone walls formed But this book is intended to be more than just a twisting terraces above town. And there was celebration of Europe’s top national parks – it’s also a not an unsightly train track in view. practical introduction to each of them. We highlight The stunning vistas only grew in magnitude the best activities and trails – in the case of Port- over the coming days as I ran the steep and Cros (p226), one of the trails is actually below the precipitous coastal trails linking the Cinque Mediterranean’s surface! – explain how to get there Terre’s five medieval villages. Mix in some lovely and where to stay, show you the wildlife to watch beaches, great Italian seafood and gelato, and out for, and even suggest itineraries. the park was a truly rewarding experience. We hope the following pages inspire you This diversity is carried through to Europe’s to explore more of Europe’s wild and national parks as a whole, and that is what wonderful spaces. makes them so special. They protect areas of Matt Phillips Castans Monteagudo | Nataliia Budianska; Miguel Shutterstock | urbancow, Getty Images | serenarossi, Shutterstock 5 Toolbox Hike this... Stay here... What to spot... When to go Avoid crowds but Liadromia Hotel Alonissos has a mild Mediterranean climate. dive freely into warm, aqua caving lava viewing arts & culture hiking kayak / canoe Patitiri’s first hotel remains one of Maquis and pine and cedar forests dot the land. seas by visiting in June, its finest. This welcoming and impeccably Rare species include Eleonora’s falcons, wild goats September or October. maintained place overlooks the harbour and Mediterranean monk seals. July and August are and has lashings of character. The gracious packed with visitors. owner, Maria, takes pride in making it all GREECE scuba diving rock climbing guided tour horseback riding skiing cycling driving star gazing work: from hand-embroidered curtains to MEDITERRANEAN MONK SEAL These 34 Getting there richcaving buffetlava viewingbreakfasts.arts & culture hiking kayak / canoe shy, endangered seals were depicted Alonissos Marine on ancient Greek coins and mentioned National ParkExtra options encompasses a string Paradise Hotel in Homer’s poems. Today, fewer than of islands in the Sporades 01 Palia (Old) Alonissos This neat-as-a-pin hotel lives up to 600 remain in the world, and they hide in the northwestern its name with its gorgeous setting above in partially submerged caves to breed. to Patitiri scuba diving rock climbing guided tour horseback riding skiing cycling driving star gazing Marine Aegean. The park lies off Descend this 2.5km a private swimming cove. Rooms have thescuba diving coasthorseback of the riding mainland cobblestone trail from rustic stone floors and balconies, but the Extra options Pelion Peninsula, with ports caving lava viewing arts & culture hiking kayak / canoeAlonissos’ old capital to real standouts are the large pool area with Park of at Volos or further south waterside Patitiri. The sweeping sunset views, and the pathway oating away from Alonissos included Mycenaeans (Achilles’ father is at Agios Konstantinos. fortified houses were built leadingcaving tolava the viewing water’sarts & culture edge. hiking kayak / canoe island into the heart of the said to be buried here), Athenians, Romans, The nearest airport is on to protect against pirates. Alonissos marine park, you’ll see dolphins Venetians, Crusaders and Turks. Always a Skiathos island, from where scuba diving horseback riding Itinerary leaping and spot dozens of bird strategic spot along Mediterranean shipping boats serve the park’s main Kalovoulos Mountain B scuba diving rock climbing guided tour horseback riding skiing cycling driving star gazing02 species as you approach protected caves and routes, Alonissos weathered the many island of Alonissos. Climb the eastern side of Do this! Zip around azure seas in search of rare seals, falcons Northern scuba diving rock climbing guided tour horseback riding skiing cycling driving star gazing islands. Fish will surround you as you snorkel changes, and today you’ll find a bustling this 325m mountain, dense and wild goats. Dive in, too. the azure waters and, diving deeper below the harbour at Patitiri. Extra options with olive groves and pine Boating Sporades surface, you’ll discover ancient shipwrecks. While humans were going through Park in numbers forests, in time Extrato options arrive for Zipping along the clear waters Greece’s first marine park and Europe’s centuries of drama, the local sea life, birds sunset views over its steep of the marine park is the highlight of 01 largest marine protected area safeguards six and animals continued to thrive.