National Parks in Europe

Croatia’s fairytale showpiece, where sixteen terraced turquoise lakes tumble into one another over a chain of waterfalls. Wooden walkways carry you right across the water through beech and fir forest. Come early or late to beat the summer crowds.

Slovenia’s only national park, wrapped around the country’s highest peak in the Julian Alps. It shelters the iconic Lake Bled and Bohinj, emerald river gorges and superb hiking. A paradise for walkers, climbers and kayakers alike.

Italy’s oldest national park, a realm of glaciers, larch forest and high pasture where the once-endangered Alpine ibex was saved from extinction. Well-marked trails climb to over 4,000m. Marmots and golden eagles are common sights.

A compact, dramatic limestone massif rising steeply just inland from Spain’s northern coast. Deep gorges, jagged peaks and traditional cheese-making villages make it a walker’s dream. The Cares Gorge trail is one of the finest in the country.

A grand amphitheatre of cliffs, waterfalls and canyons in the Spanish Pyrenees, often likened to a European Grand Canyon. Beech and pine forests fill the valleys beneath the peaks. It is exceptional for hiking and spotting izard and vultures.

Germany’s beautiful Alpine park, centred on the fjord-like Konigssee lake beneath sheer mountain walls. Electric boats glide silently to the red-domed St Bartholoma chapel. Above rises the Watzmann, one of the country’s most storied peaks.

The largest national park in the Alps, spanning Austria’s highest peaks and the mighty Grossglockner. Glaciers, thundering waterfalls and the panoramic Grossglockner High Alpine Road are the highlights. Ibex, marmots and bearded vultures thrive here.

A UNESCO-listed wilderness of glacial lakes, pine forest and limestone peaks in northern Montenegro. It cradles the Tara River Canyon, the deepest in Europe. Rafting, hiking and winter skiing all draw adventurers.

A Dalmatian park famed for its series of travertine waterfalls, the tallest at Skradinski Buk cascading through lush greenery. Boardwalks wind past the falls and Roman ruins. It is a cooler, wilder complement to nearby Plitvice.

Wales’s rugged heart, crowned by Snowdon, the highest peak in England and Wales. Glacial valleys, slate villages and a dramatic coastline surround the mountains. Multiple walking routes and a mountain railway lead to the misty summit.

England’s largest national park, an inspiration to Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter, where shimmering lakes nestle among green fells and stone villages. Boat trips, gentle strolls and fell walks all beckon. Its literary heritage is as rich as its scenery.

Britain’s largest national park, a vast plateau of ancient Caledonian pine forest, heather moor and sub-arctic mountain tops in the Scottish Highlands. Red deer, ospreys and reindeer roam here. It offers superb hiking, skiing and whisky trails.

Ireland’s oldest national park, a lush landscape of lakes, oak woodland and mountains around the town of Killarney. Red deer graze beneath medieval Ross Castle. The scenic Gap of Dunloe and Muckross House are must-sees.

The High Tatras straddle Slovakia and Poland, a compact range of granite peaks, alpine lakes and deep valleys. Cable cars and a network of huts open up genuine high-mountain hiking. It is the wildest corner of Central Europe.

A surreal landscape of eroded sandstone pillars and table mountains rising above the Elbe near Dresden, Germany. The Bastei Bridge, spanning the rock towers, is unforgettable. It is a mecca for hikers and free climbers.

The ‘Home of the Giants’, Norway’s grandest mountain wilderness, holding the country’s highest peaks and more than 250 summits over 2,000m. The knife-edge Besseggen ridge is a legendary day hike. Glaciers, blue lakes and reindeer complete the scene.

One of Europe’s last true wildernesses, a roadless, hut-less realm of glaciers and jagged peaks deep in Swedish Lapland. It is reserved for experienced, self-sufficient trekkers. In autumn the tundra blazes with colour under the northern sky.

Five impossibly pretty fishing villages clinging to the terraced cliffs of the Italian Riviera, linked by coastal footpaths and a train line. Pastel houses tumble to tiny harbours above the sea. The vineyard-draped trails offer dazzling coastal views.