Outside the “borders” of big and burdened cities, National Parks, in addition to areas of special ecological value and great biological diversity and geological importance, are destinations for our most dreamy escapes.
Today’s trip takes us a little further, staying in Europe, but we pass from country to country to visit the largest National Parks of the Old Continent – at least some of them, because there are not a few -, destinations drowned in greenery and full of impressive monuments. of nature, which attract millions of tourists every year.
Together with them we enjoy the beauty, companionship with all those who seek, with a return to nature even for a few days, tranquility, upliftment, reconnection with themselves in environments of peace and harmony. In the precious places that we have luckily managed to protect and save from the destruction that we have caused elsewhere with our various activities.
- Parc Νational des Pyrénées, France
The park in question, like the Pyrenees mountains that give it its name, is located along the border between France and Spain. Skiing during winter, hiking, mountain climbing and wildlife watching are the main activities that attract tourists there.
A mountainous area with dramatic landscapes – steep deep gorges, caves, cliffs, dozens of lakes and large valleys –, the Pyrenees National Park was established in 1967 and today is home to more than 70 different species of mammals and dozens of birds.
The flora of the area is extremely rich. The Somport pass with its panoramic view of the surrounding mountain peaks and the Pourtalet pass with its view of the iconic Pic du Midi d’Ossau offer hikes you will remember forever.
- Tatrzański Park Narodowy, Poland
A hundred kilometers south of Krakow, on the Polish-Slovakian border, the mountains are covered in thick vegetation, the small villages are extremely picturesque, with houses and churches made entirely from the region’s precious timber, and the restaurants serve some of the tastiest recipes (food and sweets) of Northern Europe. After all, Poland is a country with excellent cuisine.
However, in the Tatra mountains we don’t go (only) to eat, but to enjoy nature. Either in the more organized parts of their National Park (where the cable cars take you up to green peaks to enjoy the panoramic view) or on the dirt uphill paths that make you think you are alone in the world, you and the birds that can be heard flying from branch to branch, natural beauty acts as an antidote to our anxieties and tensions.
Zakopane, the largest city in the region, is considered the “winter capital” of Poland and is full of hotels, restaurants, patisseries (try the waffles with whipped cream and forest fruits and Polish cheesecakes), as well as small shops selling items (decorative and utilitarian) made of – what else? – wood, which, as we said, is abundant in the area.
- Jostedalsbreen Nasjonalpark, Norway
It is not only famous for its beauty but also for its exuberant expanse. In this case, for the size of its glacier, which is considered the largest in continental Europe, as it covers 487,000 square kilometers!
This impressive “river” of ice occupies almost half of the park and “crosses” a distance of 60 kilometers! Jostedalsbreen National Park is approximately eight hours’ drive (500 km) north of Oslo and five and a half hours (300 km) north of Bergen. Both tours in Norway’s breathtakingly beautiful nature are life experiences.
The village of Fjaerland is the base from which excursions to explore the park start. It is also characterized as the “village of books”, as improvised and free lending libraries operate everywhere, even at its bus stops. Of course, you don’t go to the region so much to read as to admire its beauties. In Jostedalsbreen National Park there is also an excellent information center where the visitor will be informed about everything he needs.
Beyond that, organized hiking tours are the best way to get to know the park, especially if you are unfamiliar with the mountains and their vagaries. The paths are many and of different degrees of difficulty.
“How lucky we Norwegians are”, we read on Jostedalsbreen’s official website: “Lucky because the right to roam is a public good, it’s free and it’s part of Norwegian cultural heritage.
Nature is accessible to all, as outdoor recreation is a large and important feature of Norwegian identity. The basic rule is: Be careful and show care to the environment. Do no harm and leave it as you would like to find it.’
- Connemara National Park, Ireland
On the west side of Ireland, where the Atlantic Ocean wildly beats the shores with its huge waves, an hour from picturesque Galway, is one of the most characteristic and charming corners of the island country: 20,000 acres of marshes, lakes, in floating waters whose sky is mirrored, heather meadows, low mountains and woodlands.
The Connemara National Park has been welcoming the public since 1980 to enchant them with the orgiastic beauty of its nature. Hikers, equestrians, cyclists, etc. they find here their paradise.
However, in addition to the natural attractions, Connemara also has an attraction that hides a very moving story. This is Kylemore Castle, the splendid residence built in the 1860s by Mitchell Henry, a wealthy politician, to house his love for his wife Margaret Vaughan.
There the couple lived happily and had nine children, in order to benefit the local community by giving them work and food in the difficult time, after the great famine. Unfortunately their happiness was not meant to last long.
Margaret, on a trip to Egypt, fell seriously ill and shortly afterwards died. He was 45 years old. Mitchell spent the rest of his life inconsolable. And he abandoned Kylemore Castle, which over the years, passing from owner to owner, began to crumble. That was until it was bought by nuns of the Benedictine order.
The nuns have lovingly cared for it, re-greened its lovely gardens and restored it to its former state to turn it into one of the most popular attractions in the area.
Next to the mansion is a small Gothic church, built by Mitchell in memory of his wife. And next to the church is the couple’s mausoleum (the man died in 1910, at the age of 85), an eternal memorial to all those who had the fortune and happiness to love and be loved beyond life and death.
- Cairngorms National Park, Scotland
In the middle of the journey from Perth to Inverness (a distance covered in two and a half hours at most), the nature of Scotland unfolds all its metaphysical charm. The Cairngorms National Park has the wildness of the bare and heather-covered mountains, it has the silence of the bogs and bogs, but also the slight disturbance caused by the water from the streams as it flows down the slopes, it has the grace of the meadows that spring and summer are full of flowers, it also has the peace of the farms with the elegant houses that emerge where the forests form clearings.
Leisurely life in the countryside, some cows, sheep and horses that look at you with their kind eyes, but also a changeable weather that on the one hand impresses you with the power of its sun and the purity of its sky and on the other surprises you with its severity of its rainfall. But even with the rain washing everything away and releasing the most unexpected and refreshing scents, the area shines with beauty – as does the whole of Scotland.
In short, put aside your fears of ‘upside-down’ British driving and if you want to enjoy the journey, hire a car. The roads are narrow, but the traffic is limited, so the “adventure” is easier than you think and all the more worth it, since you can only get around the whole area by car.
Unless, like so many English and Scots, you prefer hiking. In this case, even if you start with the most optimistic sun, it is good to take with you, in addition to sunscreen, a good waterproof. He will almost certainly need you.
- National Park Plitvička Jezera, Croatia
It was established in 1949, which makes it one of the oldest National Parks in Europe, and since 1979 it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Plitvice Lakes National Park is located one hundred kilometers north of Zagreb.
It is famous for its 16 small and larger lakes, which are connected to each other by caves and waterfalls in a landscape-overproduction. The vegetation of the area is also impressive, with birches, firs and beeches.
Ranches with horses (where you can ride) and with deer, cycling and hiking trails, the possibility for extreme sports and restaurants with local cuisine make up a scene where nature worship and exercise meet well-being. Nothing better;
- Parco Nazionale delle Dolomiti Bellunesi, Italy
The search for absolute beauty presupposes a lot of uphill, the climb to sometimes inaccessible peaks, which, however, reward you for your effort not only with the graces of the route but also with the view they give you at the end, when you sit breathless on a rock for to relax
The Dolomites National Park is located 120 kilometers north of Venice and is a vast forest reserve that attracts thousands of visitors every year, in the winter for skiing in resorts such as Cortina d’Abezzo and in the summer for hiking on one of its dozens of marked trails or for wildlife observation.
The area with its steep slopes and rocky peaks, forests, clearings, alpine meadows, alpine lakes, streams, waterfalls and picturesque villages in the valleys has often been used as a film setting, including for the series adventures of James Bond.
The hikes to Mount Cristallo, which takes its name from the crystalline shine it acquires in the sunlight, the Tre Croci mountain pass, the three peaks of Lavaredo and Lake Misurina are just some of the highlights of the “adventure”.
- Oulangan Kansallispuisto, Finland
It was founded in 1956, expanded in 1982 and 1989 and today covers 270 square kilometers! Finland’s Oulanka National Park is considered a paradise for water lovers, and therefore also for fans of canoeing and kayaking, as it is dotted with lakes and crossed by many rivers (with wild trout, because there are also fishing friends).
Its marked trails are connected by suspension bridges (also an attraction of the area) and lead to some of the most impressive waterfalls in the country. The park is located 200 kilometers east of Rovaniemi, on the border with Russia. From which border begins the equally impressive Paanajärvi National Park.
- The National Park of North Pindos, Greece
In Greece such areas, from the National Park of Northern Pindos and the National Park of Dadia – Lefkimi – Soufli and the National Parks of Olympus and Oita to the National Marine Park of Alonissos Northern Sporades and the National Marine Park of Zakynthos.
