10 Best National Parks to Visit in Europe

In this article, I will take you to the 10 Best European National Parks to visit on your next Europe Travel. Europe has hundreds of National Parks where some of which were declared as UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre. Forget about the usual tours, beaches, city life, water sport adventures, crowds, shopping, museums, and castles. Trust me! If you are a nature lover, you will discover the forests, rivers, lakes, flora, and fauna. There is so much to discover in Europe with guaranteed best sites for Nature lovers.

Top 10 National Park to Visit in Europe:

• Plitvice Lakes National Park
• Thingvellir National Park
• Bavarian Forest National Park
• Saxon Switzerland National Park
• Cinque Terre National Park
• Swiss National Park
• Vatnajokull National Park
• Mercantour National Park
• Ordesa National Park
• Peneda Geres National Park

From Spain to Italy, then to Switzerland and through Iceland you will find mountains, forests, glaciers, ancient trees, volcanic soil and mesmeric falls. To create a breathtaking and to explore some of the continent’s most protected spaces, here we go!

1. Plitvice Lakes National Park

One of the most outlandish places to visit in Croatia, consisting of 16 interconnected lakes and 4 different hiking trails, a place that is perfect for visitors of all ages. With a stunning viewpoint, photogenic waterfalls and easy walking trails make an opportunity to enjoy the serenity of the park. Undoubtedly, it is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites which is receiving over 1 million visitors per year. The destination is open all year round.

This national park is located in the center of Croatia with the closest city, Zagreb, talking about just 2 hours to reach the park. You will find seven entrances to the park that differ in hiking way, downhill to the boardwalk trails, entrance across a boat ride and to the falls, etc. Discover the Bird’s Eye view from the highest viewpoint of the National Park. The cost of a ticket may vary each month, whereas children aged 7 to 18 years is roughly half the cost of an adult and those under 7 years of age is free.

2. Thingvellir National Park

One of the must-visit destinations in Iceland which contributes both in its natural setting and the Country’s cultural heritage. Don’t miss out on the Almannagjá in Thingvellir, the place which is featured in the series “Game of Thrones”. Thingvellir is a year-round attraction that is too free to visit, usually gets busy in summer with a 45 minutes highway ride from Reykjavik.

3. Bavarian Forest National Park

This national park in Germany will amaze you with its unique experience. The main attraction of the park is the observation of fauna such as wild boars, deers, elks, lynxes, bison, bears and birds of prey. It was declared the first National Park in the country. Explore cycling, hiking, kids’ activities, winter sports and picking up the blueberries. Baumwipfelpfad Skywalk and the Viewing tower are the things not to miss at your visit. It takes you up to the treetops and later on to a unique wooden viewing tower.

4. Saxon Switzerland National Park

This world famous national park in Switzerland mesmerises you with its unique biodiversity. It is free of cost and you can access the park from all sides while some of the restricted paths only are permitted through cycling. The main places to visit in and around the Saxon National Park are Königstein Fortress, Bastei Bridge, Schrammsteine and Winterstein. You can go trekking, hiking and climbing in Saxon National Park. The trip is incomplete without visiting the educational exhibition where you would know about the hidden secrets and enrich your knowledge about the variety of flora and fauna.

5. Cinque Terre National Park

Cinque Terre National Park is the first Italian National Park founded in 1999 but now it is the smallest Park. First of all, you need to visit all the 5 Cinque Terre towns such as Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare. Take a Cinque Terre Express train to explore the stunning views of the sea. Discover the Terre Cruise ride and go for trekking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, and snorkeling offered at Cinque Terre National Park. Finally, don’t forget to explore the caves and waterfalls of Cinque Terre which is one of the best options to visit these hidden nature gems.

6. Swiss National Park

It is the only national park in the country that follows a strict rule to protect its animal diversity. And also, this park is very famous for hiking with a large variety of hiking destinations which takes approximately 4 to 8 hours. There you will find a National Park Centre like a museum that helps to enrich knowledge about the park and the animals in the National Park Center. Of course, Autumn is the best season to visit this park.

7. Vatnajokull National Park

Vatnajokull National Park covers 13% of the land in Iceland where the ice stretches to the point to meet its landscape. There are so many activities offered in this national park such as hiking, horse riding, sailing, snowmobiling, skydiving, boat riding, and kayaking. The most mesmeric places to visit in Vatnajokull are Svartifoss, Jökulsárlón, Askja, Skaftafell and Öræfajökull. Undoubtedly you can find the land full of glaciers, ice caves, active volcanoes, and black sand beaches.

8. Mercantour National Park

Mercantour National Park is the only natural beauty site in France. River rafting and tubing are the most famous attractions in this national park. I will highly recommend you to go for Anes De Blore – donkey trekking tailored to the mountain paths where you can discover the magnificent scenery of Mercantour to its fullest. Some of the adventurous activities offered in this National Park are jet-skiing, snorkeling, kayaking, skydiving, and bungee jumping.

9. Ordesa National Park

Ordesa National Park is one of the eight natural wonders of the world. Usually, hiking in Ordesa Valley takes almost a full day more than any other hiking. Wildlife watching and Camping would be a great weekend trip. Other than hiking some activities are white water rafting, rock climbing, and kayaking.

10. Peneda-Geres National Park

There are hundreds of small villages scattered through the Peneda Geres National Park. This national park serves traditional and agricultural practices. Soajo is the largest village in the national park which has both traditional and modern houses. The most popular things to do in Peneda-Geres are hiking, swimming, kayaking, sightseeing, horse riding, quad biking, canoeing, and many more.

Yeah! We have come to the end. I think this article has helped you out to find the best things to do in the “Top 10 European National Parks”. Forget about all the stereotypical thoughts that national parks will be off as boring. Here you can spend your honeymoon trip too. Check out the Pickyourtrail website to get Europe Packages . And also, get to know about all the pre-packaged tour packages and even you can customize them.

HAPPY TRAVELING!!

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