The best national parks in Europe are home to vast tracts of wilderness, often overlooked by those who flock to its cities
When we think of wild continents, Europe is probably last in line. Asia’s fearsome mountains, South America’s lush rainforest and Africa’s vast savannah are surely more impressive. Europe in comparison is famous for its cities: London, Paris, Rome and their ilk.
But venture further and you’ll find gigantic glaciers, primeval forests and untouched tracts of wilderness. These areas are quite rightly protected in national parks. To help you explore the wild side of the continent, we share below the best national parks in Europe.
Jostedalsbreen National Park
Location: Norway
More info: Official site
Jostedalsbreen National Park is home to the largest glacier on continental Europe (also named Jostedalsbreen). The glacier has shrunk in recent years, revealing the ruins of farms that were absorbed by the glacier from as long ago as 1750. Today, Jostedalsbreen is 487 sq km (188 sq mi) in area and 60km (37mi) in length, covering over half of the national park.
Sarek National Park
Location: Sweden
More info: Official site
Sarek in Sweden’s Lapland is a survivalist’s dream. You need to be the adventurous type just to make it out here as there are no marked trails, cabins, or amenities that you may find elsewhere in Sweden. This is Europe’s last great wilderness so the going is slow and often arduous but the rewards are legion.
Plitvice Lakes National Park
Location: Croatia
More info: Official site
Croatia’s largest national park attracts over a million visitors every year. The main draw is the park’s 16 cascading lakes and their distinctive colours ranging from brilliant azure blues, greens and greys. The colour of the lakes’ water is constantly changing depending on the amount of minerals present and the angle at which the sunlight strikes.
Vatnajökull National Park
Location: Iceland
More info: Official site
Where to begin? At 13,600 sq km (5,300 sq mi) Vatnajökull is Europe’s largest national park. It covers nearly 14% of Iceland’s entire surface area and is home to Europe’s largest glacier outside the Arctic as well as Europe’s most powerful waterfall, the titanic Dettifoss. Glacier hiking and ice-caving are just some of the adventure activities on offer.
Le Parc National des Pyrénées / Ordesa y Monte Perdido
Location: France /…
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