National Parks of Europe

563 Pages·2017·31.8 MB·English

by  Lonely Planet

Contents
Introduction
Abisko
Abruzzo
Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici
Arcipelago di La Maddalena
Atlantic Islands of Galicia
Dolomiti Bellunesi
Berchtesgaden
Black Forest
Brecon Beacons
Cairngorms
Carpathian
Cinque Terre
Connemara
Curonian Spit
Dartmoor
Doñana
Durmitor
Écrins
Etna
Gauja
Golfo di Orosei e del Gennargentu
Hardangervidda
Hohe Tauern
Hortobágy
Jostedalsbreen
Jotunheimen
Killarney
Kornati
Lahemaa
Lake District
Lake Skadar
Lemmenjoki
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs
National Marine Park of Alonnisos and Northern Sporades
Nordvest-Spitsbergen
Ordesa
Oulanka
Paklenica
Peak District
Pembrokeshire Coast
Peneda-Gerês
Picos de Europa
Pirin
Plitvice
Port-Cros
Pyrenees
Retezat
Sarek
Saxon Switzerland
Sierra Nevada
Slovenský Raj
Snæfellsjökull
Snowdonia
Swiss
Tatras
Triglav
Valbona Valley
Vatnajökull
Vikos-Aoös
Wadden Sea
Acknowledgements

Introduction
My first sight of Italy’s Cinque Terre National Park was through the
train window as I headed south along the coast from Genoa. It was
painfully brief. And the same could be said for my second… and third
looks. Mere glimpses of the beautiful Ligurian coast, each a fleeting
snapshot between the blinding darkness of lengthy rail tunnels. My
upset with the subterranean tracks didn’t last long, however, as I was
soon gaping at the full coastal splendour of the Cinque Terre from the
village of Vernazza’s splendid natural harbour. Cliffs plunged into the
sea, forested hills marked the horizon and ancient drystone walls
formed twisting terraces above town. And there was not an unsightly
train track in view.
The stunning vistas only grew in magnitude over the coming days
as I ran the steep and precipitous coastal trails linking the Cinque
Terre’s five medieval villages. Mix in some lovely beaches, great
Italian seafood and gelato, and the park was a truly rewarding
experience.
This diversity is carried through to Europe’s national parks as a
whole, and that is what makes them so special. They protect areas of
coast, high-altitude peaks in the Pyrenees and Alps, and even parts of
the frozen Arctic, with wildlife ranging from Carpathian squirrels and
fin whales to peregrine falcons and polar bears.
Setting out to choose Europe’s top 60 national parks was no easy
task, so we called on our expert writers and well-travelled Destination
Editors. We asked them to tell us which parks provide the best
experiences and why. The final selections were those that offered
something truly unique, often an enthralling mixture of stunning
natural beauty, incredible wildlife, fulfilling activities, local culture
and (occasionally) a compelling history too.
But this book is intended to be more than just a celebration of
Europe’s top national parks – it’s also a practical introduction to each
of them. We highlight the best activities and trails – in the case of
Port-Cros , one of the trails is actually below the Mediterranean’s
surface! – explain how to get there and where to stay, show you the
wildlife to watch out for, and even suggest itineraries.
We hope the following pages inspire you to explore more of
Europe’s wild and wonderful spaces.
Matt Phillips
THE MEDIEVAL FISHING VILLAGE OF MANAROLA IN THE CINQUE TERRE.
SHUTTERSTOCK/SERENAROSSI
01
SWEDEN
Abisko National Park
Beyond the Arctic Circle, Abisko is the northern gateway to the
legendary Kungsleden (King’s Trail) that takes you across 440km of
wild Sweden.
If you stand on top of the alpine massif of Mount Kebnekaise –
Sweden’s highest mountain – you’re looking down at a pristine
landscape wrestled from the grip of an ice age. Glaciers still stretch
across the flanks of the neighbouring mountains and, while their
larger brethren have retreated from the valleys that they once filled
completely, the deep, narrow canyons and steep rock walls testify to a
violent geological past. Everything is on a larger scale here. You hike
for an entire day and realise that you’re not even halfway along the
Tjäktjavagge valley. Lakes Torneträsk and Akkajaure are like two
inland seas. The birch and spruce forests that cover the foothills seem
endless.
Abisko National Park came into being in 1909, making it one of the
first in Sweden. Forming part of Sápmi, the historic roaming lands of
the Sámi that span a large part of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland
and Russia’s Kola Peninsula, Abisko has been home to Sweden’s only
indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Their hunter ancestors
followed the retreating ice into Abisko’s valleys after the last ice age,
10,000 years ago, and remains of ancient hearths and pit traps used to
capture wild reindeer and elk can still be found today. Centuries ago,
the Sámi switched from hunting to herding, and reindeer husbandry is
still prevalent in Abisko, divided between the forest Sámi and the
mountain Sámi communities and dictated by the seasons. Forest
mountain Sámi communities and dictated by the seasons. Forest
reindeer herding is more stationary, with the forest Sámi moving their
reindeer between foraging grounds in the wetlands and coniferous
forests. The more nomadic mountain Sámi follow their reindeer along
ancient migratory routes from low-lying birch and coniferous forests
to summer pastures in the mountains, corralling them along the edges
of the Kebnekaise range.