Stunning national parks and wilderness areas in Europe
Stunning national parks and wilderness areas in Europe
Many European parks are easiest to enjoy on foot, with bread and cheese in your pack and a map that is already creased. The national parks and wilderness areas in Europe are smaller than the giants elsewhere. They still have bear forests, glacier lakes, windy moors and sea cliffs that you can reach by train.
Some travelers like hut-to-hut hiking, with bunk beds, hot soup and a snoring neighbor. Others prefer a day trail that ends at a café with cake. Families might choose a flat lakeside path with a picnic stop. Winter changes things because snow turns many trails into ski routes. Some roads close for months.
The destinations on our list include famous parks with marked trails and busy parking lots. Others are quiet corners where cows wear bells and the next village is a long walk away. Those take more planning but they are often worth the detour.
Lists by region
National Park in Germany
Harz National Park
Brocken peak, steam trains and wild forests
April 30 is Walpurgis Night, when Goethe's Faust gathers witches on the Brocken. The Brocken rises 1,141 meters. A narrow gauge steam railway from Wernigerode has run to the top since 1899. The Goetheweg trail follows the route Goethe walked in 1777. Lynx were reintroduced to the park from 2000.
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