National Parks of Europe

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• Publisher: Lonely Planet
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781786576491
• eBook ISBN: 9781787010741

A celebration of and practical guide to Europe's areas of incredible natural beauty. Step into a world boasting hilltop coastal villages, frozen Arctic landscapes and sweeping mountain ranges - and discover the 60 most breathtaking national parks, as well as itineraries for experiencing their top sights and activities. The beautiful hardback includes: Suggested itineraries for long and short visits The essential activities for every season Awe-inspiring landscape photography How to get to each park and where to stay Illustrations of local wildlife to look out for Europe's national parks are incredibly diverse - and that's 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, and include wildlife 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 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. We hope the following pages inspire you to explore more of Europe's wild and wonderful spaces. Includes 60 national parks: Abisko Abruzzo Aiguestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici Arcipelago di La Maddalena Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park Dolomiti Bellunesi Berchtesgaden Black Forest Brecon Beacons Cairngorms Carpathian Cinque Terre Connemara Curonian Spit Dartmoor Donana Durmitor Ecrins Etna Gauja Golfo di Orosei e del Gennargentu Hardangervidda Hohe Tauern Hortobagy Jostedalsbreen Jotunheimen Killarney Kornati Lahemaa Lake District Lake Skadar Lemmenjoki Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Marine Park of Alonnisos Northern Sporades Nordvest-Spitsbergen Ordesa Oulanka Paklenica National Park Peak District Pembrokeshire Coast Peneda-Geres Picos de Europa Pirin Plitvice Port-Cros Pyrenees Retezat Sarek Saxon Switzerland Sierra Nevada Slovensky Raj Snafellsjokull National Park Snowdonia Swiss National Park Tatras Triglav Valbona Valley Vatnajokull Vikos-Aoos National Park Wadden SeaAbout Lonely Planet: Since 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel media company with guidebooks to every destination, an award-winning website, mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves. The world awaits! Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.

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SLOVENIA

Triglav National Park

Slovenia’s tallest mountain presides over an Alpine playground for hikers and rafters, made all the more enchanting by fairy-tale beasts and ancient gods.

Rippling east from Italy to Slovenia, the Julian Alps comprise hundreds of lofty mountains. But all of them cower before Mount Triglav, the tallest in the range and the focal point of Slovenia’s sole national park.

Three-peaked Mount Triglav enjoys an exalted status in Slovene folklore and history. The mountain’s distinctive shape has long associated it with a triple-headed Slavic god of the same name, said to rule over the three kingdoms of heaven, Earth and underworld. In more recent history, WWII partisan fighters sported triglavkas, triple-peaked caps inspired by the silhouette of Slovenia’s highest mountain. To this day, Triglav graces Slovenia’s coat of arms and flag.

Surrounding mighty Triglav, forest cloaks more than two-thirds of the park. The Soča River tumbles between these tangles of beech and spruce, while a labyrinth of underground springs carves out hidden caves. Occasionally waterfalls burst forth: Savica and Peričnik cascades are favourite hiking destinations, while temperamental Govic only gushes when rain floods a subterranean chamber.

The limestone and dolomite bedrock of glacial lakes such as Bohinj, the largest in the country, was laid down 250 million years ago. Triassic-era fossils of ammonites are easily glimpsed, especially in Studor Pass. Considerably younger are horseshoe-shaped valleys scooped out by glaciers, and moraines dusted with boulders deposited by glacial movement. Slovenia’s most famous fairy tale, Zlatorog, offers an alternative origin story: moraines strewn with rocky rubble were kicked up by a golden-horned chamois, guardian of a treasure concealed on the slopes of Mount Triglav.

Though it’s one of Europe’s oldest national parks (first ring-fenced in 1924), Triglav is an outlier on travel itineraries. Fortunately, Slovenia’s tourism trump card, Lake Bled, is just outside the park’s eastern boundary. These swan-speckled waters and dramatic cliffs are a gateway drug to wilder Triglav: let yourself be lured in.

a variety of boats on the water’s edge at Lake Bohinj.

SHUTTERSTOCK/ANDREW MAYOVSKYY

Toolbox

When to go

May to September is hiking season, but mid-September brings an extra dash of creamy local flavour: the Bohinj cow parade fêtes the return of cattle from the pastures.

Getting there

From Slovene capital Ljubljana, home to an airport serving numerous European destinations, the park is a 70km drive north along the E61 and west towards Bohinjska Bistrica. From Salzburg, drive 240km south along the A10; from Venice, it’s 170km along the E70 and A23.

Park in numbers

880

Area covered (sq km)

2864

Highest point: Mount Triglav (m)

45

Depth of Lake Bohinj (m)

Stay here…

Vila Mila

This mustard-yellow hotel is perched at the top of Bled village, just 4km south of gurgling Vintgar Gorge. Rooms and apartments within the century-old building have been spruced up to airy, light-filled perfection: beds are comfortable, furnishings are dove-grey, and there’s a pleasing vintage feel throughout. In summer, the private garden has barbecue equipment available, plus sunloungers to stretch out on. This friendly hideaway is only a 400m walk from postcard-perfect Lake Bled, the tourist magnet just beyond Triglav National Park’s eastern edge.

Hotel Gašperin

Sigh at mountain views from this chalet-style hotel in Ribčev Laz village, within the national park’s southeastern boundary. Most rooms have flower-filled balconies with Alpine views. Breakfast buffets laden with cheese and cakes ensure ample calories for hikes around Lake Bohinj.

Apartments Koblar

For a quieter, more low-key feel than busy Bled and well-known Bohinj, try these great-value lodgings in Kranjska Gora, north of the park. Apartments are cosy and well kept, and there’s ski storage if you fancy schussing through snowy fields.

Do this!

Rafting

The Soča River dances across the western third of Triglav National Park. Take a white-water-rafting trip along the river’s prettiest stretch, starting from 136m-high Boka Waterfall. Not that you’ll have time to snap photos: you’ll be too busy being splashed by chilly spring water. In between rapids, the river widens into calm, glass-green water; here you can draw breath, taking a moment to admire limestone crags and thick forest along the banks.

Canyoning

Abseil rocky creeks, slide down cascades and get delightfully drenched on a canyoning trip to Fratarica Canyon, carved out near Log pod Mangartom in the park’s northwestern corner. The tallest waterfall you can tackle is Parabola, a pulse-quickening 45m high.

Cross-country skiing

Between January and early March, the well-groomed pistes of Vogel, off Lake Bohinj’s southwestern shore, are suited to beginner and intermediate skiers. But the most majestic views can be found along its cross-country skiing trails, which wend through snow-kissed meadows.

Hike this…

01 Vintgar Gorge

Crouch under overhanging cliffs and step gingerly over wooden boardwalks on this trail along the Radovna River, whose waters glow a glorious aquamarine. It’s 4km there and back.

02 Soča Trail

Follow the gurgling Soča River from its source to Bovec via 25km of easy walkways and creaky bridges through the verdant Trenta Valley.

03 Mount Triglav ascent

This tough two- or three-day hike covers 38km from Lake Bohinj up to the three-peaked mountain’s summit, before descending through the idyllic Triglav Lakes Valley.

What to spot…

Wildlife thrives in Triglav’s arid cliffs, woodlands and river rapids. Foxes, martens an...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Map
• 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