Top 20 National Parks in Europe

If you love nature and are planning to go for a camping holiday soon, you have to discover Europe's most stunning national parks. There is a huge variety of amazing nature parks in Europe that you need to see at least once in a lifetime. To help you plan your trip, here you will find the top 20 national parks across Europe, plus nearby campsites (as camping inside national parks is forbidden), that you should add to your next getaway, so keep reading! 

The Gran Paradiso national park covers an area of 70,000 hectares in a high mountainous area, between the 800 m at the bottom of the valley and the 4,061 m of Mount Gran Paradiso. It is the first national park in Italy and is located in the Graian Alps, between the Aosta Valley and the Piedmont region. Here you can admire the classic alpine scenery, including meadows, woods, and glaciers. The park is rich in flora and fauna, you can see steinbocks, ibexes, marmots, golden eagles, vultures, among the rare flowers there is the Potentilla pensylvanica, in the arid pastures above 1,300 m, the Astragalus alopecurus, only found in the Aosta Valley, and many others.

Stay at Camping Arvier.

A fine combination of nature and worldclass culture. That is National Park De Hoge Veluwe, a 5400 hectare dune, forest and heath landscape in the Dutch province of Gelderland. De Hoge Veluwe was founded in 1935 and is home to the famous Kröller-Müller Museum. The museum, which boasts a great Vincent van Gogh collection, and the Jachthuis Sint-Hubertus are designed by the famous Dutch architect Hein Berlage. The museum has almost 90 paintings and many more drawings by van Gogh, which makes it the second largest Van Gogh collection in the world. Next to the outstanding van Gogh collection it also contains great works from Claude Monet, Picasso and Mondrian.

The park is a walhalla for cyclists, which can enter the park in Otterlo, Schaarsbergen and Hoenderloo. De Hoge Veluwe National Park is also known for the great chance of spotting big game during your visit to the Park. At various places in the Park you can find a number of open and covered game viewing and bird watching huts, where you have a greater chance of seeing game.

Stay at Buitenplaats Beekhuizen in Velp and enjoy their orange hot-tub while staying in a glamping safari lodge.

Jotunheimen National Park in Norway is one of the best European national parks. Jotunheimen, inland from the famous fjords in southern Norway, seems like something out of a fantasy story. Throughout the park's alpine vistas, countless high mountains are flanked by cold lakes and glaciers. Due to its trails and wonderful landscapes, Jotunheim is ideal for hikers and mountaineers. Store Skagastlstind is a challenging peak in the park, but the rest of the Hurrungane range offers something easier and more relaxing. It does not matter if you are a beginner or a great outdoorsman, the park has something for everyone, at any level of skill. You might even see some local animals, such as reindeer, lynx, and wolverines.

Stay at Camping Jotunheimen Feriesenter.

Vatnajökull National Park in Ireland is spectacular not because of its immensity, but because of its great variety of landscapes: glaciers, mountains, volcanic and geothermal activity, and ice caves. The national park is brimming with the kind of breathtaking beauty that has become synonymous with the "Land of Ice and Fire". Here you can hike across the Vatnajökull glacier, see large ice boulders drifting across the Jökulsárlón glacial lake, and many other beautiful sights. You may also visit the magnificent Skaftafell Ice Cave, which is certainly one of the top things to do in Iceland.

Stay at Camp Egilsstaðir.

When people think about Finland, they frequently think of huge stretches of wilderness, and Oulanka National Park is precisely that. Oulanka National Park, in Finnish Lapland, is a playground for outdoor enthusiasts, located right on the Russian border. Hikers will enjoy the forests and valleys of Oulanka, while canoeists will enjoy the river Oulankajoki. If you are looking for beautiful scenery, Oulanka Canyon and Ristikallio Cliffs, for example, offer spectacular views while remaining easily accessible to non-hikers too. 

Stay at Camping Kilpisjärven Retkeilykeskus.

Saxon Switzerland National Park is unquestionably one of Europe's top national parks. The peaceful mountains and forests of Saxon Switzerland border the Czech Republic. The craggy rock formations that rise out of the earth, generating the most stunning park views, are its most distinguishing characteristic. While much of the park remains unspoiled, the iconic Bastei Bridge is one feature that wonderfully blends a built structure with nature. Walking across this bridge between pillars of granite provides some of the nicest vistas in the park. 

Stay at Camping Intercamp Mosquito.

Places like the magnificent National Park of Ordesa y Monte Perdido might become lost among Spain's beauties. It is no surprise that it was one of Europe's first national parks, with its glacial lakes, waterfalls, animals, and distinctive massifs. There is enough to do in this mountain playground if you visit the park in the Aragonese Pyrenees. The park is centred on the 3,355m Monte Perdido massif, but hiking paths continue across the mountains to places like the Cola de Caballo Waterfall. The ability to observe the breathtaking grandeur of the Arazas river flowing through the Ordesa Valley is a definite highlight of any visit to Ordesa y Monte Perdido.

Stay at Camping Oto. 

Triglav National Park is not only home to Mount Triglav, Slovenia's national symbol, but it is also one of Europe's most beautiful national parks. The national park is a stunning exhibition of Slovenia's natural splendour, located among the Julian Alps. Hiking through stunning green valleys, calm forests, and up to the peak of magnificent Mount Triglav is possible inside the country's only national park. The park also has additional attractions, such as the Kranjska Gora and Vogel ski runs, as well as the calm waters of Lake Bohinj. Because of the crystal clear waters of the Sava River that flow into it, the lake is becoming increasingly popular for tourists.

Stay at Camping Bled - Sava. 

The 3,798-meter-high Grossglockner, as well as a dazzling array of other massive mountains, may be found in Austria's Hohe Tauern National Park. The Hohe Tauern's waterfalls may be equally as stunning, with 26 different falls to discover, including the 380m-high Krimml Falls, Europe's highest waterfall. While there are numerous hiking trails in the national park, a day with one of the National Park Rangers, who will explain to you about the park and possibly even assist you in seeing wildlife, is a pleasant alternative.

Stay at Camping Lampenhäusl.

There are few waterfalls in Europe compared to those in Plitvice Lakes National Park for waterfall enthusiasts. The 16 Plitvice lakes are nestled in a gorge in central Croatia , and the water flows from one to the next in this national park. The 78-meter-high Veliki Slap waterfall is a sight to behold. Plitvice Lakes National Park visitors can explore the park by walking along boardwalks that connect each of the lakes. This opportunity to come close to the Plitvice Lakes will allow you to admire not only the water's magnificent blue colour but also the rich environment that forms barriers between each of the lakes. While you're here, it is possible to take a boat ride across Lake Kozjak, the park’s largest lake.

Stay at Big Bear Plitvice Camping Resort.

Sarek National Park in Sweden is one of the most remote places on the planet. Sarek, in the very north of Sweden's Lapland, is one of Europe's most stunning national parks, with spectacular, almost larger-than-life beauty. The national park, which was established over a century ago, is home to a diverse range of species in its mountains, valleys, rivers, and glaciers. It is home to six of the country's summits, each above 2,000 metres in height, as well as nearly 100 glaciers. While hiking up mountains like Sarektjkk, the country's second-highest peak may be appealing. However, there are no established trails, so be prepared and experienced.

Stay at Camp Ripan.

Eastern Poland can be the last thing that comes to mind when you think of ancient forests and bison herds. Nonetheless, Biaowiea National Park has both. The only natural monument in Poland to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site is Bialowieza National Park. Hiking and cycling are two popular activities for visitors, and there is even a border crossing into Belarus designed specifically for pedestrians and cyclists. However, please note that areas of the Biaowiea Forest Biosphere Reserve are closed to hikers who are not accompanied by a guide.

Stay at Camping Nr 133 Eurocamping.

Peneda-Gerês National Park, located in northern Portugal, brings together cultural and ecological elements in a unique way. The Peneda and Gerês mountain ranges, two of which are located within the park, give it its name. The park occupies an area of 69,594.48 ha and extends from the Mourela to the Castro Laboreiro plateaus. Rather than focusing primarily on the conservation of mountain environments and species like wolves and eagles, it also emphasises the region's relationship with local settlements. When you see ancient landmarks like dolmens' tombs and old-fashioned granaries, you can tell this is a highly traditional area of the country. 

Stay at Lima Escape.

In the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park in northern Italy. The park covers an area of 12 square miles. Although this national park only covers the southernmost reaches of the famed Italian mountain range, these are the quieter, more secluded areas. If you're looking for not so easy hiking paths that are not overrun with tourists, Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park could be ideal. In addition to the majestic mountains, the national park's landscape includes springs, swamps, rivers, and canyons. The Sofia Waterfalls and the Cadini del Brenton, a cascade of rock pools that flow from one to the next, make the Monti del Sole Alps the most picturesque area in the park.

Stay at hu Venezia Camping in Town.

Écrins National Park, one of France's ten national parks, is located in the Dauphiné Alps. Écrins National Park is noted for its unspoiled wilderness that reaches altitudes of 4,100 m, making it an ideal destination for hikers, climbers, and mountaineers. With such diversity, you will come across anything from grasslands and woods to glacier fields and mountain peaks when exploring. The national park's steep valleys and craggy mountain peaks were carved out by glaciers and rivers, providing plenty of stunning scenery. Thus, Écrins National Park has a lot of ski resorts in the winter and mountain resorts in the summer due to its appeal among outdoor enthusiasts.

Stay at Camping-Caravaneige l'Iscle De Prelles.

Cévennes National Park exists despite the fact that a country like France appears to have no more pristine places. This bucolic area of mountainous countryside in the south of France has it all: caverns, streams, biodiversity, and secluded village life. Cévennes is a Biosphere Reserve because of its rich flora and wildlife, but it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the way it portrays rural life in France. If you want to get away from it all and go hiking or fishing, the Cévennes National Park is a great place. Whatever you do, do not miss the Aven Armand cave's amazing limestone structures.

Stay at Camping La Cascade.

The park, which is spread across the Apulia region's Gargano Promontory, includes both coastal and inland attractions. The magnificent white cliffs and numerous sea caves of Gargano National Park are best appreciated on a boat cruise. The park also includes the Tremiti Islands' marine reserve, where visitors can swim or dive in the Adriatic or hike up to the islands' coves and grottoes. Away from the lake, there is Umbra Forest's luxuriant greenery that invites you to take a rest.

Stay at Villaggio Camping Spiaggia Lunga.

Pirin National Park, formerly known as Vihren National Park, spans 403.56 km2 in southwestern Bulgaria and includes the majority of the Pirin Mountains. The Pirin Mountains, which have waterfalls, caverns, and glacial lakes, make up the majority of them. The park's main winter focus is skiing due to its location, while summers allow visitors to explore the territory as there are many hiking trails. In 1983, the park was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Pirin is renowned for its 118 glacial lakes, the largest and deepest of which is Popovo Lake. Many of them are situated in cirques. There are also a few small glaciers, such as Snezhnika, located in the deep Golemiya Kazan cirque at the steep northern foot of Vihren, and Banski Suhodol. 

Stay at Camping Batak.

It is a national park in Northern Hungary Bükk Mountains, near Miskolc . It covers 431.3 square kilometres (of which 37.74 km2 is under increased protection). Bükk, Hungary's largest national park, is located in the northern Alps, between Szilvásvárad and Lillafüred, and is mountainous and forested. Various karst formations within Bükk's limestone mountains, including caves, swallow-holes, and ravines, are noteworthy geological features. The park has Istvánlápa, the country's longest (4,000 metres) and deepest (245 metres) cave. Forests and karst caves dominate the landscape, notably Istvanlapa, the world's longest and deepest cave. 

Stay at Camping Thermal Park Egerszalók.

The National Park of the Archipelago of La Maddalena is a marine park off the coast of Sardinia. The park was founded on April 1, 1994, and was followed by the change of DPR on May 17, 1996. It spans about 12,000 hectares of land and sea, with 180 kilometres of coastline. All of the islands and islets within the Municipality of La Maddalena are included in this region. The National Park's territory will also be a significant portion of the Bocche di Bonifacio international marine park, which will be established soon. The Archipelago of La Maddalena is a group of islands and islets found in northern Sardinia. The seven most famous islands are Maddalena, Caprera, Santo Stefano, Spargi, Budelli, Santa Maria, and Razzoli. The park offers a pristine coast with shallow waters and plenty of activities for its visitors. Visitors often refer to this area as a "paradise", praising the crystal clear waters.

Stay at Camping Centro Vacanze Isuledda.