My 5 Favorite Beautiful Nature Parks in Europe

You know me.

I love being in the outdoors as I travel.

So in this post I want to talk about my 5 favorite nature parks in Europe.

It’s a great way to celebrate Earth Day which I’m making into Earth Week!

3 of my choices are actually national parks while the other 2 are considered nature parks or regional parks.

Admittedly choosing 5 was not easy.

This list could have been 10.

But I wanted to force myself to narrow it down to just 5.

And I also wanted to select parks in different countries — well, as much as possible

This list is going to grow as I expand my travels to some new countries this year which I’m super excited about.

Ok.

Let’s get this nature party started!

PS These are in no particular order because I don’t think I could have a favorite.

Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

If you’ve been around the blog and the podcast, it should come as no surprise to you that this nature park in Europe is on my list.

I love Fanes-Sennes-Braies!

Also known as Fanes-Sennes-Prags in German, this Dolomite park has an area of 25,485 hectares.

It’s one of the larger parks and it is just stunning.

It has 3 areas — the Lago di Braies area, the Fanes area and the Sennes area.

I have yet to visit the lake — Lago di Braies — because it’s so popular.

But I’d love to see it in quieter times which I hope will happen this year.

Fanes is amazing with both deep glacial valleys and wider open meadows such as Gran Fanes which I just love love love.

This part of the park is beautiful!

The Sennes area has similar yet different features.

What I love about the Sennes area is the section around Sennes Rifugio as the views are fabulous.

You can see so many magnificent Dolomite peaks from this point.

The other cool thing about Fanes-Sennes-Braies is that it sits next to another park — Parco Naturale Regionale delle Dolomiti d’Ampezzo.

So if you do some serious hiking in summer and autumn — or get out on a mountain bike — you can visit 2 parks.

I truly have so much love for this nature park in Italy.

 

Tips:

If you visit Lago di Braies, know that you cannot drive there in the summer months but you’ll have to park away from the lake and bus to the lake unless you go very early. It’s that popular!

San Vigilio di Marebbe makes a nice base for visiting both the Sennes Rifugio area as well as the Fanes Rifugio area. I recommend Hotel Olympia.

Killarney National Park, County Kerry, Ireland

I was a bit torn on which Ireland park would make my favorite nature parks in Europe list, but I chose Killarney.

Killarney National Park is Ireland’s first and oldest national park.

There are mountains and lakes and some breathtaking views.

I have explored a little of it, but am eager to really dive into more of it on this upcoming trip to Ireland (2024).

So I know I’ll have more to share.

But let me start with some of the awesome things about this Irish national park.

First of all, it does have some nice trails.

There are easy ones around the lake and more difficult trails as you gain some elevation.

You can visit Muckross House, a 19th Century mansion, as well as ruins of Muckross Abbey and Ross Castle, all of which sit by the lakes.

There are opportunities to get out on the lakes as well either on cruises or in a kayak or canoe.

You’ll find some wildlife in Killarney National Park as well as lots of trees.

It’s such a beautiful park!

 

Tips:

This is one of the busiest parks in Ireland so do get away from the Muckross House area and out on the trails as many folks visit via motor coach and won’t venture out on the trails too much.

Do NOT stay in Killarney Town. It’s heavily touristed with said motor coach tours. Opt instead for Kenmare to the south. Or even out the N72 a wee ways on the northern part of the Ring of Kerry.

Lake District National Park, Cumbria Region, England

This nature park in Europe is one that has been on my list to visit for a while.

And I finally traveled here in autumn 2023.

Lake District National Park is spectacular — at least the part I experienced.

I stayed in Ambleside which is on the north end of Lake Windermere.

There are some gorgeous mountains and valleys here, incredible trails with amazing scenery and charming towns and villages such as Ambleside and Grasmere.

I didn’t get further north toward Keswick, but I understand it is just as stunning — maybe more so as it sees less visitors.

I truly fell in love with the Lake District as I simply loved walking out of my holiday apartment and getting on one of a few trails with all this magnificent landscape around me.

My camera got a good workout!

 

Tips:

Do NOT visit in summer (early to mid-June might be ok) as it is a very very (very!) popular destination. Try to visit in May or autumn. I was there in November and it was actually a wonderful time to be there.

You can actually get by without a car as the bus system is really good. But a car will allow you more flexibility. I didn’t have a car but I will rent one next time just to dig a bit deeper.

Lake Bohinj / Triglav National Park, Slovenia

Lake Bohinj is actually in Triglav National Park.

I personally spent more time around Lake Bohinj than elsewhere in Triglav National Park.

But I was wowed by the lake and the parts of the park I hiked in and drove through.

So it had to make my list of favorite nature parks in Europe.

I really think this part of Slovenia is under visited by many travelers who favor going to Lake Bled.

It’s not as well known which is good for those of us who like lesser visited destinations.

But I am just baffled that it’s not more popular because it’s so damn beautiful!

Many people have never even heard of it.

I’m also perplexed that more people don’t travel to Slovenia in general.

But that’s another post.

Lake Bohinj offers chances to swim, kayak, canoe, SUP or sail.

There are trails around and near the lake.

You’ll find gorges and waterfalls too.

If you get deeper into Triglav National Park you can tackle more difficult trails and even do some hut to hut hikes.

I really want to go back and dig deeper into this nature park in Europe.

It is truly stunning!

 

Tips:

Stara Fuzina is a wonderful settlement to stay as it’s right by the lake and has enough in the way of amenities.

Bohinjska Bistrica is the main town of Lake Bohinj but sits further from the lake.

Other towns to consider for exploring Triglav National Park are Bovec in the south and Kranjska Gora in the north.

Alpe di Siusi, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

While not as much of a park like the other 4, it is a nature area.

Now, I love Alpe di Siusi — called Seiser Alm in German.

But it is definitely popular.

And it does have a few hotels, small privately owned cabins and a road in it.

However, Alpe di Siusi is still gorgeous!

There is skiing in winter.

I really want to visit in winter!!

You can hike and bike it in summer and autumn.

Summer brings wildflowers that are a riot of colors blanketing this high altitude meadow.

Autumn brings a quieter time with hues of rust and gold.

It’s special.

Even the folks at the Italian company I’m working with on the Dolomite tours agree that Alpe di Siusi is special.

I think it’s one of my favorite nature parks in Europe because I know I can walk or hike there and do an easy walk or challenge myself with something a little bit more difficult.

Alpe di Siusi has a trail to fit anyone’s abilities.

And the views are just spectacular!

 

Tips:

Think about treating yourself and staying at one of the few hotels in the Alpe because it is truly amazing to stay there.

If you go in summer, June can be great. It’s not as busy as July and August and typically in mid-late June you’ll be treated to some wildflowers.

If you stay in one of the nearby towns, taking a gondola up to the Alpe is a wee bit more but the views from the gondola are fabulous! So worth it.

There are my 5 favorite nature parks in Europe

As I said, this was not easy for me.

In fact, I’m going to give the following my honorable mentions:

• Connemara National Park, County Galway, Ireland (love the peaty bogland)
• Trossachs and Loch Lomond National Park, Scotland (busy but Loch Lomond is beautiful)
• Snowdonia National Park, North Wales (stunning peaks and lakes)

I know that many of us gravitate to the cities of Europe.

But I think you are missing out when you don’t spend time in some of the beautiful parks in Europe.

Do you have a favorite nature park in Europe?

Drop it in the comments below.

Or email me at Lynne@WanderYourWay.

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