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If you’re looking to fully immerse yourself in nature this summer, exploring landscapes barely touched by humans and home to hundreds of different bird species, this ranking might be for you.
It lists Europe’s 75 most unspoilt national parks based on criteria such as the number of protected areas, biodiversity, and the amount of artificial light.
Bulgaria’s Rila National Park, with its 28 protected areas, at 1,400 metres above sea level, tops the list, according to British cycling tour website Love Velo.
The main attraction of this park is the Seven Lakes, glacial basins immersed in a dense emerald-green pine forest.
Cyclists may also be drawn to its harsh mountain terrain and its winding routes through the wilderness.
In second place on the list are the mountains of Spain’s Sierra Nevada, which appears to combine African and European landscapes.
Its extreme elevation means that in just around a hundred kilometres, you can go from snowy peaks all the way down to the beaches of the Mediterranean.
For cyclists, the park’s gradient offers both gentle valley riding and strenuous high-altitude climbing.
Slovenia’s Triglav National Park, in third place, attracts water sports fans, as they can raft down the 138-kilometre-long Soča River or wander through the Julian Alps.
In fourth place is another Spanish entry, the National Park of Cabañeros.
A smaller park compared to the previous ones, but featuring significant biodiversity with more than 220 bird species, according to the report, including the Spanish imperial eagle and the black vulture.
“Located in Castilla-La Mancha, the vast park of Mediterranean woodland and scrubland is one of the finest remaining examples of its ecosystem type in Europe”, it says.
Austria’s Hohe Tauern rounds out the top five. With its impressive 185,600 hectares, it’s the largest national park in the Alps and one of the largest in all of central Europe.
It’s surrounded by more than 300 glaciers sitting on more than 30 peaks above 3,000 metres, and Austria’s tallest mountain, the Grossglockner, at 3,798 metres.
Nevertheless, in terms of sheer size, the Nordic countries come up top. Finland’s huge Urho Kekkonen park, coming in ninth place on the list, has a size of 255,100 hectares, while Lemmenjoki is in 13th place and is 285,000 hectares.
They’re both dwarfed by Sweden’s Fulufjället (25th) and Abisko (23rd), however, weighing in at 38 million hectares and nearly 8 million, respectively.
What also sets Nordic parks apart is the complete absence of artificial light, meaning not only are visitors far away from civilisation, but they are far more likely to see starry skies there too.
However, for those who prefer altitude to anything else, France and Italy are the go-to destinations.
Each country boasts two national parks with an average elevation above 2,000 metres: France with Vanoise (2,378m) and Écrins (2,056m), and Italy with Gran Paradiso (2,135m) and Stelvio (2,041m).
Albeit not in the prime spots, Germany had six parks in the top 75: Berchtesgaden, Harz, Bayerischer Wald — with mountainous and foresty features — and Müritz, Sächsische and Schwarzwald, featuring more lakes and hills.
They were slightly penalised in the ranking due to a larger human footprint than in other parks, according to Love Velo.
More and more parks in Europe are experiencing increased pressure due to overtourism or climate change
One of the EU’s most recent landmark acts to preserve its nature was the Nature Restoration Law.
In force since August 2024, it’s the bloc’s first regulation that requires countries not just to protect their environment but to restore it.
Member states are now expected to submit their plans by September 2026, explaining which areas they intend to restore and protect, and how they intend to do so.
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