[ Europe's icons ]
Europe's most famous national parks
The best-known national parks of Europe, from Plitvice to the Lake District. 24 national parks in this guide, among them Plitvice Lakes National Park, Thingvellir National Park, Cinque Terre National Park.
Plitvice Lakes National ParkVeliki SlapSixteen terraced tufa lakes linked by waterfalls in central CroatiaLakesWaterfallsKarstBest Apr–May, Sep–Oct
Thingvellir National ParkAlmannagjáRift valley, fissures and the old parliament site in southwest IcelandLakesWaterfallsForestBest Jun–Sep
Cinque Terre National ParkVernazzaFive cliff-side terraced towns linked by coastal trails in Liguria, northern ItalyCoastHistoryBest Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Lake District National ParkScafell PikeSixteen major lakes and England's highest fells in CumbriaMountainsLakesForestBest May–Jun, Sep–Oct
Teide National ParkPico de TeideVolcanic peaks, lava fields and a vast caldera on Tenerife in the Canary IslandsVolcanicMountainsForestBest May–Jun, Sep–Oct
Vatnajökull National ParkDettifossEurope's largest glacier, volcanoes and waterfalls in south-east and north IcelandGlaciersVolcanicWaterfallsBest Jun–Sep
Calanques National ParkEn-VauSteep limestone bays and sea between Marseille and Cassis in southern FranceCoastKarstIslandsBest Apr–May, Oct
Triglav National ParkMount TriglavJulian Alps peaks, glacial lakes and gorges in north-western SloveniaMountainsLakesGorgesBest Jun–Sep
Berchtesgaden National ParkKönigsseeAlpine peaks, glaciers and the long Königssee in Bavaria's far south-eastMountainsLakesGlaciersBest Jun–Sep
Picos de Europa National ParkNaranjo de Bulnes (Picu Urriellu)Glacially eroded limestone massifs and river gorges in northern SpainMountainsGorgesForestBest Jun–Sep
Jotunheimen National ParkGaldhøpiggenGlacier-carved gabbro peaks, lakes and huts in central southern NorwayMountainsGlaciersLakesBest Jul–Sep
Gran Paradiso National ParkGran ParadisoGlaciated peaks, alpine meadows and ibex country in the Graian Alps of northwest ItalyMountainsGlaciersMeadowsBest Jun–Sep
Krka National ParkSkradinski bukTravertine waterfalls, river lakes and monasteries in central Dalmatia, CroatiaWaterfallsRiversKarstBest Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Mount Olympus National ParkMytikasGreece's highest mountain, with gorges and forests, in Thessaly and Central MacedoniaMountainsGorgesForestBest Jun–Sep
Hohe Tauern National ParkKrimml WaterfallsGlaciers, waterfalls and Austria's highest peaks across Salzburg, Tyrol and CarinthiaMountainsGlaciersWaterfallsBest Jun–Sep
Swiss National ParkPiz QuattervalsStrictly protected alpine valleys and peaks in Graubünden, eastern SwitzerlandMountainsLakesForestBest Jun–Oct
Cairngorms National ParkCairn GormGranite plateaux, Caledonian pinewoods and Munros in the Scottish HighlandsMountainsForestRiversBest May–Sep
Pyrénées National ParkCirque de GavarnieLimestone cirques, canyons and waterfalls along the French side of the PyreneesMountainsWaterfallsKarstBest Jun–Sep
Lofotodden National ParkHermannsdalstindenJagged granite and volcanic peaks above the sea on Moskenesøya, LofotenMountainsCoastForestBest Jun–Sep
Saxon Switzerland National ParkBasteiSandstone canyons, rock towers and gorge forest near Dresden in SaxonyMountainsGorgesForestBest Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Abisko National ParkTorneträskFell landscape on the shore of Torneträsk in Swedish LaplandMountainsLakesForestBest Feb–Mar, Jun–Sep
Peneda-Gerês National ParkMata da AlbergariaGranite massifs, oak valleys and waterfalls in northwest PortugalMountainsForestWaterfallsBest May–Sep
Killarney National ParkLough Leane and InnisfallenLakes, oakwoods and sandstone mountains in County Kerry, southwest IrelandLakesForestMountainsBest May–Sep
Białowieża National ParkBiałowieża ForestEurope's last temperate primaeval forest and its free-living bison in eastern PolandForestWetlandsHistoryBest May–Sep