[ Lakes & waterfalls ]
Best national parks for lakes and waterfalls in Europe
Tufa lakes, mountain lakes, falls and cascades. 30 national parks in this guide, among them Lake District National Park, Plitvice Lakes National Park, Thingvellir National Park.
Lake District National ParkScafell PikeSixteen major lakes and England's highest fells in CumbriaMountainsLakesForestBest May–Jun, Sep–Oct
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
Krka National ParkSkradinski bukTravertine waterfalls, river lakes and monasteries in central Dalmatia, CroatiaWaterfallsRiversKarstBest Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Peneda-Gerês National ParkMata da AlbergariaGranite massifs, oak valleys and waterfalls in northwest PortugalMountainsForestWaterfallsBest May–Sep
Mercantour National ParkVallée des MerveillesAlpine valleys, lakes and Bronze Age rock engravings in south-east FranceMountainsLakesForestBest Jun–Sep
Tatra National Park (Poland)Morskie OkoSharp-edged granite peaks, mountain lakes and caves in Poland's Tatra MountainsMountainsLakesCavesBest Jun–Sep
Ordesa y Monte Perdido National ParkCascada Cola de CaballoLimestone canyons, cirques and waterfalls around Monte Perdido in the Aragonese PyreneesMountainsGorgesWaterfallsBest Jun–Sep
Cairngorms National ParkCairn GormGranite plateaux, Caledonian pinewoods and Munros in the Scottish HighlandsMountainsForestRiversBest May–Sep
Triglav National ParkMount TriglavJulian Alps peaks, glacial lakes and gorges in north-western SloveniaMountainsLakesGorgesBest Jun–Sep
Killarney National ParkLough Leane and InnisfallenLakes, oakwoods and sandstone mountains in County Kerry, southwest IrelandLakesForestMountainsBest May–Sep
Vatnajökull National ParkDettifossEurope's largest glacier, volcanoes and waterfalls in south-east and north IcelandGlaciersVolcanicWaterfallsBest Jun–Sep
Écrins National ParkBarre des ÉcrinsHigh glacier peaks, alpine pastures and lakes in the Dauphiné Alps of southeastern FranceMountainsGlaciersLakesBest Jun–Sep
Šumava National ParkBoubínSpruce forest, raised peat bogs and glacial lakes on the borders with Germany and AustriaForestWetlandsLakesBest May–Oct
Bavarian Forest National ParkGroßer RachelHighland spruce forests, bogs and three ridge-top peaks on Germany's Czech borderMountainsForestWetlandsBest May–Oct
Abisko National ParkTorneträskFell landscape on the shore of Torneträsk in Swedish LaplandMountainsLakesForestBest Feb–Mar, Jun–Sep
Berchtesgaden National ParkKönigsseeAlpine peaks, glaciers and the long Königssee in Bavaria's far south-eastMountainsLakesGlaciersBest Jun–Sep
Sutjeska National ParkPerućicaPrimeval beech forest, glacial lakes and Bosnia's highest peak on the Montenegrin borderMountainsForestLakesBest Jun–Sep
Hohe Tauern National ParkKrimml WaterfallsGlaciers, waterfalls and Austria's highest peaks across Salzburg, Tyrol and CarinthiaMountainsGlaciersWaterfallsBest Jun–Sep
Pirin National ParkVihrenGlacial lakes, marble ridges and Europe's southernmost glaciers in southwestern BulgariaMountainsGlaciersLakesBest Jun–Sep
Swiss National ParkPiz QuattervalsStrictly protected alpine valleys and peaks in Graubünden, eastern SwitzerlandMountainsLakesForestBest Jun–Oct
Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National ParkSant Maurici lakeGlacial lakes, granite peaks and winding streams in the Catalan PyreneesMountainsLakesWaterfallsBest Jun–Sep
Snowdonia (Eryri) National ParkYr Wyddfa (Snowdon)Glacial peaks, tarns and lakes with a Cardigan Bay coast in North WalesMountainsLakesCoastBest May–Sep
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National ParkLoch LomondLochs, glens and Munros across the Highland Boundary Fault in central ScotlandLakesMountainsForestBest May–Sep
6 more
- Hardangervidda National Park (Norway)
- Tatra National Park (Slovakia) (Slovakia)
- Pyrénées National Park (France)
- Rila National Park (Bulgaria)
- Mljet National Park (Croatia)
- Jotunheimen National Park (Norway)