Aigüestortes and Estany de Sant MauriciSpain
There is a wild and wonderful water world in the northeastern corner of Spain. The Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, in the central Pyrenees north of Lleida, is characterized by more than 200 lakes fed by melting snow and ice, plus rivers and streams, gorges, waterfalls and swamps. (Aigüestortes means ‘winding water’ in Catalan, and Sant Maurici is the largest lake.)
Visitors can explore the area by bike – there are 13 routes, from flat family trails to challenging mountain bike rides. There are also 27 hiking trails with spectacular viewpoints over the lakes, which reflect the surrounding forests and mountains. These include Los Encantados, a pair of almost identical peaks. Wildlife includes bearded vultures and black grouse, one of the emblems of the Pyrenees.
During age-old midsummer rituals, huge torches are carried into the mountains to the villages
In the Vall de Boi, eight Romanesque churches and a hermitage, all built in the 11th and 12th centuries, are characterized by tall narrow bell towers. It is possible to visit them all in one day, walking between the villages. Afterwards, hikers can relax in the Caldes de Boi thermal spa, set in large gardens and with 37 natural springs.
June and July are among the best times to visit and experience the Fallas festivals. In these age-old midsummer rituals, huge torches are carried into the mountains to the villages, where a large bonfire is lit and the celebration begins. This year the dates are June 14 in Durro, June 23 in Boí, July 6 in Barruera, July 13 in Erill la Vall, July 19 in Taüll and July 26 in el Pla de l’Ermita.
Accommodation includes the Aigüestortes Camping Resort (from €25 for a pitch for two) and a network of mountain huts including Amitges (€40 B&B). Wild camping is not permitted. There are daily bus services from Barcelona, Lleida and Tremp to most villages around the park, and from June to September a park bus connects the two main entrances, Boi and Espot.
Mercantour, France
In the far southeastern corner of France, between the southernmost Alps and the Mediterranean Sea, lies the Mercantour National Park. Six uninhabited valleys stretch over 160 kilometers, from Barcelonnette to Sospel, with scattered villages on the edge. This varied landscape, from almost alpine to coastal, provides a habitat for a wide range of wildlife. Of the more than 2,000 species of flowers and plants, 200 are rare and 30 endemic; there are 200 species of birds, including golden eagles and ptarmigans, and 78 mammals, including wolves, marmots and all six French ungulates (deer, deer, wild boar, ibex, chamois and mouflon).
A place not to be missed is the Valley of Wonders, a huge archaeological site with around 40,000 petroglyphs, the oldest of which date back to around 3000 BC. They depict everyday life and beliefs, with carvings of livestock, weapons and geometric figures. Other highlights include the glacial lakes of Vens, which feed a series of waterfalls, and Lake Allos, the largest natural high-altitude lake in Europe.
For hikers, there are more than 1,600 kilometers of hiking trails (about 560 kilometers in the heart of the park), from peaceful walks in meadows and forests to strenuous mountain treks – the highest peak, Gélas, is 3,143 meters high.
Related: My walk on Europe’s toughest trail – Corsica’s GR20
A website for hikers describes more than 100 day hikes, about 20 routes of two to seven days, and the 17-day, 230-kilometer Grande Traversée du Mercantour. It also lists accommodation from hotels to campsites. Mountain huts offer dormitories and shared meals: include La Cantonnière, Refuge des Lacs de Vens, Refuge de la Cougourde and Chalet de la Madone de Fenestre (from €20pp). Wild camping in tents is prohibited, but bivouacs are permitted between 7:00 PM and 9:00 AM.
Many visitors choose to stay in one of the towns along the main road that runs south of the park, such as St-Martin-de-Entraunes, St-Sauveur-sur-Tinée, St-Etienne-de-Tinée and St- Martin-Vesubie.
Car-free travel is encouraged: there are daily buses from Nice, Monaco and Menton to each valley, and shuttles between the valleys, plus a tourist train line from Nice that visits several villages. In summer there are special buses for hikers, also from Nice.
Eifel, Germany
Strictly speaking, the Eifel National Park in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the far west of Germany, is still classified as “in development” – it was established twenty years ago and it will take another ten years before 75% of the land returns to the nature. But more than half of the area has already rewilded. Beech and oak trees that would once have been felled are now undisturbed woodland and animals such as wild cats, woodpeckers, red deer and rare lizards and bats have returned. There is an observation gallery for red deer near Dreiborn. September and October are the best times to visit, to observe the rutting season. The rivers attract black storks and kingfishers, and wild daffodils can be found on the Dreiborn Plateau. At the bird observation station on the Urftsee there are two telescopes to observe the black storks, red and black kites, herons and cormorants.
Related: Every witch’s path: a creepy walk in the German Harz
One of the best ways to explore the park is on the four-day, 53-mile Wilderness Trail. Visitors can do the walk independently or book a package, including three nights with bed and breakfast and transfers by bus and train (from €269 pp). There are also five shorter walking circuits (each from three to eleven miles); 65 miles of bike trails; and 40 miles of equestrian trails. Free ranger tours take place on most days, and in summer there are boat trips.
In 2014, the Eifel became the first international dark sky park in Germany. The Vogelsang Observatory regularly organizes astronomy workshops and dark sky walks. Historical sights include Monschau Castle, Steinfeld Monastery and Mariawald Abbey.
About 30 national park hosts offer eco-friendly stays, including two campsites and nine hostels. Overnight guests are entitled to the GästeCard, which allows free travel on buses and trains in the discovery region of the Eifel National Park, which stretches from the border with the Netherlands at Aachen to Cologne, Bonn and Leverkusen.
Risnjak, Croatia
The mountainous, forested Risnjak National Park is named after one of its rarest inhabitants, the lynx – ris in Croatian. It includes the Risnjak and Snježnik massifs in the northern part of the Dinaric Alps and is an important habitat for brown bears, wolves and chamois. Birds include capercaillie and pygmy owl; 89 species of butterflies have been recorded and a variety of wild orchids grow there.
Panoramic views stretch across Istria – the Adriatic Sea is just 18 kilometers away – and as far as the Julian Alps in Slovenia
Visitors can walk via the Beautiful Butterfly Valley (35 minutes) to the source of the Kupa River, a clear turquoise pool; follow the Leska educational trail to learn about the park (three miles), or climb 11 peaks – Risnjak is the highest at 1,528 metres, with Snježnik just behind at 1,506 metres. Panoramic views stretch across Istria – the Adriatic Sea is just 18 kilometers away – and as far as the Julian Alps in Slovenia. In summer there are guided chamois tours (from €65 for five hours). Cycling routes range from 2.5 to 40 kilometers (mountain bike rental costs €4 for three hours/€12 for 24 hours). Fly fishing for brown trout and grayling is allowed from spring to autumn (€55 per day).
Only about 60 people still live in the park. The limited accommodation includes a guest house and a hostel in the mountain village of Crni Lug (beds from €13), a mile from the main entrance, and a refuge under the Risnjak peak, built by botanist Josip Schlosser in 1932. There are more options in Delnice , the nearest town (13 kilometers away), and even more so in Rijeka, the nearest town, on the coast, about 100 minutes’ drive away.
Buses run from Delnice and Rijeka to Crni Lug, or it is a 90-minute drive to Zagreb. The entrance fee is €6 adults/€3 children.
Peneda-Gerês, Portugal
There is only one national park in Portugal: Peneda-Gerês, in the far northwest, near the border with Spain. Fortunately, it has a bit of everything: mountains, oak forests, holly forests, flower meadows, peatlands, rivers and waterfalls. It is home to endemic species such as the golden-banded salamander, endangered species such as the Iberian wolf and the Iberian wild goat, plus roe deer, wild garrano ponies, barrosã cattle and sheepdogs.
There are about 15 official day hiking trails, ranging from a few miles to a 26-mile circular walk past a megalithic necropolis and birdwatching plateau. Other routes pass through medieval castles, monasteries and sanctuaries. But the ultimate way to explore the park is via the GR50, a route of 190 kilometers and 19 stages along Roman roads, pilgrim routes and smugglers’ trails. The GR50 crosses the hills of Castro Laboreiro, the mountains of Peneda, Soajo, Serras Amarela and Gerês, and the Mourela plateau. Each stage ends in a village – about 9,000 people live in the park – with simple lodges and guesthouses to stay in.
On shorter trips, visitors can combine one or two stages with canoeing or canyoning. The super fit can keep it up: in May there is a trail running event with races over five distances from 10 to 100 miles.
The easiest way to reach the park by public transport is by bus from Braga to the town of Gerês, a five-minute walk from one of the five park gates.