A celebration of and practical guide to Europe's areas of incredible natural beauty. Step into a world boasting hilltop coastal villages, frozen Arctic landscapes and sweeping mountain ranges - and discover the 60 most breathtaking national parks, as well as itineraries for experiencing their top sights and activities. The beautiful hardback includes:

Suggested itineraries for long and short visits
The essential activities for every season
Awe-inspiring landscape photography
How to get to each park and where to stay
Illustrations of local wildlife to look out for
Europe's national parks are incredibly diverse - and that's what makes them so special. They protect areas of coast, high-altitude peaks in the Pyrenees and Alps, and even parts of the frozen Arctic, and include wildlife from Carpathian squirrels and fin whales, to peregrine falcons and polar bears. Setting out to choose Europe's top 60 national parks was no easy task, so we called on our expert writers and well-travelled editors. We asked them to tell us which parks provide the best experiences and why. The final selections were those that offered something truly unique, often an enthralling mixture of stunning natural beauty, incredible wildlife, fulfilling activities, local culture and, occasionally, a compelling history too.

We hope the following pages inspire you to explore more of Europe's wild and wonderful spaces.

Includes 60 national parks:

Abisko
Abruzzo
Aiguestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici
Arcipelago di La Maddalena
Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park
Dolomiti Bellunesi
Berchtesgaden
Black Forest
Brecon Beacons
Cairngorms
Carpathian
Cinque Terre
Connemara
Curonian Spit
Dartmoor
Donana
Durmitor
Ecrins
Etna
Gauja
Golfo di Orosei e del Gennargentu
Hardangervidda
Hohe Tauern
Hortobagy
Jostedalsbreen
Jotunheimen
Killarney
Kornati
Lahemaa
Lake District
Lake Skadar
Lemmenjoki
Loch Lomond and The Trossachs
National Marine Park of Alonnisos Northern Sporades
Nordvest-Spitsbergen
Ordesa
Oulanka
Paklenica
National Park
Peak District
Pembrokeshire Coast
Peneda-Geres
Picos de Europa
Pirin
Plitvice
Port-Cros
Pyrenees
Retezat
Sarek
Saxon Switzerland
Sierra Nevada
Slovensky Raj
Sna¦fellsjokull
National Park
Snowdonia
Swiss National Park
Tatras
Triglav
Valbona Valley
Vatnajokull
Vikos-Aoos National Park
Wadden Sea

Carolyn Bain

Books by Carolyn Bain

Lonely Planet National Parks of Europe