Europe's Best National Parks to Visit This Autumn

Do you love nature, forests, lakes, flora and fauna as much as we do? Then ditch the big cities and shopping, forget the crowds and beaches and discover the most beautiful national parks in Europe.

In autumn, come and relax in some of Europe's best national natural oases, such as the Plitvice Lakes in Croatia, Triglav in Slovenia, the Azov-Syvash National Nature Park in Ukraine and Soomaa in Estonia, and discover the best places for nature lovers.

Croatia, Plitvice Lakes

Croatia's Plitvice Lakes National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the hinterland of the Adriatic, halfway between Zagreb and Zadar, you'll be enveloped by this natural beauty: waterfalls, cascades and mineral-rich underground springs flowing rapidly through natural dams known as tuff barriers, filled with all kinds of fish and birds. A precious necklace of 16 lakes of every shade imaginable - blue, emerald, cobalt, green and turquoise - is sprinkled here. They stretch high in the forests of the Dinaric Alps. You can see them all on the 22-kilometre K route, a quiet, challenging and amazing full-day hike in the park. You can enjoy the rushing waters in spring, the flowers and clouds of butterflies in summer, the magical bright foliage in autumn, and the icy lakes and ice waterfalls in winter. Bears, wolves and lynxes can be found in the remote corners of the park's centuries-old fir and beech forests.

Slovenia, Triglav

Triglav National Park is the only national park in Slovenia. The park was named after Triglav, the highest mountain in the centre of the park, which is also the highest peak in Slovenia at 2864 metres. The mountain is a true national symbol and is depicted on the national coat of arms and flag. The park is a true work of nature: it is incredibly beautiful, especially when you see it from the window of a mountain lodge when the morning haze rises. The park covers an area of 840 square kilometres and is one of the largest nature reserves in Europe. It is a picturesque place with deep gorges, canyons, caves, forests, alpine meadows, rocky snow-capped peaks and rivers so incredibly turquoise that they look fake.

Ukraine, Biryuchiy Island

Biryuchiy Island of the Azov-Syvash National Nature Park, one of the 53 national nature parks in Ukraine, is one of the most valuable natural areas of the Azov Sea region. Once upon a time, the Scythians lived here, as evidenced by the mounds and ‘stone women’. There are white sands, healing sea air and a real kingdom of 198 rare species of animals that were on the verge of extinction on the mainland. This unique natural park has been occupied by the Russian military since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Currently, the protected area has been turned into an entertainment zone for the Russian military and collaborators, who exterminate animals and birds, as well as the unique nature around them. The park is located in the area of active hostilities. This makes it impossible to properly maintain and care for the animals, as well as to deliver food and water. Due to the hostilities, animals die, they stop breeding, they are blown up by mines, and their young do not survive. The Russian occupation war has disrupted the natural corridors and migration routes of animals, their natural habitats and the food supply for many species.

Estonia, Soomaa

Soomaa National Park, located on the border of Pärnu and Viljandimaa, is one of Estonia's natural gems, virtually untouched by human activity. Established in 1993, the park is the second largest national park in Estonia, with an area of 39,884 hectares, half of which is covered by bogs. Floods are very typical for Soomaa. They can cover up to 17,500 hectares of the park's total area. Spring floods are called the fifth season here. The park has an incredibly diverse flora and fauna. When travelling along the rivers, you often have to wade past fallen aspen trunks, which are the work of beavers and floods. Along the river banks, you can see beaver houses and platypuses. Every year, during the high waters, numerous flocks of migratory waterfowl can be seen on the floodplains.

Hungary, Hortobágy National Park

The flat meadows and marshes of Hungary's Hortobágy National Park are breathtaking. They are the basis of the country's agricultural history. The national park is part of the Great Hungarian Plain, which stretches across the eastern half of the country. It was once home to the cikósok, skilful shepherds who made a name for themselves. The pastoral way of life of the past centuries seems to have frozen in time in Hortobágy. There are still traditional wells with sweeping poles and inns for cattlemen that retain their original character. And although the lifestyle of those shepherds has faded away, their descendants have remained. Many of them are still learning the art of riding. So in the park, you can take a ride in a horse-drawn van across the vast prairie, and watch Hungarian grey cattle roaming freely in the meadows at the Mata Stud Farm.

Montenegro, Durmitor

Durmitor Park is located in a wide mountainous area in northwestern Montenegro. It is bounded by the Piva and Tara rivers, between which there are 23 mountain peaks at an altitude of over 2300 metres. The park covers an area of 39,000 acres and includes 82 kilometres of the Tara Canyon with an altitude of 1600 metres above water level. The park's office is located in Zabljak. The Durmitor region is the most important part of the Dinaric mountain range, characterised by high peaks, rich forests and deep gorges. The Tara Canyon is the largest in Europe and has more than 1500 species of flora and 130 species of birds.

Photo: Biryuchiy Island of the Azov-Syvash National Nature Park. Source: discoverkherson.com.ua.

You can also visit more famous natural parks in central Europe: Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park in Spain, the oldest in the Pyrenees, the Dolomites in Italy, Saxon Switzerland National Park in Germany, Sarek in Sweden, and Ecrene National Park in France.