The centre of Ķemeri National Park is Ķemeri town, where the tourist information center organizes expeditions to observe the bats, and half-day nature seminars. This spa town, hidden among the trees, is already since 30th of the 20th century, known for its healing mineral and sulfur springs. The spa is important especially for the people suffering from musculoskeletal diseases.

The town of Ķemeri is a great starting point for the tours to Ķemeri National Park, especially for Dumbrāja laipa route, which is formed by a raised wooden walkway. Another wooden walkway Laipa Lielajá Kemeru tīrelī is 3 km long, leads through the Great Ķemeri Moorland, which covers the entire southern half of the park. Kanieris lake which is home to 237 kinds of birds nesting on 14 islands, would be a great tip for bird-lovers and bird-watchers.

The reason for the declaration of the national park was an effort to preserve the unique local natural and cultural-historical values. The park contains many protected plants and microorganisms, which are typical for this climatic zone. Forests in the park are divided between numerous meadows and bushes. The lagoon-type lakes are e.g. Lake Dūnieris, Kanieris, Slokas ezers and Valhuma ezers. The largest swamps are Lielais Ķemeru tīrelis and Raganu purvs. Here you can find also the oldest Latvian primeval forest. Most of the park is situated in Zemgale region, a small part in Livonia in the cities Jurmala, Jelgava, Riga and Tukums.

In Ķemeri National Park there is a number of accommodation options, including camp.

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Protected area in this region existed long before the establishment of the park, but the Soviet authorities were afraid of leading Estonians to nationalist ideas. Only after years of preparation and lobbying they have finally reached an agreement. After this, also Latvia and Lithuania in the years 1973 and 1974 declared their national parks.

In translation, the Lahemaa National Park means “Land of Bays.” At present it is one of the most popular tourist sites in Estonia, with about 300,000 tourists a year. Most of them come here in high season. But the park has a unique atmosphere also during off-season, it is then transformed into a magical and unspoilt countryside. Lahemaa National Park is a home to 838 kinds of plants and 50 species of mammals. You can meet here brown bears, American mink or lynx. In the trees there are 222 kinds of birds and in the rivers you can find salmon or trout.

Lahemaa National Park is situated at the coast of the Gulf of Finland, where several deep incisions create one bay after another. Sea coast is very rugged. National park icludes also four major peninsulas and the series of islands. About 480 km2 of the land is covered by forests, remaining 220 km2 are the waters of the Gulf of Finland.

Lahemaa National Park is a typical example of the Estonian countryside, it is mostly flat or slightly wavy to a maximum height of 115 meters above sea level. A large part of the park is occupied by marshes, moors and forests. Travelers will find fourteen lakes and several waterfalls that drop down from the rock cliffs from a height of about 60 meters. Lakes are either coastal or ice type. The park offers a lot of interesting places, however, one of the most attractive are typical stone fields, which were brought here by Scandinavian melting glaciers.

The area is very quiet and populated mainly with rural population. Apart from the natural scenery there are also many historical and cultural monuments. Near the eastern end of the park you can find a renovated castle in Palmse dating from the 13th century. In the years of 1677-1923 the entire territory belonged to the Baltic German family von der Pahlen. But the castle was later nationalized and used as a recreational facility for Estonian National Guard called Kaitseliit. The reconstruction works on the castle began after the establishment of a national park in 1971.

View Lahemaa National Park (Land of Bays) – the largest and oldest national park in Estonia in a larger map

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Needless to say, the Sierra Nevada National Park is a very impressive destination within the country. It boasts more than 20 different peaks that tower more than 3000 meters above sea level. The tallest of all the peaks located within the park but also within continental Spain is that of Mulhacén, which tops out at 3,479 meters above the sea. This is followed by the 3,396 meter tall peak of Veleta, as well as Alcazaba which sits at 3,371 meters.

Sierra Nevada National Park, Spain by Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble

There are also a number of rivers and lakes that can be found throughout the park. The most popular rivers in the region is that of the Genil and Fardes. These two rivers can be found on the north face of the mountain range and feed into the Guadalquivir basin below. Along the western and southern faces, you will find the Poqueira, Ízbor, Dúrcal, as well as Trevélez rivers which make their way down into the Mediterranean Sea. With regards to the lakes, there are more than 50 of them located high within the mountains.

The fauna that can be found within the Sierra Nevada National Park are extremely unique on account of its isolation from the colder northern regions of Europe. It was during the last Ice Age when a number of critical species moved into the area in order to escape from the freezing climate of the North. After the Ice Age when the temperature started to warm back up, many of these started to make their way into the higher altitudes of the mountains.

Throughout the park you will find a number of different animals including wild boar, Spanish ibex, badgers, wildcats as well as martens. Overhead, it is not uncommon to see the Golden Eagle as well as the Bonelli’s Eagle. Even at night time, you will hear the calls of the Eurasian Eagle owl as well as the little owl.

Trevelez, Sierra Nevada National Park, Spain by Andrew Hurley

There are also a number of important plant species that can be found within the park. Today, there are more than 2100 different plant species. A total of 116 of these plant species have already been classified as being threatened and nearly extinct. Sixty of these threatened plant species are endemic to the reserve. One of the most notorious of these plants is known locally as the Snow Star.

As far as things to do when visiting the Sierra Nevada National Park, you are bound to find something that will keep you busy regardless of the time of year. In the wintertime, the park is well known as a popular ski destination. It has been home to a number of ski championships and has also received recognition as being in the southernmost ski destination in all of Europe.

During the summer months, many people make their way to the national Park in order to go hiking. There are many popular destinations within the park including the summits of Veleta and Mulhacén. In order to make your adventure a little more comfortable, there are a number of cabins that can be located throughout the mountain range. The staffed cabins are available for small fee while the unstaffed cabins are free of charge.

All in all, you will be able to enjoy weeks of adventure and excitement when you choose to visit the Sierra Nevada National Park.

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