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Malá Fatra is located in the northern part of the country. Its tourist centre is Terchová village. Accommodation is offered mostly by private owners in their home areas or cottages. The prices are around €10 per night. There are also several hotels with prices around €35 per night. In every village around the park you can find local restaurants offering delicious meals for little money.

Charming small waterfalls and gorges in Vrátna Valley

One of the most interesting trips that can be undertaken in a national park, is a visit to two waterfalls. One of them is Šútovský waterfall which is set at the river Sut in Šútovská dolina valley. The stream is more than 2 meters wide and falls to 38 meters deep gorge.

Another one, which is one of the rarest Slovak falls, is 10 meters high Klacký waterfall, declared a national natural monument. There is stunning countryside around with wild rapids and a giant pots (holes carved by water).

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Gorges in Vrátna valley and Terchová valley are popular hiking attractions thanks to a beautiful scenery of rocky formations but also to local folklore festivities. They are held here every year in honor of Juraj Jánošík, a native of Terchová village.

You can also visit Crystal cave in Malý Rozsutec or climb to the highest peak of Malá Fatra – Veľký Kriváň (1709 m). If you get tired you can relax in nearby thermal park Meander Park in Oravice featuring geothermal water with temperature ranging from 35 to 37°C, or in another thermal park Bešeňová.

If you wish to learn more about famous Juraj Jánošík you can visit museum in Terchová or another popular open air museum in the village Nová Bystrica – Vychylovce. It documents the local folk architecture and life in the past. An interesting exhibition is the historic forest railways from the early 20th century.

Malá Fatra National Park with the equally interesting surroundings is simply the perfect place for a nice and cheap holiday. If you want to save some money in these hectic days and enjoy great nature at the same time, come to Slovakia.

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Another interesting mountain range is Börzsöny which is protected by National Park of Duna-Ipoly. It lies at the Slovakian border, above Budapest, and includes also popular Hungarian towns of Visegrád and Nagymaros.

The park is also famous for many castles and forts. It is a pleasant, mostly forested landscape that waves together with the banks of the Danube and Ipoly rivers, interwoven with series of waterways and wetlands. Only in the Börzsöny mountains there are more than 335 different springs and streams. This area is one of the least accessible parts of Hungary. There are no roads, but you can get there by the narrow gauge railway which is also interesting and popular technical monument here. Of course, the best way how you can get to know the landscape is on foot, but be careful, some parts of the park are not accessible at all due to protection.

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Most features of the landscape were created by volcanic activity, there are an extinct volcanic cones, steep ravines or bizarre rocks. Fourteen million years ago these places were occupied by the great volcano, about 1400 meters high. After the eruption, the central part of the volcano failed down, so today we can see the remnants of the crater. The highest point of Börzsöny mountain is Csóványos peak with a height of 939 metres above sea level, offering a panoramic view of the region. However, there are also other peaks and hills where you can enjoy beautiful views, such as Hegyes-Tető with the great vista of the Danube. In good weather conditions, you can even see the Slovak High Tatras mountains from some hills.

The area a home to many rare and protected animals, especially reptiles, amphibians and birds including several species of eagles. There are also wild cats and martens. It boasts also a varied composition of plants, including the relics from the post-glacial period.

Börzsöny Mountains are not very visited areas, in comparison with Balaton, Budapest or any of the Hungarian thermal aquaparks. But the prices here are reasonable and the romantic local scenery is an alternative for less demanding, but interesting holiday – especially for hikers and cyclists.

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For those travelling through Hortobágy National Park probably seems that there is nothing, just an endless horizon. You can hardly see some well, pub, or settlement, smaller trees and shrubs. So why Hortobágy got onto the UNESCO list? It is a cultural area where the coexistence of man and nature dates back to 2000-year old history. It is the largest natural moor in Europe, which was not created by grubbing up of forests. It is also the oldest national park in Hungary As typical animals in the moor, everyone firstly thinks about such as gray cattle, sheep, seagulls, Mangalica pigs and Nonius horse. But Hortobágy is also the famous place due to bird world. So far, there are 342 registered different species, of which 152 nest in the Hortobágy. Among them there is a number of strictly protected species.

Hortobágy National Park consists of steppe, extensive pastures, ponds and swamps. In the area of ​​the park you can see growing some plant species which usually grow at sea. Park protects primarily large number of different species of birds. During the night, the park is a home to nesting but also migratory birds. Around the lakes you can be observed Waders.

You can access Hortobágy National Park from the tourist centers that acquaint visitors with the local nature, past and present of the park. The most popular are Szálkahalom, Hortobágy, Nagyván and Mátapuszta.

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Once planning your trip to Harz National Park, beware of the cooler and rainy mountains – although this is not a high mountain range, but due to its geographical location is under constant onslaught of moist ocean air from the North Sea. Local climate is therefore similar to high mountains, reaching the altitude of about 2,000 metres above sea level. Be also prepared for a huge number of tourists, Harz National Park is one of the most visited places in Germany.

Among the most beautiful places to visit are Rübeland cave, the highest peak of national park – Brocken (1,141 m) which is also the highest peak of Northern Germany, Hohneklippen crags, Eckerstausee lake, Falkenstein Castle, Harzgerode Castle, hill top resort of Sankt Andreasberg, or saltwater spa and climatic health resort of Bad Harzburg.

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The management of national park: Nationalparkverwaltung Harz, Lindenallee 35, D 38855 Wernigerode, Deutschland
Official Website: nationalpark-harz.de

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Pieniny is spread in the northern part of the country called Spiš, in the region of Zamagurie. It is about 30 km long and belongs to Beskydy mountain range. In 1932, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk established here the first international natural park in Europe. It was formed by National park of Pieniny in Poland and Nature Reserve of Pieniny in Slovakia. In 1967 was declared a National Park. Most tourists to Slovakia often stop in the High Tatras Mountains only, without knowing how beautiful nature is hidden behind them.

Pieniny National Park is an area with unspoilt nature, where meadows blend with the forest, villages are subtly incorporated into the landscape. It is a country full of rock formations, amazing rivers and high-mountain streams. Although there are not any high rocky peaks, but anyway this park will enchant everyone who come here. It’s a place where you can still see freely grazing herds of sheep and remote villages where time has stopped tens years ago, both in terms of architectural and cultural. It is not unusual to see a wooden horse-drawn carriages carrying hay, as well as a hundred years ago, or old ladies sitting in traditional festive costumes in the front of their homes.

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The mountain range is composed of Jurassic and Cretaceous limestones with younger sandstones, shales and conglomerates, which together creates very impressive character. The rugged relief with deep valleys, gorges and remarkable rock formations was created mainly due to the activities of water, frost, erosion and climate fluctuations. There are also numerous cave systems.

Nature in Pieniny National Park is very diverse, with a number of plant and animal species. From the protected animals you can see here such as Goshawk, Eurasian Eagle-Owl, falcon, raven, crayfish or Eurasian Lynx. There are also rare and endemic species, such as springtails, several species of grasshoppers, centipedes and butterflies. The forests are mostly mixed (firs, pine, spruce, beech, maple, and European yew).

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Pieniny National Park offers relatively dense network of well marked trails with the possibility to choose the optimal route according to your capabilities. Most famous and most visited area in the Pieniny is certainly Breakthrough of Dunajec, located between the towns Szczawnica and Červený Kláštor. Dunajec river created a wonderful valley and you can try rafting on the wooden rafts here, which is the biggest tourist attraction. When sailing, you can see beautiful surrounding scenery. If you do not like water very much, you can go through the Breakthrough of Dunajec on foot or ride a bike.

The highest peak of Pieniny is Vysoké skalky measuring 1050 meters above sea level and lying at the borders with Poland. The top is beautiful, offering panoramic view of the surroundings. Much better known and more significant, however, are dominant Tri Koruny with a height of 982 meters above sea level, located above the Dunajec river. It is formed by rocky towers, whose walls are about 100 meters high and have the form of a crown. The summit offers a magnificent view over the whole area of ​​Pieniny, Spisska Magura, Belianske Tatras and even the High Tatras.

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Very interesting is also well preserved folk architecture in the villages Osturňa, Havka, Veľká Lesná and Jezersko.

A large part of the Pieniny National Park is still a God forgotten region, which is accessible to the ordinary tourist, mostly in the summer. There are not any large hotel complexes or resorts. It is ideal for hikers, cyclists, lovers of traditional culture or history, climbers, adventurers or simply for people fleeing from everyday bustle of the city.

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Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park was founded in 2005 by combining Pallas-Ounastunturi National Park and Ylläs-Aakenus Nature Reserve. It consists of peat bogs, which are surrounded by forests. It is an untouched corner of our planet and is breathtaking to see it with the northern lights (aurora). The local countryside is really beautiful. Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park is also very popular in winter, there are ideal conditions for cross-country skiing. The highest peak in the park is Taivaskero, which reaches an altitude of 807 meters above sea level.

Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park is crossed with a series of marked hiking trails with a total length of 350km. They are suitable both for hiking or cross-country skiing. There are several log huts in the area of the park, where you can rest or even stay for a night. However staying here is not free. The park is home to reindeer.

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Already mentioned Pallas-Ounastunturi National Park was the first national park in Finland, founded already in 1938. The park was established to protect unique parts of forestless highland areas, which stretch through the forests of Lapland. Finnish national parks are golden treasures of Finland and are waiting for each tourist with open arms.

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Garajonay National Park includes also a mountain massif Garajonay that reaches an altitude of 1487 meters and such it is the highest point of the island. From here, during nice weather you can enjoy a beautiful view over the Atlantic Ocean and the other islands of the Canary Archipelago, El Hierro, La Palma, Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Foot of the mountain is covered by the dense forest, on the drier side it is formed by gale and tree heath. These shrubs are reaching heights over 15 meters. Because of their non-combustible timber, they are used in production of pipes. Laurel forest grows on the northern and northeastern slopes. These trees boasts a large, solid, and shiny green leaves.

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The climate on La Gomera is cooler than on the other islands, even though this area is known for its dry climate. Deep green forests provide a pleasant relax during the hot days. The air is usually cool and moist, it rains almost constantly during the summer. This is due to the action of trade winds that are coming from the northeast, which brings permanent moisture from the Atlantic Ocean. This phenomenon is important in terms of the water regime of the island, because about two-thirds of drinking water are formed by this way. The sunny parts of the forest feature a number of blooming flowers. You can also find almost two meters high fern, which prevent from the smooth walking through the jungle. The local lush vegetation includes 20 metres high trees, which are densely covered with moss. La Gomera is also a home to around 100,000 palm trees, which is the most of all the Canary Islands. Half of them are Canary palms, whose sap is used for production of an edible sweet syrup called also a palm honey. The other half are African palms. In addition to this interesting and unique vegetation, island boats numerous gorges, rock cones and rocks, which descend deep into the sea. Among the most beautiful valley on the island is Gran Rey.

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More than 450 species of plants grows on La Gomera. Some of these species are endemic and can not be found anywhere else in the world, such as Canarian mahogany and ebony. In the Tertiary period laurel forests covered an area of northern Africa and parts of southeastern Europe. Their demise was due to temperature fluctuations in times of Ice age and subsequent deforestation. Laurel forest in the Garajonay national park is the last surviving example of those forests. Since it is not destroyed, it is called a living fossil.

The island of La Gomera was created by the volcanic eruption and the last eruption is dated to the Quaternary period. Volcanic chimneys spewed basalt and ash that settled in the layers. Those were then burned by hot lava. Long ago, the island was much larger, but due to the erosion has shrunk by more than half into the present area of ​​370 km2.

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Since it is a popular tourist area there are lots of accommodation options of all categories on the island of La Gomera. The beaches are mostly rocky.

The capital of the island is San Sebastian, which was a popular port of Christopher Columbus. Among the known historical villages are the Valle Gran Rey, Chipude, Agulo and Arure. An interesting feature of the island is that the locals communicated by whistling. This language is called El Silbo or Silbo Gomero and is still used by some people, because such they can communicate over long distances (3-4 km).

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Plateau on which the Hautes Fagnes spreads, is located between the Ardennes and the Eifel highlands. It is a part of the Belgian province of Liège as well as the German Länder of Rhineland – Palatinate and North Rhine – Westphalia. Hautes Fagnes National Park covers an area of ​​4100 hectares and such it is the largest nature reserve in Belgium. It consists mostly of moors, heaths and forests that are home to rare animal and plant species typical for cool and humid climate.

Hautes Fagnes National Park became a haven for lynx, wild cats, common grouse, deer, roe deer, wild boars and other animal species. Typical plant species for this area is yellow daffodil, which was used to dye Easter eggs and therefore collected heavily. To avoid devastation, you can now take only a flower per person.

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At the end of the 20th century started to come tourists not only from Belgium but also from other European countries. For this reason, it was necessary to regulate the movement of people especially in the park. In some areas of Hautes Fagnes National Park were established restricted access, while in some others were even banned at all. Today, the visitors can walk only on marked trails, but there are also some places where it is allowed only with a guide.

Many places are closed to the public during the nesting birds, ie from March to late July. Yet even today tourists flooded the park annually. In the summer, come nature lovers, and in winter cross-country skiers. Most visitors come from Belgium, of course, but others come from adjacent areas of the Netherlands and Germany.

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The whole peninsula is rocky, there are some impressive canyons, such as Androlikou and Petratis, both on the north side of the peninsula. There are many marked hiking trails and climbing routes here. It is worth to see also the water reservoir called Aphrodite’s Baths. According to Greek mythology this is the place where Aphrodite met Adonis.

Part of the peninsula is forested and include about 600 plant species, of which 35 are endemic. For example, you can see wild cyclamen, several species of orchids, the Cyprus tulip, rock roses and more.

The fauna is represented by bats, shrews, foxes, hedgehogs, snakes, vultures, and sea turtles.

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Probably the most beautiful walk on the island of Cyprus, you can enjoy by following Aphrodite Trail – 7.5 km long. Along the way, you can see the remains of a Byzantine monastery of Rigena. The trail leads to the top of Mouti tis Sotiras (370 m). Expect heat and the fact that water can be found only at Castle of Rigena, or when you follow another Adonis Trail, then in the village of Kefalovrysi.

Another trail is Pissouromouttis Trail which is 3km long or Smigiaes Trail with a length of 5km. On both of them you can enjoy magnificent views of the bay Hrysohou and Polis.

All the trails are carefully maintained, marked and accompanied by didactic signs.

If you are just planning your holidays in Cyprus, you should also include this great part of this island.

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In these beautiful Italian coast you can spend a day or a week. It is only up to you how much you want to learn about this place. If you plan to do the trip to Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park during your holidays in Italy, just get in the car and go. Probably the easiest way how you could get here, is flying to Napoli, then continue by bus or train. The park is located just 100km from Napoli. The park is easily accessible on foot, but do not forget to take the proper shoes with you.

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Gateway to the National Park is an ancient town of Agropoli. Its historic centre, built at the top of a rock outcropping, dominates the whole surroundings. In the medieval town of Castellabate you can relax in one of the nice port restaurants with a view of the mountain and further medieval villages.

The diverse landscape and culture of Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park remained almost unchanged until now. It is due to inaccessible mountains and uncomfortable roads, so the tourists could not get here. Thanks to this you can now see a national park in its original beauty. Coast is full of rocky cliffs and remote sandy beaches, dotted with medieval watchtowers, which are just proving the turbulent history. Massive rocks alternate with grassy plateaus, full of olive orchards and their grandeur will really amaze you. The area is also known as Dolomiti del Mezzogiorno (southern Italian Dolomites).

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In Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park you find kilometres of marked trails that take you through all the corners of the park. The dominant of the whole coast is a rocky cape Palinuro, a mythical place of Roman legends. The massif of the cape hides 35 different caves that you can visit with several diving centers. A few kilometres below you find the small town of Marina di Camerota, where you can enjoy Italian coffee with true Neapolitan cake, or you can go to the original Marina village, which lies high in the mountains. If you will still have some free time, you can go to the bay Infreschi or to the Gulf of Policastro.

Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park has finally received a major award in 1998. It was declared a unique cultural monument and inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. This national park between the sea and earth, definitely worth visiting.

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