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

The post Lahemaa National Park (Land of Bays) – the largest and oldest national park in Estonia appeared first on Europe Explored.

Vikos Gorge is 20 km long and 400 m wide but at some places it is only a few meters wide. Its walls are high in some places over 1000 meters. Due to its size, the Vikos Gorge ranked the world’s deepest canyons and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Onno Zweers

Part of the Vikos Gorge is covered by the National Park Vikos-Aoos, which was founded in 1973. Except of canyon, there is also Tymfi mountain, river Aoos and several villages. The main part of the gorge stretches from village of Vikos to the village of Monodendri. The river Voidomatis flows through the canyon which constitutes the breathtaking scenery. Along the gap there are several view-points, offering breathtaking views. In the local unspoilt countryside there are many species of plants and animals such as bears, deer and foxes, which are protected by park.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Onno Zweers

The area around the Vikos Gorge is ideal for many sports. Among others, climbing, mountain biking and of course hiking, which is the most popular. It is better to hike with a guide as it is very easy to get lost here. There are ongoing organized excursions, including a tour through the Zagori picturesque villages and famous stone bridge.

You can get to the Vikos Gorge e.g. by public bus transportation service. The journey from Athens to Zagori takes about 7 hours.

View Vikos Gorge in Greece in a larger map

The post Vikos Gorge in Greece – one of the deepest canyons in Greece appeared first on Europe Explored.