Europe, the Old Continent, as opposed to the “New World,” represented mainly by the American continent. Europe is by definition the cradle of civilization and culture, while the United States represents all that is progress and novelty. Perhaps for this reason, when Americans come to Europe for tourism, they choose the Capitals rich in history, or the fascinating and mysterious archaeological ruins.
When we travel on our continent, we make similar choices, favoring more distant and exotic destinations if we look for natural beauties and uncontaminated landscapes. Europe, on the other hand, is full of vast open spaces and spectacular natural wonders.
Cliffs of Moher – Ireland
In the Republic of Ireland, near the village of Doolin, on the west coast, these impressive and suggestive cliffs overlooking the sea stretch for eight kilometers. The highest point of the cliffs reaches 214 meters high on the Atlantic Ocean, while the lowest point drops to 120 meters. The name, in Irish Gaelic Aillte a Mhothair, means “cliffs of ruin.”
Cairngorms National Park in Scotland – United Kingdom
This park is the largest in the United Kingdom, with its 4528 sq. Km, which extends across six regions of Scotland. The landscape is spectacular, with its 52 peaks, interspersed with vast plateaus and lakes.
Gorges of the Verdon – France
The turquoise waters of the Verdon River flow through Provence, in the south of France, and over the centuries the watercourse has dug its riverbed between the calcareous and coral sediments dating back to the Triassic. For about 25 kilometers the river flows in a gorge, between limestone walls up to 700 meters high, in what could be called the “Grand Canyon of France.”
Chamonix – France
The glass point of view in Aiguille du Midi, in Chamonix, France, is called “step into the void.” Near the border with Switzerland and Italy, Chamonix is nestled among the most impressive peaks of the French Alps. A cable car takes visitors to the cliff of the Aiguille du Midi, which rises from the frozen landscape as a challenge to the sky.
Matterhorn – Italian-Swiss border
It is located on the border between Italy and Switzerland the most photographed mountain in the world (according to the Swiss tourism office), and is also called the “mountain mountains.” The Matterhorn rises, majestic and imposing, like a pyramid of 4478 meters. Many climbers have died while trying to reach the summit because the climb is challenging and dangerous.
The Dolomites – Italy
The Dolomites undoubtedly have some of the most beautiful landscapes in Italy. The ridges of these mountains adorn the North of the Bel Paese like a stone crown. Eighteen of its peaks rise above 3000 meters. The landscape is both picturesque and majestic, and this combination is what gives the Dolomites their powerful charm.
Valley of the Douro River – Portugal
For over two thousand years, the vineyards have thrived in this lush valley. The fertile land of the Douro river valley, in Portugal, is particularly suitable for the cultivation of vines and olives, and in these gentle hillsmen and nature live in harmony.
Cabo de Gata Natural Park – Spain
It is the largest land-sea reserve in the western part of the Mediterranean Sea, with a coverage of about 460 square kilometers, of which 120 are marine reserves. The area, of volcanic origin, surrounds the Cabo de Gata and is the most arid place in Europe.
Since 1997 it has been designated as a “Biosphere Reserve” by UNESCO. More than a thousand species of birds live here, including flamingos, red herons, and eagles. The reserve surprises with dunes, volcanic formations, hidden beaches, and above all its wild beauty.
Melissani Cave – Greece
Melissa’s cave, on the Ionian island of Kefalonia, has such clear waters that the boats seem to float in the air. This cave was once sacred to the god Pan, although it takes its name from a nymph who, rejected by the god, killed herself. The fulcrum of the cave is a large opening towards the sky where, long ago, there was a rocky vault.
Santorini – Greece
The island we see today is the result of a volcanic eruption, which occurred about 3500 years ago. Originally Santorini was a circular island, with an inland marine lagoon and a wide crater, right in the middle of the lagoon.
The seawater penetrated through the only access to the internal ports, bordered on the sides by two cliffs. Today it is a dream made of a crystalline sea, white houses, and blue roofs.
Durmitor National Park – Montenegro
It would be worth booking a trip to Montenegro to admire the splendid views of the Durmitor National Park: a mosaic of peaks, glacial lakes, and deep gorges. This park is one of the most beautiful natural treasures on the continent.
Among its many wonders, the park is home to the Tara river canyon, which runs for 80 kilometers and reaches a depth of 1,300 meters: in Europe, it is the largest, and in the world, it is second only to the Grand Canyon of Colorado.
Plitvice Lakes National Park – Croatia
Streams and waterfalls connect Sixteen lakes, in Plitvice Park, like a necklace of precious stones, sparkling with blue and green.
Eisriesenwelt – Austria
The Eisriesenwelt is a natural ice palace, hidden in the Austrian mountains of the Salzburger Land. Translated from German its name means World of the ice giants, and they are the most significant ice caves in the world. They stretch for 42 kilometers, but only one is passable by visitors.
Berchtesgaden National Park – Germany
The most beautiful landscapes of Bavaria can be admired in this park: from the emerald waters of the Königssee Lake to the impressive height of the Watzmann, the second-highest mountain in Germany. 230 kilometers of trails allow beautiful excursions in contact with unspoiled nature.
Black Forest – Germany
A network of rivers, whose names seem to be those of some troll tribes (Enz, Kinzig, Murg, Nagold, Neckar, Rench, and Wiese) is woven through the approximately 7,000 square kilometers of pines and firs that make up the Black Forest, in Germany. This dense expanse of trees and hills has inspired many of the fairy tales collected by the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, including that of “Hansel and Gretel.” Although many enjoy hiking in the forest, you can also explore it on long scenic roads.
Faroe Islands – Denmark
An archipelago of eighteen islands in the North Atlantic is one of the most beautiful natural settings in Europe. The Faroe Islands are inhabited by about 50,000 people, who live next to flocks of puffins, starlings, and other seabirds. The sloping coasts and the cliffs overlooking the sea are powerful expressions of the power of nature. Tindholmur, one of the smallest islands, stretches like a giant fin from the Atlantic Ocean.
Fjords – Norway
The fjords, the majestic natural wonder of Norway, are the scars of the glacier retreat. From Nærøyfjord to Magdalenefjord, from Lysefjord to Hardangerfjord, the fjords of Norway are great granite chasms, which plunge into the almost icy water. These cold and silent places inspire almost subjection for their glacial beauty.
Aurora Borealis – Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland
As the solar wind blows against the Earth’s ionosphere, one of the most spectacular light effects of the planet is unleashed: the Northern Lights. In Kakslauttanen, Finland, visitors can lie back in bed and watch the magical Northern Lights, through the glass igloo roofs. The elusive gleam of the Northern Lights also adorns the skies of Sweden, Norway, and Iceland.
Devetashka Cave – Bulgaria
Although it was only rediscovered in 1921, the Devetashka Cave in Bulgaria had hosted human communities since the Palaeolithic, for tens of thousands of years. Its massive karst domes now house around 30,000 bats. The sunlight passes through huge holes, where some parts of the vault, which in some places reach 100 meters in height, have collapsed.
Meteora – Greece
50,000 years before the monks built the now famous monasteries on the picturesque peaks of Meteora, human beings had settled in caves around the bases of these imposing sandstone towers.
These formations emerged 60 million years ago, pushed up by earthquakes, while a slow erosion left their walls of rock smooth and rounded. Numerous hiking trails pass through this incredible landscape of stone pillars, whose name means “suspended in the air.”
