When city life starts to get bothersome, nature offers the perfect antidote in the vast expanses of National Parks. Europe is home to some of the world's most stunning protected natural areas, filled with dense forests, pristine lakes and wild rugged landscapes. For a breath of fresh air, choose any of these 20 most beautiful National Parks in Europe.

Plitvice Lakes

This place has earned itself the status of a World Heritage Site and if you visit Plitvice Lakes, you will understand why they are considered one of the natural wonders of Croatia. One of the oldest national parks in southeastern Europe, it is a beautiful mountainous area with a group of sixteen cascading lakes, each offering distinctly different shades of water due to different mineral content. Largely planted with beech, spruce and pine trees, this vast park has many microclimates unusual in Europe and is also home to bears, wolves, bats and lynxes.

Saxon Switzerland
Located near the city of Dresden, this national park is home to some truly unique landscapes. Known for its tall conifers that cling to bizarre cliff cliffs, dense fern groves and dense forests, this is a national park that really stands out. For years, Saxon Switzerland was isolated in a remote corner of eastern Germany, but now hiking, biking and climbing are very popular here. The mountain forests and gorges that make up the area are a rare sight in Europe, making this place all the more special.

Loch Lomond and Trossax
With 720 miles of ancient Scottish countryside, Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park is one of Britain's most beautiful National Parks, as well as one of the largest. The Scottish Highlands are a tramp's paradise, and the Trossachs, with their wild landscapes, crystal clear lakes and rolling hills, easily earns a spot for themselves on the list of Europe's most beautiful national parks.

Swiss National Park
Part of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the Swiss National Park is the largest protected area in Switzerland. The park borders the Engadine Valley, Italy and is also one of the earliest national parks filled with a rich and varied landscape. Expect to see winding wild blue rivers, stunning mountain peaks and dense areas of beautiful alpine forest here.

Cinque Terre in Italy
For something a little special but equally beautiful, try visiting the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Cinque Terre. The area includes five lovely postcard cover villages, rugged coastline and rolling hills that surround it all. The villages are inaccessible by car, only by train and boat, giving the Cinque Terre a sense of timelessness.

Oulanka in Finland
Equally beautiful in summer and winter, this national park stretches over 270 square kilometers, located in the provinces of Lapland and Northern Ostrobothnia. Close to the Arctic Circle, Oulanka is a remote place where fast-flowing rivers are surrounded by pine forests. This makes the National Park a popular rafting and rafting destination. In winter, Finland's landscapes attract skiers, snowshoe walkers and those hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive Northern Lights.

Belluno Dolomites
This park is located at the edge of the southeastern Alps, high in northern Italy. Founded in 1990 to protect this important area of ​​natural beauty, most parts of the park are wild and unvisited, and lie on the southernmost edges of the Dolomites. With fresh mountain air and large expanses of wildflowers, the Belluno Dolomites are a popular summer destination. Catering to both amateurs and seasoned travelers, there are many different hiking trails through the area, all with varying levels of difficulty.

Triglav park in Slovenia
Triglav is the only national park in Slovenia, but still one of the most beautiful national parks in Europe. Centered around the majestic Mount Triglav (which soars to an impressive 2,864 meters), the region is rich in mountain peaks and valleys, making Triglav the ideal destination for a more active pastime. Skiing, rafting and water sports are some of the popular activities here with many visitors choosing to stay in the park's idyllic mountain lodges.

Pyrenees National Park
One of the most beloved and most beautiful national parks in France. Wilder than the Alps, the Pyrenees (which border Spain) are made up of gigantic mountains, falling waterfalls, and tranquil lakes. Hiking and horseback riding are popular here, and the park's trails lead to magnificent amphitheaters, glacier pools and viewpoints at the highest level.

Ordesa y Monte Perdido
This protected area is one of the first national parks in Europe. Ordesa covers an area of ​​156 square kilometers (which borders France) and is filled with violent rivers, gorges, waterfalls, vertical cliffs, and dense woodland. Definitely a place for lovers of wildlife, forests and parks. Ordesa is also home to marmots, wild boars, golden eagles, bearded lambs, hawks and a wide variety of birds.

Alonissos Marine Park
It is currently the largest protected maritime area in Europe, comprising a calm sea and six magnificent islands (Peristera, Kira Panagya, Psafura, Piperi, Skazura and Jura), as well as the main island of Alonissos. Located in the North Aegean Sea, the park also includes 22 tiny uninhabited islets and many rugged rock formations. Expect to see a riot of wild life here, with rare fauna.

Vatnajökull in Iceland
Vatnajökull is one of three national parks in Iceland, covering 8% of the country. It is home to the largest glacier in Europe. Iceland is known for its surreal landscapes and this place is no exception. Glacial rivers, mountain ranges, waterfalls, large canyons, huge cliffs and famous Icelandic volcanoes await the traveler. Read more about all the sights of Iceland in a separate selection.

Bavarian forest
Like some kind of fairytale forest, Germany's first national park is known for its tall forests, lakes, swamps and flooded meadows, as well as pretty wooden houses. The three main peaks are key in the landscape, where a wide variety of wildlife can also be seen in the park's near-natural wilderness. The Bavarian Forest is definitely worth a visit.

Snowdonia in Wales
Snowdonia is home to the largest mountain in Wales and some of the most beautiful landscapes in the country. Snowdonia National Park is an extremely popular resort. Boulder-strewn summit peaks, majestic mountain ranges and serene lakes make up a large part of the landscape, making it a great destination for mountain bikers and hikers.

Durmitor in Montenegro
Less famous, but no less beautiful than other European national parks, Durmitor in Montenegro deserves attention. UNESCO has declared this area “World Heritage of Humanity” and if you visit Durmitor, you will understand why it has earned this status. It is a magnificent area, with 50 mountain peaks, 18 glacial lakes, several stunning river canyons and a huge variety of flora and fauna.

Sarek in Sweden
Often referred to as Sweden's last true wilderness, Sarek National Park is definitely one of the least affected by human activities. The unspoiled, rugged expanse of northwestern Sweden includes 100 beautiful glaciers, six striking peaks, many deep valleys, and many meandering river flows.

The Peak District in England
England is home to many beautiful National Parks, but the Rocky District (Peak District) has the most strikingly varied scenery of all. Offering the most authentic English countryside as well as rugged peaks, the park is a popular destination for cave explorers, climbers, horse-drawn riders, mountain bikers, hikers and anyone simply looking for scenic scenery. With velvet green hills, limestone quarries, intriguing caves and mesmerizing lakes, there are plenty of places to keep nature lovers busy.

Hohe Tauern in Austria
Austria's first national park and also the largest nature reserve in the European Alps. The Hohe Tauern is centered around the beautiful Goghe Tauern mountain range. With 40 distinctive dramatic peaks, this is an area that you will hardly forget after your visit. Expect superb air quality, stunning views, and of course plenty of unspoiled natural beauty.

Ecrins park in France
Ecrins National Park has one of the most beautiful mountain areas in the European Alps. It is a striking area that includes all the wonders of nature - lakes, alpine pastures, glacial regions, high mountainous areas, alpine woodlands and high peaks. Ekren will allow you to observe and wild nature including eagles, ibex, partridge, marmots, black grouse and several types of ermines.

Goreme in Cappadocia
Known for its magical volcanic chimneys and surreal natural features, Goreme National Park is one of the most extraordinary natural landscapes in the world. Dating back to 4000 BC, the formations emerged after a series of volcanic eruptions and natural weather erosion. With a population of approximately 2,500, this place maintains the traditional, spiritual and mysterious air of Cappadocia.

The nature of Sweden fascinates and delights everyone who comes to this country. A unique natural phenomenon - the northern lights - can be observed beyond the Arctic Circle. Despite its northern location, the climate in Sweden is not so severe due to its proximity to the warm Gulf Stream. The surface of the country is covered mainly with coniferous forest and taiga; one of the most picturesque places is the northern Swedish province of Lappland, where the Sami live. Swedish Laponia is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. There are 29 national parks on the territory of the country, their lands are protected by the state, for any violation of order, violators face serious fines. Most of the parks are mountains.

Sweden is the first country to start creating national parks for nature conservation on its territory. One of the first national parks in the country is Abisko, located 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. Most of the park is occupied by the Abisku River canyon and Lake Turnetresk, which is covered with ice for most of the year. The park is home to a large number of northern birds and animals: arctic fox, reindeer, leming, snow bunting, snowy owl, snipe, wolverine, wolf. Another northern national park, Vadvechokka, is located on the border with Norway. There are no roads leading to the park; you can get into it only by water or ice of Lake Turnetresk. In this rather inaccessible park, the authorities managed to preserve the pristine nature of the northern birch forests to the maximum.

Blo-Jungfrun Island is located in the Kalmarsund Strait, the territory of which is also a protected national park. The island consists almost entirely of bare rocks and boulders, the rocks have a reddish hue characteristic of granite. There is a forest in the southern part of the island. The island has never been inhabited; since ancient times, the locals considered this place a witches' Sabbath. There is a stone labyrinth in the caves of the national park. The island is home to hares and flying squirrels, and more than 200 species of lichens grow. Another national park is located on the island of Gotska Sanden in the Baltic Sea. Seals live off the coast of Gotska Sanden, and the island's flora is quite diverse. In the summer months, there are regular water excursions for tourists. Copyright www.site

The largest national park in Sweden is Padjelanta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is part of Laponia (Swedish Lapland), on its territory there are two of the most beautiful lakes in the country - Vastenjahure and Virihaure. Lapland is inhabited by the Sami, an indigenous population leading a nomadic lifestyle. Their settlements are also located on the territory of other national parks - Muddus, Sarek, Stora Shefallet. Stora Shefallet is located in the Scandinavian mountains, which were formed 400 million years ago as a result of the collision of continents. There is a picturesque waterfall of the same name in the park; foxes, rabbits, ermines, deer live. The park is a popular tourist destination with regular tours and excursions.

Another popular tourist destination is Sarek National Park, located in the Jokmokk region. Despite the fact that there is not a single paved tourist route, every year a huge number of people come here to conquer mountain peaks or go hiking. Mountain climbers are attracted by Mount Sarekchokko, the peak is the second largest in the country (about 2000 meters). The ascent is incredibly difficult, the route is not always conquered even by professionals. The park is one of the oldest and largest in the country; there are more than 100 ancient glaciers on its lands. The territory of the park is included in the World Heritage List, since the park is part of Swedish Lapland.

The Swedish National Park System is operated by the Swedish Conservation Agency environment(Swedish Naturvårdsverket) and includes 29 national parks. Another 6 parks are planned to be created by 2013.
The goal of the National Park Service is to create a system of protected areas that would represent all the diversity of the country's natural regions and would be used for research, recreational and tourism purposes without harming nature.
In 1909, the Swedish parliament passed the National Parks Act, after which Sweden was the first country in Europe to establish a national park system. Nine parks were opened in 1909, seven more between 1918 and 1962, then thirteen from 1982 to 2009.

Blo-Jungfrun (Swedish. Blå Jungfrun) is a Swedish island in the Kalmarsund Strait between Öland and mainland Sweden. Administratively it belongs to the Oskarshamn commune of the Kalmarsky Lena. Blo-Jungfrun lies 10 km southeast of the island of Fure

Vindelfjällen (Swedish Vindelfjällen) is a nature conservation area in the north-west of Sweden, in the commune of Sturuman Lena Västerbotten. The reserve was founded in 1974 to protect the unique mountain landscapes of the limestone plateau with lakes, rivers and hills.

Gotska Sandön is an island in the Baltic Sea. The area is 36.54 km². Belongs to Sweden, part of the Gotland county. Located 38 km north of the island of Gotland, about 9 km long, 6 km wide. Part of the island's territory is occupied by sandy beaches.

Abisko, or Abisko (Swedish Abisko, s.-Sami. Ábeskovvu) - a national park (landscape reserve) near the village of Abisko (Abisko) in the Norrbotten county in northern Sweden, two hundred kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, near the Norwegian border

The Haparanda archipelago (Swedish Haparanda skärgårds nationalpark), the easternmost national park in Sweden, is located in the Norrbotten county, the commune of Haparanda. Founded in 1995, Haparanda National Park covers an area of ​​6,000 hectares, of which 5,230 hectares is water.

There are places with untouched pristine nature. Back in 1909, the country's parliament adopted a law on national parks. Since then, Swedish national parks have been used exclusively for recreational, research and tourism purposes. Let's find out how many national parks there are in Sweden and take a quick look at the most famous of them.

The most popular national parks in Sweden

In total, there are 29 national parks in the country, and several more are planned to be created in the near future. Most of these areas are covered with forests. So, among the main protected areas in Sweden, we will name the following:

1. located in an area with wild nature, beautiful mountains, cold and clean air. These places are popular with travelers for hiking, and the well-thought-out infrastructure allows both beginners and experienced tourists to make difficult multi-day hikes here. Mountain lovers and extreme sportsmen will like Herjedalen.
2. (Sweden), located in the province of Lappland, is one of the oldest national parks in Europe. It was created with the aim of protecting high mountain landscapes. There are no paved hiking trails, and the area in which Sarek is located is considered to be the rainiest in Sweden. Among the eight mountain peaks with a height of more than 2000 m, there is Mount Sarekchokko, which is considered almost impregnable. There are about 100 glaciers in this area. The mountains of Sarek Park are reserved for experienced hikers and climbers only.


3. located in the commune of Ellvdalen. It is one of the youngest national parks in Sweden, opened by the king of Sweden in 2002. This area looks like a high plateau, riddled with rivers. Mountain peaks and alpine meadows create a unique landscape. More than half of the park's territory is tundra. It is located here, the height of which is 93 m. The oldest tree in the world grows in this national park. Scientists believe it is around 9,550 years old.


4. - a landscape park located in the north of Sweden, in the Norrbotten county. This area is located 200 km north of the Arctic Circle. On the territory of Abisko there is a canyon of the river of the same name, as well as Lake Turnetres, which is under the ice for six months. From mid-June to mid-July, the sun shines in these parts around the clock. Arctic fox and reindeer, wolverine and wolf, brown bear and many polar birds have taken root in this harsh climate.


5. is located in the southern part of Lapland, in the Västerbotten county. The main part of the park is mountains covered with coniferous forests. Mainly pine and spruce grow here, sometimes birch and alder are found. A large population of beavers has settled along the rivers and streams of the park; there are martens, squirrels, and elk. Various songbirds, several species of woodpeckers, etc. live in the forests.


6. Norra Quill- a park located in Kalmarsky Lena. Its territory is covered with ancient pine forests. Some of the trees here are over 350 years old. Over the past 150 years, not a single tree has been cut down in the park.


7. Piellecaise, covered with a birch forest, is named after the mountain of the same name - the symbol of these places. There are several lakes in the southern part of the park. There is a hiking trail through Piellekaise that leads to the mountains and wastelands of northern Sweden.


8. Sture-Mosse- National Park of Sweden, located in the county. On its territory there is the largest swamp in the south of the country. Many birds live on the shores of Lake Chevshen. Peat bogs located in the park make this area an important ecological system.


9. located on the border with. This is a rift valley, on the territory of which virgin forests have remained intact. The crevasses formed here millions of years ago as a result of avalanches have turned into lakes.


10. Elk Park Gordho Park located nearby. It opened quite recently - in 2009. The elk is the symbol of this city and one of the national animals of Sweden. In the park, you can observe whole herds of elk peacefully grazing in the meadows. There are so many of these animals that moose hunting is opened in the park every autumn.

Flowing into Lake Turnetresk. Grandiose views of the largest mountain lake in Scandinavia with an area of ​​332 km 2, open from the top of Mount Nuolja, to which a cable lift will stretch. At the same time, at the terminal station, there is a center for observing the aurora borealis - Turnetresk and the Abisku valley are protected by mountains, so the sky above them often remains clear when everything is covered with clouds (the highest chances of catching the aurora are in March and September). The park itself is not large - you can walk through it all in a day, covering 15 km between two mountain huts. At the same time, this walk is considered the first (or the last - depending on where to go) stage of the Royal Trail, Kungsleden, a popular walking route, neatly laid out - signs, bridges, crossings - through all of Swedish Lapland. Abisku is connected to Stockholm by a daily night train (yes, Sweden is one of the few European countries where you can travel 17 hours by fast train). If you get to Abiska from neighboring Kiruna, then the train schedule is laid out in such a way that it turns out to return to the city on the same day.

Padjelanta, Sarek and Stora-Schöfallet

The park is divided into zones: animals, including bears and lynxes, live mainly in its western half, and most of hiking trails concentrated in the eastern, seaside part. It is there that the most popular attraction of Skuleskogen is located - the Slottdalsskrevan cleft, a granite corridor 7 meters wide and 30 meters deep, through which you can get to the top of the mountain with a breathtaking view of the islands in the bay.

Tennforsen

The most impressive and most powerful waterfall in Sweden is located 20 minutes from the mountain resort of Åre on the river of the same name. The Ore River here turns into a wide channel connecting two deep lakes - Tennshyon and Esther-Nuren: it first accelerates along the rapids, in order to then jerk down from a 37-meter height (free water fall - 26 meters). During the peak period in the second half of May, when snow is actively melting in the mountains of the Jämtland province, the water flow in Tennforsen reaches 400 cubic meters per second - a very noisy and wet sight. If the sun illuminates a spray cloud, a rainbow hangs over the waterfall.

Jämtland is generally rich in waterfalls, but many of them fell victim to industrialization in the middle of the 20th century, when mountain rivers were driven into a cascade of hydroelectric power plants. Tennforsen was rescued by a widespread campaign of environmentalists - it retained its natural, unmanageable character, and the area around it was declared a national reserve.

Fulufjellet

Lost world on the border with Norway: a mountain plateau cut by river beds and abruptly ending in coniferous forests in the flat part of the national park, which was established here in 2002 - not only for the protection of the territory, but also for the development of tourism. It is relatively easy to get to the main magnet for tourists - the highest waterfall in Sweden, Nypešar, which is formed by the Newpon River flowing off the rocky cliff of the plateau (total height - 125 meters, including 93 meters of free fall). But further acquaintance with Fulufjellet will require additional training and hiking equipment.

Not far from the Newpon channel in the tundra at the top of the plateau stands "Old Tikko", the oldest known free-standing tree in the world - the root system of this spruce is at least 9 and a half thousand years old (the trunk sticking out of the ground sprouted "only" about six centuries ago ). In order not to create unnecessary excitement, the trail to "Old Tikko" is not particularly advertised - the coordinates and landmarks must be specified in the information center. It is worth remembering about the bears walking in the local forests, an unexpected meeting with which can cause much more trouble than a meeting with a kuksa - a sparrow that has become the official symbol of the park.

Djurgården

The former royal hunting grounds have long been part of Stockholm, but they still stand out on the map with a bright green spot. Djurgården is not only the island of the same name: a 15-kilometer forest-park belt in the northeast of the capital stretches from the Ulriksdal and Haga palaces to the Fjäderholmarna islands. In 1995, this territory received a special protected status - the world's first "national urban park", that is, a recreational area at the junction of the city and the nature reserve.

Djurgården was opened for public festivities even during the reign of King Adolf Fredrik in the middle of the 17th century; right here in late XIX century, the favorite places of recreation of the townspeople - the lunapark Gröna-lund and the world's first ethnographic park-museum Skansen - appeared. The area has not escaped development: in North Djurgården there is a campus of Stockholm University, in the south - the Kaknes TV tower and a dozen museums of national importance. At the same time, here and today you can find more than 800 different plants, more than 100 species of birds and even large animals - hares, roe deer and foxes; amazing biodiversity for a modern metropolis, which the national city park is designed to preserve.

Tyuresta

The closest to Stockholm and therefore the most easily accessible national park in the kingdom - almost 2000 hectares of virgin forest and a dozen lakes practically on the southeastern outskirts of the capital; from the center - literally half an hour by car or an hour by train and bus.

The simplest route along Türesta - a loop from the information center to the southern shore of Lake Orshen - can be done even with a baby carriage: you instantly go deeper into the kingdom of pines, which clung to a thin layer of soil applied to the rocks polished by glaciers. At first, you regularly come across plaques telling about local plants, mosses and lichens. But out of 55 km of local trails, you can choose much less traveled ones, where instead of information stands you will find trees gnawed by beavers, a herd of shrill boars or fresh tracks of a lynx. The main thing is to make your own route bypassing the area affected by the wildfires of 1999, unless you want to see firsthand how nature is slowly but surely restoring what was lost on the devastated land.

Costerhavet

Sweden's first marine national park protects the waters around the Koster archipelago in the Skagerrak. To the western shores of the kingdom, underwater currents bring cold and salty ocean water from the Atlantic, thanks to which there are thousands of species of marine flora and fauna, hundreds of them are marked as "listed in the Red Book." There is a coral reef under the water, which can be explored by adherents of diving and snorkeling in summer. Those who are not ready to dive into the cool waters get acquainted with the living creatures inhabiting the reef - molluscs, crabs, sponges, ascidians and ophiuras - at the Sven Louvain aquarium in the mainland village of Cerne.

There is also someone to admire above the water surface: the islands are home to the largest seal colony in Sweden, and for the sake of a relatively warm winter, eiders, terns, gogols, turnstones and skuas migrate here from the Arctic Circle. All the major islands of the archipelago have marked walking trails, automobile transport eradicated as a class, but there are bicycles for rent, and kayaks can be taken to travel to distant deserted skerries.

Tiveden

A real wilderness in the very heart of the country - the Tiveden Forest for centuries separated the possessions of the Göt and Svei tribes, the ancient inhabitants of Sweden. Even after they formed an alliance, the local granite rocks, overgrown with pine trees, interspersed with lakes in crevices and peppered with huge (up to 15 meters high) boulders, created a natural barrier between the two parts of the kingdom. This barrier has not been destroyed until now - the national park occupies only the very thicket of the forest, and much more moose and wood grouse live in the surrounding territories than people.

The 34 kilometers of trails laid in the park are not designed for easy walks - most of them consist of constant ascents and descents, often on bare granite (stairs and railings are installed on the most difficult sections). But in such campaigns the spirit is tempered - it is not for nothing that the origin of the toponym Tiveden is associated with the name of the one-armed Tyr, the god of military valor in Scandinavian mythology.

Gotska-Sandyeong

An uninhabited island in the middle of the Baltic, in fact - one large dune measuring 9 by 6 km, overgrown with dense pine forest. Ever since the locals finally moved to Gotland in the 1960s, only white hares and a colony of seals remained here from the permanent population, which took a fancy to the rocks on the northern coast of the island. Hearth human civilization- a former village, which now houses the headquarters of the national park, decorated with a cannon from the Russian ship "Horseman" (he hit stones near Gotska Sanden in 1864, the Swedes helped to evacuate the surviving sailors), an old chapel, a wooden lighthouse and a camping, which accepts guests from May to September.

In late spring and autumn, birdwatchers occupy the houses, for whom the sandy island is a unique observation point on the pillar route of migration of migratory birds. In the summer months, ships regularly depart here from the island of Forø and from Nynäshamn, the nearest settlement on the mainland from Stockholm. In the absence of a permanent harbor, disembarkation on the island can entail a mile-long march to the campsite along forest trails. But if you are lucky with changeable winds and currents, it is better to focus on more meditative walks - from one deserted beach to another and from the overgrown Russian cemetery, where the sailors of the "Horseman" rested, to an unpolluted strawberry meadow.

Longhammar and Digerhuwood

Two reserved beaches on the northern tip of Foreo Island, which in turn can be considered the northern appendage of the greater Gotland - the islands are separated by a narrow strait, and are connected by a round-the-clock free ferry, which has long been going to be replaced by a permanent bridge.

The sparsely populated Førø is definitely mentioned in all travel guides to Sweden, and there are two reasons for this. First, the great filmmaker lived, filmed and was buried here. The second is raukars, bizarre stone formations that appeared on the Baltic coast as a result of the erosion of limestone rocks after the last ice age... Their greatest concentration and the most fantasy specimens are observed just on Longhammar and Digerhuvud. You can walk both beaches from end to end in a couple of hours and distribute yourself who this or that pillar looks like - a petrified knight, princess, dog, cobra or lion's head.

Stora-Karlso

On a tiny (only 2.5 km2) island off the western coast of Gotland, the largest bird colony in the Baltic Sea is located. Every summer thousands of slender-billed guillemots, auks and guillemots hatch their offspring here on limestone rocks. In total, birdwatchers have noted more than 200 species of birds here. The Society for the Protection of the Environment on the island was founded in 1880, which makes it possible today to call Stora-Karlsø the second oldest nature reserve in the world - right after Yellowstone. The entire human presence is reduced to a lighthouse (automated, in old buildings - a museum and a hostel) and a cafe at the pier.

From May to August there are daily excursions from Gotland - from the port of Klintehamn. When the tourist season ends, only the workers of the reserve and the sheep remain on the island. The latter, by the way, were evacuated from Stura-Karlsø in 1887 in order to preserve the impoverished vegetation. The operation was a success, and two decades ago the herds were returned - this time, on the contrary, to clear the island a little from the impassable thickets of juniper.

Sture-Mosse

Literally "Big Swamp". The bog with an area of ​​more than 100 km2, 3/4 of which is declared a national park, is a whole peat sea in the south of Sweden, lined with tens of kilometers of trails. Paths have been laid along the footbridges, which are regularly shifted every spring, as soon as the flood recedes. Stepping on them, you find yourself in the middle of the vast expanses, as if stepping out into the real sea, only instead of water around you there is a smooth surface of moss.

Most short route park - to a 12-meter observation tower near Lake Chevshen, on the banks of which cranes and whooper swans nest. Walking longer - to one of the small lakes with black water (in the warm season, it is not forbidden to plunge), and if you arm yourself with bogshoes, you can get off the bridges and feast on the berries growing among the mosses.

Kullaberg

The Kullen Peninsula on the map resembles a claw cutting into the waters of the Kattegat Strait northwest of Helsingborg. The tip of the peninsula outside the village of Mölle has been declared the Kullaberg nature reserve. The landscapes resemble a scaled down version of the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa rather than the usual gently sloping coastline in the province of Skane. A series of rocky coves with caves and overhanging cliffs, an old lighthouse with a cafe and trails along the edge of the cliff are a great opportunity to walk for several hours.

Kullaberg nature reserve. Photo: Sergey Bondarenko

The ultimate goal may be the installation "Nimis", which the artist Lars Vilks first assembled in 1980 from logs washed ashore by a storm. Local authorities considered this illegal construction in the reserve and demanded to demolish the structure. The artist refused. A protracted conflict with litigation led to the formation of the micro-state of Ladonia, which, over two decades of its virtual independence, acquired its own flag, coat of arms, currency, queen, hundreds of ministers and 20 thousand citizens (anyone who has left an application on the Ladonia website can be included in this number). The cart is still there: Vilks has repeatedly restored "Nimis" - the symbol of Ladonia - after storms and fires, and local authorities are trying to destroy it (and in principle do not indicate on the maps of the reserve).

Søderosen

The nature of Skåne, the southernmost Swedish province, bears little resemblance to the rest of the kingdom, and Søderosen stands out sharply in the middle of the rest of Skåne: instead of the usual plowed fields there are dense deciduous forests, and instead of smooth plains there are ravines with deep streams and cliffs with cliffs from which impressive views. The difference in elevation of 90 meters - even if it sounds ridiculous by Lapland standards, in the south of Sweden - it is close to the maximum. And even though the local national park is one of the youngest in the country (established in 2001), it is already among the most popular.

It is possible to come here in any season by road from Malmö and Helsingborg for walking, horseback riding or cycling in the light-filled beech forest. It is an unforgivable mistake not to turn to Söderosen in May, when it is filled with fresh greenery, or at the peak of leaf fall in October.