"Like the United States' national parks, those of Europe--from the British Isles to Europe's border with Asia--help to preserve the human heritage while providing vital green spaces for the animals that make them home"--
From New England to Alaska, this 544 page resource is filled with helpful advice, historical background, and practical facts on how to reach scores of park system properties, when to go, and what to do there.
A celebration of and practical guide to Europe's areas of incredible natural beauty. Step into a world boasting hilltop coastal villages, frozen Arctic landscapes and sweeping mountain ranges - and discover the 60 most breathtaking national parks, as well as itineraries for experiencing their top sights and activities. The beautiful hardback includes: Suggested itineraries for long and short visits The essential activities for every season Awe-inspiring landscape photography How to get to each park and where to stay Illustrations of local wildlife to look out for Europe's national parks are incredibly diverse - and that's what makes them so special. They protect areas of coast, high-altitude peaks in the Pyrenees and Alps, and even parts of the frozen Arctic, and include wildlife from Carpathian squirrels and fin whales, to peregrine falcons and polar bears. Setting out to choose Europe's top 60 national parks was no easy task, so we called on our expert writers and well-travelled editors. We asked them to tell us which parks provide the best experiences and why. The final selections were those that offered something truly unique, often an enthralling mixture of stunning natural beauty, incredible wildlife, fulfilling activities, local culture and, occasionally, a compelling history too. We hope the following pages inspire you to explore more of Europe's wild and wonderful spaces. Includes 60 national parks: Abisko Abruzzo Aiguestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici Arcipelago di La Maddalena Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park Dolomiti Bellunesi Berchtesgaden Black Forest Brecon Beacons Cairngorms Carpathian Cinque Terre Connemara Curonian Spit Dartmoor Donana Durmitor Ecrins Etna Gauja Golfo di Orosei e del Gennargentu Hardangervidda Hohe Tauern Hortobagy Jostedalsbreen Jotunheimen Killarney Kornati Lahemaa Lake District Lake Skadar Lemmenjoki Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Marine Park of Alonnisos Northern Sporades Nordvest-Spitsbergen Ordesa Oulanka Paklenica National Park Peak District Pembrokeshire Coast Peneda-Geres Picos de Europa Pirin Plitvice Port-Cros Pyrenees Retezat Sarek Saxon Switzerland Sierra Nevada Slovensky Raj Snæfellsjokull National Park Snowdonia Swiss National Park Tatras Triglav Valbona Valley Vatnajokull Vikos-Aoos National Park Wadden Sea About Lonely Planet: Since 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel media company with guidebooks to every destination, an award-winning website, mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travellers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves. The world awaits! 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' -- Fairfax Media 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.
National parks are one of the most important and successful institutions in global environmentalism. Since their first designation in the United States in the 1860s and 1870s they have become a global phenomenon. The development of these ecological and political systems cannot be understood as a simple reaction to mounting environmental problems, nor can it be explained by the spread of environmental sensibilities. Shifting the focus from the usual emphasis on national parks in the United States, this volume adopts an historical and transnational perspective on the global geography of protected areas and its changes over time. It focuses especially on the actors, networks, mechanisms, arenas, and institutions responsible for the global spread of the national park and the associated utilization and mobilization of asymmetrical relationships of power and knowledge, contributing to scholarly discussions of globalization and the emergence of global environmental institutions and governance.
Lace up your hiking boots for the next in Lonely Planet's highly successful Epic series, this time exploring 50 of Europe's most rewarding and beautiful hikes. Featuring the very newest trails and classics, each introduced with a first-person account and featuring a map, inspiring photos and practical details to follow in the writer's footsteps.
The history of the Swiss National Park, from its creation in the years before the Great War to the present, is told for the first time in this book. Unlike Yellowstone Park, which embodied close cooperation between state-supported conservation and public recreation, the Swiss park put in place an extraordinarily strong conservation program derived from a close alliance between the state and scientific research. This deliberate reinterpretation of the American idea of the national park was innovative and radical, but its consequences were not limited to Switzerland. The Swiss park became the prime example of a “scientific national park,” thereby influencing the course of national parks worldwide.
**A New York Times Bestseller!** Based on the wildly popular Instagram account, Subpar Parks features both the greatest hits and brand-new content, all celebrating the incredible beauty and variety of America’s national parks juxtaposed with the clueless and hilarious one-star reviews posted by visitors. Subpar Parks, both on the popular Instagram page and in this humorous, informative, and collectible book, combines two things that seem like they might not work together yet somehow harmonize perfectly: beautiful illustrations and informative, amusing text celebrating each national park paired with the one-star reviews disappointed tourists have left online. Millions of visitors each year enjoy Glacier National Park, but for one visitor, it was simply "Too cold for me!" Another saw the mind-boggling vistas of Bryce Canyon as "Too spiky!" Never mind the person who visited the thermal pools at Yellowstone National Park and left thinking, “Save yourself some money, boil some water at home.” Featuring more than 50 percent new material, the book will include more depth and insight into the most popular parks, such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, and Acadia National Parks; anecdotes and tips from rangers; and much more about author Amber Share's personal love and connection to the outdoors. Equal parts humor and love for the national parks and the great outdoors, it's the perfect gift for anyone who loves to spend time outside as well as have a good read (and laugh) once they come indoors.
There's simply no better getaway in the United States than a visit to one of the country's 62 national parks from Alaska to the Virgin Islands, from Maine to America Samoa. Profiled in this all-new ninth edition of National Geographic's enduring and informative guide, you'll find expert travel advice, candid tips for hiking and wildlife spotting, and detailed maps to help navigate your way through America's great outdoors. Updated throughout with the latest information from park rangers and National Geographic's own acclaimed travel writers, this fully revised and comprehensive guidebook includes the newest additions to the United States park system-Indiana Dunes, White Sands, and Gateway Arch national parks. Whether you're looking to explore the underground world of Mammoth Caves or make your way through the mangroves of Everglades National Park, you'll find a destination that suits your needs, and inspiration to plan your next wild adventure. In addition to park details and descriptions, this sparkling new edition features week-long regional road trip itineraries s so you can visit multiple parks in one vacation. Filled with more than 300 dazzling photographs and 80 full-color maps, this inspiring book reveals the best the United States has to offer-right in its own backyard.