Just a few hours from the French border, a nugget of nature lies hidden in the Pyrenees. The Ordesa y Monte Perdido national park was even voted Europe’s best by Time Out. Just 2 hours by plane from Paris, it’s a great idea for a weekend or week-long getaway to explore and marvel at.
This hidden nature park 2 hours from Paris has been voted the most beautiful in Europe.
If you’re short of ideas for your vacation, the list of Europe’s most beautiful national parks has just been unveiled. While the Calanques rank 7th and Welsh and Slovenian spots are on the podium, it’s Ordesa y Monte Perdido that takes the prize. And with good reason: this verdant gem in the province of Huesca in Aragon is nothing short of spectacular. With its beech forests, limestone cliffs, vertiginous canyons, waterfalls and peaks, it’s a veritable concentration of grandiose landscapes hidden away in the Pyrenees.
Monte Perdido or Mont Perdu, the focal point and symbol of the park and of the shared heritage between France and Spain, rises to an altitude of over 3,350 metres. Europe’s highest limestone massif, it takes its name from its position, as if “lost” between the mountains of the Pyrenees. For the more experienced hiker, it’s possible to make the ascent and enjoy one of the most sensational views of the region’s mountains.
There are beautiful hiking trails throughout the park. To contemplate the Ordesa valley, you can opt for the impressive cirque of Soaso and Cola de Caballo. Other not-to-be-missed itineraries include the Cinca waterfall and the Añisclo canyon. All in all, the park’s four valleys offer a wild diversity of landscapes and panoramas. A paradise for walkers, but also for lovers of flora and fauna. Over 1,400 plant species can be found here, as well as foxes, marmots and numerous birds of prey.
Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park represents wild Europe: majestic, unspoilt and authentic, with the calm of wide open spaces, the raw beauty of the mountains and a rare connection to nature. All you have to do is set off on your adventure!
📍Location: Ordesa y Monte Perdido Natural Park – Nearest airports: Zaragoza, Pamplona and Huesca
📆 Opening times: Open all year round
💶 Price: free access