In pictures: Europe's wildest wonders

Cheile Bicazului-Hăşmaş National Park, Romania: The Bicaz Gorges offer a unique view of the Ceahlau Mountains.

Pissouri, Cyprus: The location known as 'Aphrodite's Rock' in Cyprus has rare geological characteristics related to the interaction of the tectonic plates.

Crna Poda Natural Reserve, Montenegro: Black pines stand in the early light of Crna Poda Natural Reserve in Montenegro.

Oulanka National Park, Finland: A vast boreal forest of Scotch pines, spruces, and silver birches, Oulanka contains a striking biodiversity despite its northerly location near the Arctic Circle.

Hornstrandir, Iceland: Free to roam and hunt without human intrusion, the elusive Arctic fox is a protected species in Hornstrandir Nature Reserve of Iceland's West Fjords.

Aiguilles Rouges, France: The magnificent Aiguilles Rouges, named for their reddish colour in early morning light, lie to the north-west of the Mont Blanc massif in the French Prealps.

Durmitor National Park, Montenegro: Durmitor National Park contains the enormous Durmitor Massif and three breathtaking canyons, including that of the wild Tara River, which is home to Europe’s deepest gorge at 1,300 metres.

Bodø, Norway: Existing for more than 2,000 years, the Saltstraumen whirlpool near Bodø is the world's strongest whirlpool.

Oulanka National Park, Finland: The landscape of Oulanka National Park is made up of pine forests, river valleys with sandy banks, and white water rapids.

Lake Kerkíni, Greece: Dalmatian pelicans – the largest of the pelican family – splash in Lake Kerkíni in Northern Greece.

High in the Pennine Alps, the Matterhorn Glacier is more than 1.5 miles at its base.

Riisitunturi National Park, Finland: In Finland's Lapland province, Riisitunturi National Park is covered with spruce trees under a thick coating of frost, creating a photogenic white forest.

Meteora, Greece: Home to nomadic Greek Orthodox monks for centuries, these peaks also contain a complex of more than 20 monasteries.

Piatra Craiului National Park, Romania: Famous for its forests and Zarnesti Gorge, the park contains one of Romania's highest mountain ranges and plenty of wildlife like deer, chamois, wolves, and lynx.

Plitvice National Park, Croatia: Gradinsko lake got its name after 'gradina', meaning 'old fortified town' in Croatian, which once rose on the hill near this lake in Plitvice National Park.

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia: Hundreds of waterfalls link 16 lakes in Plitvice Lakes National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Antikythera, Greece: On the Aegean Sea, between Crete and Antikythera island, the Greek island of Antikythera provides a stop-over for migratory birds, including the largest breeding colony of Eleonora's falcon in the world. It's also home to a large population of wild goats.

Alonissos, Greece: Almonds, grapes, figs, and olives grow on the Greek island of Alonnisos.

Dyrehaven, Denmark: More than 2,000 free range deer inhabit the forests of Dyrehaven, which literally means 'the deer park', which was once used for hunting by the Danish royalty and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Langanes Peninsula, Iceland: Gannet colonies nest in the sea cliffs of Iceland’s Langanes peninsula, a prime birdwatching spot.

Caucasus Mountains, Russia: In southern Russia, the Caucasus mountains–situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea–also stretch into Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

Durmitor National Park, Montenegro: The Tara River slices through Durmitor National Park in Montenegro, forming the Tara river canyon, which has the deepest gorge in Europe.

Gran Paradiso National Park, Italy: Named after Gran Paradiso mountain, which is located in the park, this natural refuge in Italy is contiguous with the French Vanoise National Park.

About four-fifths of the global population of Eleonora's falcons nest in Greece.

Plitvice National Park, Croatia: Proscansko Lake is the highest lake and the second-largest of the 16-lake system that makes up Plitvice National Park.

Svalbard, Norway: The Norwegian islands of Svalbard are home to more polar bears than people.

Sierra de Gredos, Spain: A nimble and majestic animal, the Iberian ibex easily seen on excursions above 1600 metres in Sierra de Gredos.

Durmitor National Park, Montenegro: Prutas Peak stands the tallest in Durmitor National Park.

Svalbard, Norway: Sunbathing here on the rugged coast of Svalbard, Norway, the walrus is the largest seal species in the Arctic and the second-largest on a global scale (only male elephant seals outgrow them).

Plitvice National Park, Croatia: The vast majority of the water in Plitvice comes from two main river sources: the Crna Rijeka (shown here) and the Bijela Rijeka.