Resources

The purpose of the Resources section of this site is to connect you with additional education and information related to the Natural Wonders of Europe.  In addition to resources that are focused on the splendor, beauty and amazement, Natural Wonders of Europe will also provide you with access to tour companies, places to stay, and related resources that make your discovery, exploration and personal experience with the Europe wonders of nature the best it can be.

7 NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD

Most would state that the continent of Europe does not feature any of the official 7 Wonders of Nature.  However, this is incorrect.  The Aurora Borealis, or frequently called Northern Lights, are most commonly experienced in Alaska and Canada, but they are also witness in Europe.

  • Aurora Borealis – These amazing northern lights dancing across the sky may be experienced in northern Europe in the countries of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.
  • You Tube and Northern Lights – A cool presentation of the northern lights caught on video – watch till the end.
  • Visit Norways – One of the countries where you can experience the northern lights.
  • Victoria Falls – Apart from the northern lights, Europe is not home to any wonders of nature, but it is a gateway to Victoria Falls for much of the world.
  • National Geographic Images – Pictures of the northern lights presented by the National Geographic.
  • Geophysical Institute – Forecast information to help evaluate chances to see the northern lights.
  • Grand Canyon – Largest canyon in the world and one of the other seven wonders of nature.

Most people tend to immediately think of the other continents when thinking about wonders of nature.  However, it won’t take long for you to discover and realize that Europe actually offers many wonderful features of nature.

UNESCO: WORLD HERITAGE

UNESCO represents the World Heritage sites from around the world as determined by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN).  Here is a list of 13 world heritage sites located found in Europe:

  • UNESCO -Pirin NP: Spread over an area of over 27,000 ha, at an altitude between 1008 and 2914 m in the Pirin Mountains, southwest Bulgaria, the site comprises diverse limestone mountain landscapes with glacial lakes, waterfalls, caves and predominantly coniferous forests.
  • UNESCO – Plitvice Lakes NP: The waters flowing over the limestone and chalk have, over thousands of years, deposited travertine barriers, creating natural dams which in turn have created a series of beautiful lakes, caves and waterfalls.
  • UNESCO – Ilulissat Icefjord: Located on the west coast of Greenland, 250 km north of the Arctic Circle, Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord (40,240 ha) is the sea mouth of Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the few glaciers through which the Greenland ice cap reaches the sea.
  • UNESCO – Kvarken Archpelago: The Kvarken Archipelago (Finland) and the High Coast (Sweden) are situated in the Gulf of Bothnia, a northern extension of the Baltic Sea.
  • UNESCO -Gulf of Porto: The nature reserve, which is part of the Regional Natural Park of Corsica, occupies the Scandola peninsula, an impressive, porphyritic rock mass.
  • UNESCO -Pyrenees: This outstanding mountain landscape, which spans the contemporary national borders of France and Spain, is centered around the peak of Mount Perdu, a calcareous massif that rises to 3,352 m.
  • UNESCO – Pitons: The property covers more than 100,000 ha or 40 % of La Réunion, an island comprising two adjoining volcanic massifs located in the south-west of the Indian Ocean.
  • UNESCO – Messel Pit Fossil Site: Messel Pit is the richest site in the world for understanding the living environment of the Eocene, between 57 million and 36 million years ago.
  • UNESCO – Metero: In a region of almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, monks settled on these ‘columns of the sky’ from the 11th century onwards
  • UNESCO – The Dolomites: The site of the Dolomites comprises a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps, numbering 18 peaks which rise to above 3,000 meters and cover 141,903 ha.
  • UNESCO – Wadden Sea: It is a large temperate, relatively flat coastal wetland environment, formed by the intricate interactions between physical and biological factors that have given rise to a multitude of transitional habitats with tidal channels, sandy shoals, sea-grass meadows, mussel beds, sandbars, mudflats, salt marshes, estuaries, beaches and dunes.
  • UNESCO – W. Norwegian Fjords: The two fjords, among the world’s longest and deepest, are considered as archetypical fjord landscapes and among the most scenically outstanding anywhere.
  • UNESCO – Swiss Alps: The extension of the natural World Heritage property of Jungfrau – Aletsch – Bietschhorn (first inscribed in 2001), expands the site to the east and west, bringing its surface area up to 82,400 ha., up from 53,900.

Conservation and Professional Organizations

  • EPA: Environmental Protection Agency of the United States.
  • NWF: National Wildlife Federation
  • UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
  • WWF: World Wildlife Fund
  • Science: Educational group focused on an array of the sciences.
  • Natural Wonders of the Caribbean: Showcasing the wonders of nature from the Caribbean.

Nature Places to Stay

  • Hotel das Cataratas: This is the only hotel located in Iguassu National Park on the Brazilian side.

Supports, Causes and Key Resources

  • American Heart Association: Organization committed to supporting those with heart disease.
  • Travel Tracker: A unique and one of a kind travel app that features pre-populated travel wish lists. Tracks your travel and interfaces with Facebook and Twitter. An excellent tool for learning about new bucket list ideas.
  • Christian Adoptions: Adoption is one loving option for people to explore facing an unplanned pregnancy.
  • American Cancer Society: Organization committed to getting rid of cancer and supporting those who have it.

Frequently Asked Nature Questions

  • Where is the Caribbean: When it comes to geography, one of the common questions is where is the Caribbean. Go here to find the islands and the sea.
  • Travel Tracker – An app for tracker your wonder of nature travels and also providing a series of bucket list ideas.