For those who enjoy hiking and exploring outdoor trails, the United Kingdom [5.38 out of 10] has been revealed as the best country to be.
With new research indicating that greater exposure to nature is associated with better health and well-being – it is no surprise that many of us are considering life away from urban areas in search of greener spaces, fresher air, and a slower pace of life.
Intrigued by this, Uswitch.com/mortgages were keen to discover the best European countries for nature lovers. To do this, the experts created a points-based index system that evaluates the following factors in 33 countries: forest, flat land, water coverage, the volume of wildlife richness and outdoor hiking trails.
With a score of 5.37 out of a possible 10, Greece is one of the best countries for nature lovers to travel to in Europe. Home to magnificent natural scenery, Greece is perfect for those who love walking in nature due to its volume of forest coverage [22.44%] – almost 8% more than its neighbouring country Turkey – as well as its high average rating for its outdoor trails [8.72 out of 10]. For those who enjoy being near wildlife, the country benefits from the third-highest volume of wildlife out of all 33 countries analysed [1,128], including 574 unique insects and a total of 554 distinctive birds and mammals.
The best European country to be near wildlife
Spain [5.52 out of 10] and Italy [5.40 out of 10] are the best European countries for wildlife lovers with 1,510 and 1,271 unique species respectively. If you want to be closer to distinctive birds, insects and mammals, France [5.10 out of 10] is also home to a wide variety of wildlife with 1,189 unique species – 93% more than their neighbour Luxembourg – with 522 bird species and 508 distinctive insects.
The best European country to be near hiking trails
For those who enjoy hiking and exploring outdoor trails, the United Kingdom [5.38 out of 10] has been revealed as the best country to be. Narrowly missing the top ten in 11th place, the UK is home to 9,834 unique trails with an average rating of 8.56 out of 10 – boasting 4 trails per 100km2 – the third-highest volume of trails per 100km2 out of all 33 countries analysed.
Despite the green space and water body coverage in the UK totalling 23.49%, the country ranks surprisingly higher than Ireland for these factors, which total only 11.46% for forest coverage and water bodies. France has the third-highest number of hiking trails amongst the top 10 countries, with 5,516 unique spaces to explore, making this neighbouring country a great choice for nature lovers.
The best European country to be near green spaces
Slovenia is the best European country for those who want to be surrounded by green spaces and bodies of water. This country is among the most forested countries in Europe with an impressive 71.46% of forest coverage and 12.75% of water coverage.
Sweden also ranks highly for green spaces, with 63.16% of forest coverage and 8.40% of water coverage, equivalent to 70.06 square metres of green space per person in Stockholm. As a result, Sweden ranks sixth overall in Europe for nature lovers with a score of 5.85 out of a possible 10.
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
