NatureViews, Chambery

Departing from Chamonix, this famous rack and pinion railway brings you to the Montenvers site at 1913 m. An imposing panorama of the Mer de Glace glacier, the Drus and the Grands Jorasses. https://www.chamonix.com/montenvers-mer-de-glace,81,en.html

A walkway built on the right bank of the torrent laeds the visitor. He will see more closely, this tumultuous torrent that descends the slopes of the Aiguilles Rouges. In this place, you must evok the memory of the famous counterfeiter Joseph Samuel Farinet, who would have taken refuge in the nearby cave ... https://www.chamonix.com/cascade-de-berard,46-41388,en.html

Territorially located between France and Switzerland, this needle is characterized by the presence of Saleina glacier on its northeast side, a 6 km glacier , and the glacier du Milieu, on its southwest side, a large ice extent between two high ridges. https://www.chamonix.com/aiguille-d-argentiere,47-53678,en.html

The Mont Avic natural park was established in 1989 to preserve the resources ofthe high valley of Torrente Chalamy (Champdepraz); in 2003, a part of the great valley of Dondena was also included in the protected area, reaching up as far as the mountain ridges of the Val Soana and the Valle di Cogne. http://www.lovevda.it/en/nature/mont-avic-park

With its attractive, traditional alpine setting, the Diemtigtal Nature Park offers an array of experiences. http://www.interlaken.ch/en/region-resorts-cities-area/diemtigtal-nature-park.html

"When I get to the top, I feel like Napoleon Bonaparte. Yes, the man who said: “From the top of these pyramids, 40 centuries gaze upon you”. Except, for me, it’s not pyramids but a Tower, the Tour des Prisons. It’s not 40 centuries either, but 10, which isn’t bad either. Because the town of Neuchâtel, spread before my eyes, celebrated its 1000th birthday in 2011. http://www.neuchateltourisme.ch/en/decouvertes/town-heritage/prison-tower-neuchatel.4712.html

A premier holiday destination and conference venue of international renown. Situated in the heart of the Bernese Oberland, Interlaken is the ideal starting point for any number of excursions. The town is famous for its delightful location and the sites of natural beauty that surround it. http://www.interlaken.ch/en/holiday-in-interlaken-matten-unterseen.html

The Villages of Bönigen and Iseltwald are only a few minutes by car from Interlaken, nestling between two mountain ranges on the lower middle and end of Lake Brienz. Many oft he picturesque houses date backa s far as the 16th century. http://www.interlaken.ch/en/holiday-in-boenigen.html

Chasseral, observation deck of the Swiss Jura, has many faces. Vineyards, meadows and plateaus alternate with gorges and valleys. Its proud inhabitants are still leaders in the cutting-edge world-famous watch industry as well as cheese production. Reliable values, too. Here you can discover the true joy of life. Chasseral Nature Park is spread over a triangle between La Chaux-de-Fonds, Neuchâtel and Bienne. It was named after the 1606.2 metre highest peak of the Bernese Jura. The top of the mountain is easily accessible, even with public transport. https://www.parks.swiss/en/the_swiss_parks/parkportraits/chasseral_nature_park.php

Isolino Virginia is one of the oldest pile-dwelling settlements in the Alps and was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2011 as part of a serial property known as the “Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps”. The tiny islet is home to a LIPU (the Italian Society for the Protection of Birds) sanctuary that acts as a stopover for many species of migrating birds, and attracts many visitors as there is so much to see and do. As the area around Lake Varese has a long tradition of marvellous cuisine it also has many traditional restaurants and eateries serving local produce, and Isolino Virginia is no exception – a meal at the islet’s restaurant is a memorable experience. Tourists come to admire Lake Varese’s wonderful sights and culture and small boats ferry them to and from the islet from different points of the lake depending on the time of day. http://www.vareseturismo.it/en/blog/isolino-virginia

The city’s original site, the Castle Hill (Parc De La Colline Du Chateau) once boasted a reputedly impregnable citadel that was entirely dismantled by the soldiers of the French King Louis XIV in 1706. Truly a maze of greenery that has become popular for its cool undergrowth and surprising waterfall, this wonderful place for strolling offers a wonderful viewpoint over Baie des Anges, Old Nice and the Port (orientation table). Spectacular lighting at night. http://en.nicetourisme.com/nice/92-parc-de-la-colline-du-chateau

It offers many activities and exhibitions on Nature all year long, with - some twenty theme gardens display 2,500 plant species. A lake, where a hundred birds - ducks, pelicans, black swans - live together in peace and in which are reflected the white marble façades of the Asian Arts Museum designed by the Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. Also one of the largest greenhouses in Europe: the ‘Green Diamond’, that takes visitors through 6 different tropical climates to discover several thousand rare plant species, including tree ferns, an orchid collection... and many more plants. And you can see crocodiles, iguanas and exotic birds. A family of Varis lemurs are currently delighting visitors. http://en.nicetourisme.com/nice/1256-parc-phoenix%20-

Spread over an area of approximately 15,000 m2, the Exotic Garden is home to a thousand cacti and other succulent plants with stems or hypertrophic leaves which store water. Originally from the planet’s main semi-arid regions, these plants still produce plenty of flowers. The principal flowering seasons are winter (January–February) for South African succulents such as Aloe and Crassula, and spring and summer for cacti, a family native to the American continent. The enormous trees which line the paths of the Exotic Garden illustrate the age of the collection which served as the basis for the creation of the garden at the instigation of Prince Albert I. Opened to the public in February 1933, and supplemented in the 1960s by a botanical centre and specialist tree nursery, the garden is one of the Principalities most visited tourist attractions. At the base of the cliff on which the Exotic Garden is situated (called “the observatory” due to the long-standing presence of a small astronomical observatory), at an altitude of 100 metres, there is a subterranean chamber equipped to receive visitors. The limestone rock, carved out by water containing carbon dioxide, is studded with caverns adorned with geological formations bearing evocative names: stalactites, stalagmites, draperies, columns, soda straws... Expert guided tours of the cave are included in the entry ticket for the Exotic Garden. The tour travels from a depth of 98 metres to a depth of 40 metres (around 300 steps). The chamber plunges down almost to sea level and is regularly explored by local cavers. The presence of prehistoric humans in the region of the cave is confirmed by the bones of the animals that they ate. These remains also illustrate the climate variations that have taken place over the last 250,000 years. http://www.visitmonaco.com/en/Places-to-visit/Gardens/The-Exotic-Gardens-and-the-Observation-Cave

A short walk from the lively center of Lugano lies the Parco Ciani, a destination for many tourists who come there to admire what is considered one of the most beautiful Swiss parks. http://www.luganoturismo.ch/en/see-do/parks/detail/id/3303/parco-ciani

Culture and nature promenade across beauty, innovation and Como's treasures. A path through Villa Olmo, Villa del Grumello and Villa Sucota where art initiatives grow. A place to meet and "breathe" culture for citizens and tourists. http://www.visitcomo.eu/en/discover/parks_villas/parks/chilometro_conoscenza/index.html

The Parks of Nervi are an important historical/nature complex formed from the combination of several gardens that once belonged to private villas: Villa Gropallo, Villa Saluzzo Serra, and Villa Grimaldi Fassio. Today, these villas belong to the City of Genoa and have been transformed into museums. http://www.visitgenoa.it/en/parchi-di-nervi-gropallo-serra-grimaldi-and-luxoro-villas

Standing an impressive 2,858 feet above sea level, Uetliberg Mountain offers some of the best views of Zurich and the surrounding Alps. Once at the top, travelers will find multiple trails for hiking, biking and sledding. Paragliding at the mountain's peak is another popular pastime here. Though traveling to and from this local attraction will set you back about an hour, visitors rave about Uetliberg Mountain's stunning views and superb hiking paths. For an educational twist on your average hike, take the mountain's Path of the Planets, which is designed to mimic the sizes of and distances between the solar system's planets. The trail stretches between Uetliberg and Felsenegg mountains and takes about two hours to complete. https://travel.usnews.com/Zurich_Switzerland/Things_To_Do/Uetliberg_Mountain_64027/

Backing lower Lake Zurich is a tangle of parks and gardens, collectively known as the lake promenade, that make for a picturesque place to spend an afternoon. And in warm weather, the lake is peppered with boats, while the banks are filled with picnickers and sunbathers. If you're a jogger, the area is also one of Zurchers' favorite places to pound the ground. For some of the best views of Zurich and the nearby Alps, travelers suggest taking a boat ride on the lake. One-and-a-half-hour boat tours are available throughout the year and are free for Zurich Card holders. https://travel.usnews.com/Zurich_Switzerland/Things_To_Do/Lake_Zurich_Zurichsee_64026/

First maritime park in Europe, Port-Cros National Park covers 690 acres on land and almost the double on sea. Its missions are multifold, from devising protective measures to leading campaigns to raise awareness about the park’s natural habitat. http://www.hyeres-tourism.co.uk/land-nature-culture/nature/port-cros-national-park

"The three towers on the Schlossberg hill (591m) overlook the Alsace plain and date from 11th to 13th centuries. The middle tower, the Wahlenbourg, is the oldest. The Dagsbourg o the north and the Weckmund to the south were built in the 13th century. https://www.tourisme-alsace.com/en/253000542-The-Three-Castles-of-Eguisheim.html

What gives this garden its special charm is the sculpted vegetation: the hedges, the distinctively French lime trees, the immaculate lawns, the beautifully trimmed yews, which are enhanced by the less orderly arrangement of the flower-beds and ponds. The Prés Fichaux, inaugurated in 1930, still boasts typically Art Deco ornaments and statues which earned its addition to the supplementary inventory of historic monuments in 1990. http://www.ville-bourges.fr/_en/site/heritage_parks-gardens

Over the centuries, the river Orb and the Mediterranean have shaped the history of Sérignan. As a direct result, the town now covers four distinct areas with different activities that can be all reached by bike. http://uk.beziers-mediterranee.com/beziers-uk/principal-uk/discover/the-coastal-littoral/serignan

Wonderful hiking routes, beautiful view of the Rhine Valley – including in the evening, when the sea of lights sparkles far below. The Karren is a popular meeting point in the region. For one thing, beautiful hiking routes have their starting point here; for another, life is easy at the panoramic restaurant at 976 metres above sea level. Whether you want to go for something to eat or simply want to enjoy some high-altitude air, the cable car brings you high above the city rooftops in five minutes, giving you a wonderful view: the entire border triangle by day, the sea of lights by night. https://www.bregenz.travel/en/tourism/planning-a-trip/trip-destinations/karren-dornbirn-cable-car/

The centre of the new port is the new port building, designed by architects Nägele, Waibel, Spagolla, Ritsch and Steinmann. While visitors can stroll west through the well-known Bregenz lakeside area towards the Bregenz Festival and Conference House, to the north stretches the so-called “Blumenmolo”, at whose top on the side of the lake a lighthouse rises into the sky. At the same time, it marks the western orientation point of the port entrance. Towards the west, direct access to the lake was created through the creation of sunset seating steps. https://www.bregenz.travel/en/tourism/experience/lake-constance/port-of-bregenz/

The unique panoramic view of all of Lake Constance 240 alpine peaks of Austria, Germany and Switzerland make the Pfänder by Bregenz, Vorarlberg, one of the region’s most famous viewpoints. The Pfänder, the local mountain of the people of Bregenz, offers a variety of opportunities for both locals and guests to enjoy memorable outdoor experiences. One of the major advantages is that getting there is extremely convenient. The port as well as the port train station are only seven minutes away on foot. Once one has arrived at the valley station, 600 metres in height are overcome with the Pfänderbahn mountain railway in only six minutes. At the summit at 1,064 metres in altitude, with far-reaching views of the deep-blue Lake Constance, the towns and villages along its bank and of the Austrian and Swiss mountains, it is easy to take a deep breath. A trip to the Pfänder is simply always worth it. https://www.bregenz.travel/en/pfaender/

Just a few kilometres from the hubbub of tourists visiting Pisa and its splendid piazza dei Miracoli, there’s an island of nature that sits silently and far away from the changes of urbanization. We’re talking about the Migliarino, San Rossore and Massaciuccoli Nature Park, a protected site that includes wet areas, marshes, sand dunes and the large Lake Massaciuccoli, once an ancient salt water lagoon. The San Rossore Estate is the most important environment in the park: hugged by the Serchio to the north and the Arno to the south, the area conceals dense pine groves and woodlands of deciduous trees from the old-growth forest. The estate’s accessible itineraries zigzags through dunes and tombolos, marshes and woods that hide a wealth of fauna and flora. https://www.visittuscany.com/en/itineraries/excursion-in-the-migliarino-san-rossore-and-massaciuccoli-nature-park/

The Scandola Natural Reserve (created 1975) is a World Heritage Site to the south-west of Calvi, on the Cape Girolata peninsula (hal way down the west coast of Corsica). http://www.corsicatravelguide.com/scenerycorsica/scandola.php

If you would like enjoy a journey to the Orient, treat yourself to a Zen promenade in the Japanese Garden, which is labelled a Remarkable Garden. Situated in the heart of Compans-Caffarelli Park, this garden’s exotic feel is a surprise. A veritable invitation to meditate and relax, it is a synthesis of the gardens you can find in Kyoto, Japan, constructed between the XIV and XVI Centuries. It is made up of all the characteristic elements: a showcase of the worlds of minerals and plants and the aquatic world complete with traditional decorative features. You can discover a rock garden with islands devoted to the crane and the turtle, nine rocks, a lake, a tea pavilion and a landscaped garden featuring a dry waterfall, Japanese stepping stones, a lantern, a red bridge, an Island of Paradise, a Mount Fuji and the headstones of three saints. http://www.toulouse-visit.com/offre/fiche/patrimoine-culturel/jardin-japonais/PCUMID031FS0007F

The botanical gardens contain over 20 special species of trees from a variety of continents, conservatories containing cacti and numerous greenhouses with tropical plants. https://www.karlsruhe-tourismus.de/en/Media/Attraktionen/Botanical-Gardens

Follow the coastal road south-west of Porto towards Piana to discover an almost surreal world of weather-carved pink granite, an other-worldly vista of strangely shaped red figures, often plunging dramatically into the turquoise sea below. http://www.corsicatravelguide.com/scenerycorsica/calanches-de-piana.php

The Vauban Circular Walk, named after the French fortress builder Sébastien le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707), leads the visitor through one part of the fortifications of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Guided visits for groups up to 25 people on request. Circular walk also accessible without guide. https://www.visitluxembourg.com/en/place/misc/circular-walk-vauban-luxembourg

The Municipal Park, an English park laid out by landscape engineer Edouard André on the old fortified grounds at the front of the plain, is a real island of green in the heart of the city. Green spaces such as the Kinnékswiss in the city centre are the ideal place to recharge your batteries. http://www.visitluxembourg.com/en/place/parkgarden/edouard-andre-municipal-park

Laid out between the Loire and the Cher, the botanical garden is the perfect place for a good walk. To the south, the arboretum contains hundreds of tree varieties in a scientifically fascinating garden. At the botanical garden of Tours, more than 150 genera and species of trees and shrubs are presented between the main entrance and the play areas to the south. Some trees are remarkable for their size, foliage or age. Let us first mention, at the entrance to the garden opposite the Hospital, on the left, an exceptional copy of Ginkgo biloba, "the tree with 40 ecus". Present from Doctor Bretonneau, a great lover of botany, it was planted in 1845. It is a male foot on which a female branch was grafted at the beginning of the XXth century. The animals were introduced into the botanical garden in 1856 to attract the public to this new public space. At the time, it was an acclimatization garden with animals such as monkeys or lions from circuses or the zoo. The best known of them remains Bobby the seal, which delighted the public until 1996. At present, the animal collection of the Botanical Garden to which the locals are still attached, is traditionally oriented towards exotic species: wallabies share their enclosure with emus. In the center of the garden, an aviary shelters parrots and parakeets. http://www.touraineloirevalley.co.uk/lodging-dining-goint-out/gardens-and-parks/botanic-garden-tours