REWILDING RETREATS: EUROPE’S EMERGING NATURE EXPERIENCES

ENGLAND

Having spent years trying to make his family farm in Sussex viable, Charles Burrell and Isabella Tree gave up altogether and began rewilding the land. Almost 20 years later, Knepp Wildland is a haven for once-rare species such as the turtle dove and peregrine falcon, and only 12 miles from Gatwick Airport. It’s also a tourist attraction, offering safaris and glamping. knepp.co.uk

GERMANY

Fanning out along the border of Poland and Germany, the Oder Delta is an increasingly wild region that contains both marine and freshwater ecosystems. A shift away from intensive agriculture in recent years has seen an influx of migratory waterbirds, as well as white-tailed eagles. The European

Safari Company offers canoe and boat trips. europeansafaricompany.com

BULGARIA

The Rodopi Mountains, most of which lie in Bulgaria, have long been popular with hikers, thanks to an unspoilt landscape and a stunning array of bears, wolves, golden jackal and otters. The region is also a flagship project for Rewilding Europe, which is working to boost numbers of the once-threatened griffon vulture. rewildingeurope.com

ROMANIA

The European Nature Trust (TENT) began its work in Romania’s Carpathian Mountains. Only two-anda-half hours east of Bucharest, wolves, bears and lynx roam Europe’s most unfragmented forest, where bison have been reintroduced. A TENT trip includes a helicopter flight and time with the charity’s local partner, Foundation Conservation Carpathia. theeuropeannaturetrust.com