Baltic parks top the charts as European dark skies destinations

The three former Soviet states of the Baltics boast some of the darkest night skies in Europe, especially at their national parks, according to a new study.

Latvia came in first place for Europe’s darkest average night sky. Lithuania ranked third, while Estonia took the sixth spot in new research that sought to locate the 15 “most impressive night skies” in Europe.

The Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden, and Finland joined the Baltic states in rounding out the top six European dark sky destinations, coming in second, fourth, and fifth place, respectively.

The study was conducted by the tour operator Cruise Croatia. The company says it relied on a light pollution map utilizing data from NASA, the American space administration. The average light pollution per square kilometer of a nation’s territory was measured using NASA’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, or VIIRS data.

Europe is known to suffer from some of the worst light pollution in the world. Surveys show that Europeans believe that the problem is getting worse. But this new study shows some areas of the continent still enjoy pristine clear views of the stars and Milky Way at nighttime.

Gauja National Park is among the four national parks found in Latvia. Estonia is home to six national parks, including Lahemaa National Park, the country’s largest. Five national parks are located in Lithuania, including Lithuania’s largest protected area, Dzukija National Park. All of these and more scenic Baltic destinations are great places to stargaze, according to Cruise Croatia’s study.

“The Gaiziņkalns mountain range found in Vidzeme sits at 312m above sea level, the highest point in Latvia, making it ideal for gazing at the night sky in a serene and natural setting,” the company said. “For a more educational experience, visit the Molėtai Astronomical Observatory [in Lithuania] and see the biggest scientific telescope in Northern Europe where you can ponder the stars and planets above.”

Parks and protected areas everywhere are increasingly marketing themselves to visitors for their nighttime and dark sky attractions, in addition to daytime recreation opportunities.

Exmoor National Park in the United Kingdom recently hosted the weeks-long Exmoor Dark Skies Festival. Katrina Munro, a spokesperson with Exmoor National Park, told Public Parks that the event is gaining in popularity every year. She said the festival was first held in 2017.

“Interest in our dark skies has been growing year on year,” Munro said. “Our festival events are enjoyed by several thousands of people. We also now have events throughout the year.”

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