Europe’s Wild Kingdoms

Mont-St-Michel in France, Bran Castle in Romania, Alhambra in Spain and Duart Castle in Scotland are just some of the many famous cultural heritage sites in Europe that attract thousands of tourists each year from across the world to soak up their outstanding natural beauty and ancient history.

But beneath their grand splendour they hide many secrets and surprises. After centuries of war and peace, upheaval and settlement, these heritage sites and their surrounding natural habitats are today home to a breathtaking diversity of wildlife, such as the iconic red deer of Chambord, the harbour seals of Mont St Michel and the black storks of Bastei Bridge, as well as more elusive creatures like the Iberian ribbed newts of Alhambra and the cave-dwelling beavers in Pont du Gard. All these creatures have forged alliances with these heritage sites in their own, unique ways.

With exclusive access this two-part series delves deep into the most beautiful heritage sites on the European continent to reveal how they, and the wildlife living there, are inextricably linked.