Hiking is fun when you know which trail and
weather are suitable for you. If you are planning to go hiking around Europe
you will find a lot of options on the internet or from others as well. Here we
are providing you some of the best hikes in Europe with incredible hiking trails
in
Considering a wide variety of difficulty levels and including both multi-day hiking trips and quicker day hikes this list will help you surely.
There are many other amazing trails which I could not include here; but I have included the most popular, best and safe trails for hiking in Europe.
Best Hikes in Europe: Top Trails, Mountains
and Places
Check out the places to go for hiking in Europe.
1. Tour du Mont Blanc: One of the Best Hikes in the World
This hiking trail cover three-country: France,
Italy, Switzerland. Before living for hiking make sure you know the distance
accurately or approximately. You can read some guide on hiking trails
before planning to come here too.
The distance of Tour du Mont Blanc is 170 km.
this track passes all the way through France, Italy, and Switzerland. This
trail is also known as one of the best hikes in the world.
This hiking trail usually needs 11 days to complete, but nobody can accurately tell you the counting as it depends on your wish and speed. This trail is known as one of the best hiking tracks in Europe.
As it is a very long trail you need places to stay and here is the fun part; you do not need to carry extra sleeping gears as you will find good accommodations like- motels, dorms, resort, mountain cottages, etc.
While hiking you will be able to enjoy the
picturesque view all the way through. You will be passing through some famous
mountains and some small lush green villages which will soothe your eyes and
calm your mind.
2. Walker’s Haute Route (France, Switzerland): One of the Best Places to Hike in Europe
Walker Haute Route may
not be the best hikes in Europe for beginners because of the time and length. This
is a long trail which covers about 180 km distance through France and
Switzerland. You need at least fourteen days to fishing this trail.
This trail is also known as one of the most challenging trails for the hiker.
You will find old huts,
dorms, and motels at some certain points of the trail. Just bring some hammock
and camping tarps
with you during the hike to enjoy the best thing of the trail.
You will be passing France and Switzerland’s strong snow wind and some extreme uneven paths; with those, you will also be able to delight your eyes with an extremely soothing green view while hiking.
With some research, you will be able to choose easy routes which can make your hiking life easy and comfortable.
3. West Highland Way (Scotland, UK): Best Hikes in Scotland
This trail passes through Scotland and the United Kingdom which covers the 151km distance in total. To finish this hiking trail you need to around seven to eight days according to your pace and weather. Here you will find some manmade campsites, dorms and some small old huts for night stay.
If you are looking for a long but manageable hike at an intermediate level; this one might be just perfect. Being one of the best hikes in Scotland, it’s also relatively easier one.
This trail is considered as Scotland’s most popular long-distance hiking trail. Also if you want you can go for portion-wise hiking which will take only a day or two to finish.
You will cross some gorgeous landscapes and serene hills while hiking. You will also pass a fort which contains the military history of the 18th century.
One thing to keep in mind regarding this trail; this trail remains very wet and muddy in fall and winter, therefore it is recommended to choose the time between late March to Early November.
4. GR20 (Corsica, France): Great for Long Distance Hikers
GR20 is a very
popular terrain which covers about 180km distance. You will be visiting Corsica
and France while crossing the trail and you will need a total fourteen days to
cover the whole distance.
It is one of the best long-distance hikes in Europe with a lot of challenges and excitements for visitors. Its also know as the toughest trail in Europe.
You will find some refugee camps, man-made campsites, and some old cottages in your way. Also, remember this trail is not a very easy one for hiking; therefore, come prepared accordingly.
At first, you might feel that you will not be able to finish the trail as it may feel very hard to hike on and you might also feel like going back, but trust me the difficulty level decreases with distance.
Thus, you will definitely be able to finish the trail with peace. This trail is popular for its best mountain and pine forest views.
5. Lauterbrunnen Valley (Switzerland): Best for 1 Day Hikes
Looking for the best 1-day hikes in Europe? Lauterbrunnen
Valley can be a great fit. This is a small village located in a glacial valley
in Switzerland. This trail covers only 50 km of distance.
It looks so whimsical that you will feel like you are dreaming. You can easily choose this hike as a day hike or even hikes of three to four hours. This is one of the best day hikes in Europe for a small group of hikers.
There is a tram to ascend into the mountains
which take only an hour walk to reach; you will be able to enjoy some
jaw-dropping views of the surrounding Alps and some waterfalls the entire way.
6. Laugavegur (Iceland): Best Suited for 5 Day Hikes
This is a trail in Iceland consists of 54 km distance. You need around three to five days to finish the trail in peace. This trail is known as one of the easiest trails among hikers but only if you can choose the best time and weather. You will find camping spots and cottages for your comfortable night stay.
Or you can bring the cabin tent for your family to stay here for some times. It is actually a great place for relaxing with your kids.
Here you will be able to witness some active and inactive volcanoes, mountains with rainbows, deserts, canyons and many more. You will be able to enjoy a lot of views in one journey.
It is also known as the best spring hikes in Europe. It is recommended to choose late spring and the whole summer for hiking on this trail. Also, if you choose to fall for hiking then you will be able to see the famous light show of Northern Iceland.
7. Slovenian Mountain Trail (Slovenia): One of the Longest Distance Hikes
Slovenia is a beautiful country which has a sectioned mountain trail of 310 miles. The full hike takes about a month to complete but each section or portions can be taken for three to fours. You need a moderate level of physical fitness in order to complete the trail in time.
Being one of the best mountain hikes in Europe
and also among the longest ones, it needs perfect physical stamina and condition
for the heavy hikers.
For planning a trip to a place like this you
should have proper
hiking training. Also, you need to carry camping and sleeping gears for
this trail; you will find some camping points and some old huts at some point.
This hiking trail is also known as a paradise for hikers. Jezersko Seldom, Jezersko Slovenia are some great mountains of this trail. The scenarios are overwhelming ones and often hikers enjoy the views of these places.
You just need to take proper first aid medications and know skills for preventing some problems like chafing while hiking.
Kamnik-Savinja Alps, Julian Alps are also parts of this trail; you need to make some preparations beforehand to climb these Alps as they are very steep. Here you will get to see some amazing architectural wonders and some beautiful pine forests.
8. Camino De Santiago Trail (Spain): One of the Best Place to Hike in Spain
This trail covers about 800kms which be divided into eight equal portions for short hiking. You will be visiting Spain and France while hiking on this trail. This is one of the best hikes in Spain for the trekker who enjoys the route with symbols.
This long network
of routes in Europe culminating in northwestern Spain started off as pilgrimage
paths but has become an enormously popular hiking trail.
The endpoint is
popular for religious trekkers as you will find the Cathedral of Santiago de
Compostela in Galicia. The Camino Frances is a very famous route of this trail;
this place is marked with scallop shell symbols which have been an emblem of
the pilgrimage for centuries.
9. Pulpit Rock (Norway): Most Affordable Hikes in Europe
This trail is in Norway and is also known as one of the most affordable hikes in Europe.
The staggeringly majestic Pulpit Rock holds of the most iconic sites of the country and to finish the trail you need to complete a moderately difficult four-hour trek.
Being one of the small hikes, it doesn’t require much training or a group. You can plan it and go for a day hike easily.
If you want to avoid the crowd or another bunch of hikers then you can choose the early evening time.
10. Tour de Monte Rosa (Italy, Switzerland): Challenging and Yet Enjoyable
The distance of
this trail is 163 km and it passes through Italy and Switzerland. As this
trial’s difficulty level is pretty high. Therefore, if you have physical
fitness and confidence then you will be able to finish this hike within ten
days.
It is a long hiking trip and you will find old cottages with long gaps; hence you need to carry your own sleeping gears with you.
You will be able to enjoy some tremendous views from some popular mountains in Europe. It is recommended to choose a time after mid-July for hiking on this trail.
11. El Caminito Del Rey (Spain): Small Trail Best for Day hike
This is one of the small but popular hikes in Europe. Spain is the country you will be visiting while hiking on this trail.
El Caminito Del Rey is an easy trail and you can finish it in a day. If you do not have much time but still you want to go hiking; then this is the perfect one for you.
If you are looking for best day hikes in Europe,
then the El Caminito Del Rey can be a good fit for your choice.
In such a short time you will be to witness a lot of natural beauties as well as historical monuments. While hiking on the trail you will enter Andalucia, the region of Spain.
Andalucia is incorporated with ancient hills and mountains, old towns and churches, tiny villages and some leftovers of Eastern European empires.
12. Westweg (Germany): Most Popular Hikes in Germany
This trail covers
285km path in Germany. It is one of the most popular hikes in German. This
trail has so many different routes, you need to choose which one you want and
according to the route, the number of completion days will be counted.
Some routes are
shortcuts some are long routes, but most of them are easy to go and also you do
not need to worry about your shelter as you will find campsites, dorms, and
other safe places.
While enjoying the
natural beauties and small villages you will enter the Black forest in West
Germany which will guide you to Pforzheim and Basel, the towns of Germany.
Some Other Hikes in Europe
There are also some other popular trails which you might want to consider for hiking. For example, Eagles Walk, a hike of Austria.
This is a long 412km hike with the option of short hikes, as it is divided into 33 parts. Whether you want to go for a day trip or a long trip you can easily choose this trail without worrying.
Another one is the Retezat Mountains, a hike in Romania. Here you will be able to enjoy both short and long hikes with both higher and lower altitude. Europe is like a heaven on earth for hikers, choose whichever you like and prepare yourself for exploring and experiencing the ultimate hikes.
Hello there! I am Justine. I love traveling to different places, mountains, and rivers. Here are some of the tips about my all in one guide.
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