Hiking trails in Europe – long-distance routes and unusual destinations
8 minute read
When travel within Europe is at last possible and safe, there is no better way to explore than to experience the freedom and joy of long-distance walking. Trails such as the Tour of Mont Blanc are spectacular and justifiably popular, however Europe has other wonderful hiking trails and GR routes, many listed here are considerably less crowded, yet no less rewarding. While accommodation provides good, clean and safe facilities, camping and backpacking will keep you well away from any crowds. Time is precious – if you have only ever walked in the UK, seize any opportunity that you have to explore further. It's different, rewarding and you'll have no regrets.
Time is precious – if you have only ever walked in the UK, seize any opportunity that you have to explore further. It's different, rewarding and you'll have no regrets.
New titles for European trekking
All European trekking information
This can be the beginning of your research for international trekking routes, guidebooks and inspiring articles.
Hiking routes in Norway, Sweden and Iceland
Feature · 27 Dec 2020
Camping and kayaking in Norway: a packrafting adventure
Combining camping, walking and kayaking, Alex Kendall set out on a packrafting expedition to explore the peninsulas and fjords of Senja island in Norway.
Live · 2 Feb 2021
Ute Koninx and Mike Laing on hiking in Norway and Sweden
In our February Cicerone Live event, join Cicerone and authors Ute Koninx and Mike Laing to discover the delights of hiking in Scandinavia.
Article · 20 Jan 2019
Trekking the Nordkalottleden: more reindeer than trekkers
Scandinavia is the ideal place for immersing yourself in a natural and vast wilderness, a place where you can walk for days without coming across a town or a street. And it's up...
Article · 15 Jan 2020
Trekking Padjelantaleden: Swedish Lapland with children
What do you do when your 7-year-old son (Felix) wants to accompany you on a hiking trip in Sweden because he wants to see reindeer? When you're Eberhard Leutz you choose the...
Hiking routes in France
| Title | Long or shorter trek | Difficulty | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short treks on Corsica | short | Easy to moderate | Moderate |
| GR20 Corsica | long | Difficult | Very popular |
| GR5: Benelux and Lorraine | long | Easy to moderate | Quiet |
| GR5: Vosges and Jura | long | easy to moderate | Quiet |
| GR5: Lac Léman to Nice | long | moderate to difficult | Moderate to popular |
| Robert Louis Stevenson Trail | short | Easy | Moderate |
| Tour of the Oisans GR54 | long | difficult | Moderate |
| Tour of the Queyras | long | moderate to difficult | Quiet to moderate |
Feature · 5 Jun 2017
GR5 Vosges and Jura – walking the borderlands of France
When the time came to update their Cicerone guide, Les and Elizabeth Smith were happy to have an excuse to revisit the Vosges and Jura. This section of the GR5 winds down through...
Article · 16 Sep 2018
The Robert Louis Stevenson Trail: The GR70 across the French Cevennes
Clive Darley treks the Robert Louis Stevenson Trail across the French Cevennes in a variety of bad weather, grim weather and horrendous weather. Nevertheless he finds plenty to...
Article · 19 Jul 2016
Top tips for doing the GR20
Paddy Dillon is a man full of wise words and advice and here he gives us his top tips for doing the GR20 - probably the toughest trek in the world.
Alpine trails you may not have considered
Below are some Alpine trails that trekkers from the UK may not have considered. While some are popular within their own country, they have not yet gained the massive international appeal of trails such as the Tour of Mont Blanc and the Walker's Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt.
Feature · 20 Jan 2015
Trekking the Alpine Pass Route across Switzerland
Starting in Sargans and finishing in Montreux on the shore of Lake Geneva, the Alpine Pass Route (APR) makes a complete east-west traverse of Switzerland, taking in some of the...
Feature · 16 Jun 2018
The Karnischer Höhenweg – a walk through history
John Hayes heard about the Karnischer Höhenweg by chance when sitting out a storm in an Austrian Alpine hut with four young men from Vienna. He took their advice to trek the...
More popular Alpine routes include:
Feature · 12 Jun 2016
Trekking the GR5 from the North Sea to the Mediterranean - Highlights
The GR5 (Grande Randonnée 5) is a trail – a marked route in some places – that begins in Hoek van Holland and runs for about 2300km through the Netherlands, Belgium,...
Article · 12 Dec 2011
Tour of Mont Blanc - Clockwise or Anti-Clockwise?
Although the Tour of Mont Blanc route is well established as an anti-clockwise circuit, there are arguments in favour of walking the TMB in a clockwise direction.
Non alpine trails in Europe
These long-distance routes may not be alpine, but many are still challenging, either in length, or in hilly and mountainous terrain, including the Pyrenees.
Ireland, Benelux, Pyrenees, Spain and Portugal
Feature · 13 Oct 2019
Camiño dos Faros: discover the Way of the Lighthouses
John Hayes presents northwest Spain's Camiño dos Faros and explains why writing the Cicerone guide was such a special experience.
Feature · 13 Jul 2015
Trekking Spain’s Sendero Histórico, the GR1
Cicerone‘s Publisher, Jonathan Williams, reports from a recent trek – 10 days across Aragon on part of the 1250km of Spain’s Sendero Histórico, the GR1, which charts a...
Feature · 29 Sep 2018
Discover the highlights of Benelux and Lorraine on the GR5 Trail
The GR5 is a long trek, running all the way from the Hoek van Holland to Nice in France, crossing the French alps along the way. The northern part of the GR5 trail, through...
Germany, Italy and eastern Europe
Feature · 6 Nov 2017
Exploring the Peaks of the Balkans Trail
Rudolf Abraham, author of Cicerone’s new guidebook to the Peaks of the Balkans Trail, describes his experiences while he was researching and walking for the guidebook to this mountainous trek around Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania.
Article · 16 Oct 2015
Bulgaria – A relatively unexplored corner of Europe
What's on the checklist for your next trip? Unspoiled mountains; good paths and guidebook; day walks and multi-day treks? Bulgaria offers all this and more.
Southern and Mediterranean regions
Article · 8 Dec 2015
Corfu: So much more than resorts
There is so much more to the island than the resorts. Corfu is the greenest of all the Greek islands and, with mile upon mile of paths and lanes, makes a superb destination for walking - Gillian Price, author of the new guidebook to Walking in...
Feature · 18 Mar 2018
Trekking in Greece - how things have changed
Tim Salmon recounts his first visit to Greece and how although the world has moved on in the six decades since, the landscape remains as wonderful as ever.
Pilgrimage and Camino trails
Article · 27 May 2020
Latest camino-related Covid 19 response status and advice
Check here daily for the latest on Camino-related COVID-19 response openings for Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland and Britain. Covering Camino Francés, Camino del...
Feature · 19 May 2018
Camino Portugués – Should You Walk the Central or Coastal Camino from Porto?
Offering stunning views and an abundance of historical sites, it can be hard to choose between the Central and Coastal Camino. Fortunately, link routes mean you can combine the...
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