25 of most enticing walking holidays in Europe for this year

[Celerity]

Wondering where to lace up your boots this year? Our expert picks the best trails, from Amalfi coast hikes to Greek island hopping and Norwegian fjord explorations

https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/best-walking-tours-in-europe-0q9lp5tvh

https://archive.li/MtNn0


The town of Assisi in Umbria, Italy
Getty images

Remember that song by Nancy Sinatra, These Boots Are Made for Walkin’? Well, Nancy, I’ve got news. It’s not just the footwear. Our bodies are made for walking too — and there are few holiday pursuits more natural and rewarding than a proper old-fashioned hike. You stretch your legs a little, conversation is uncorked and the need to reach your goal before nightfall supplies all the purpose you need. Suddenly, you notice your surroundings too — and that’s what makes this collection of European walking holidays especially mouth-watering, because they explore some of the continent’s most dramatic and fascinating landscapes. The scenic splendour comes courtesy of destinations such as Madeira, Mont Blanc and Albania’s Accursed Mountains. In the Dolomites you get a side order of serious gastronomy too. And in Umbria, Galicia and the hilltop Cathar towns of France there are deep layers of history to sift through along the way. Our continent has plenty more going for it. World-class networks of mapped and waymarked trails are perhaps our most obvious advantage, closely followed by a plentiful supply of comfortable hotels and mountain refuges.

But what’s less appreciated is Europe’s geographical range. It means that, whatever the season, you can undertake a serious hike. In mid-winter Spain’s Canary Islands beckon. In spring Italy’s Amalfi coast and Greece’s Cycladic islands are at their best. Come summer Europe has some of the finest and most accessible mountain ranges to tramp through. In other words, the options are almost limitless. And here’s another layer of choice to go on top. Should you book on a guided or a self-guided tour? Both can be brilliant. Guided groups are the no-stress, social option — but they come with one big caveat. Ask the operator what their average group is like before you commit. In my experience, conversation flows most easily among people of more or less the same age — and when it’s good, the chat becomes the absolute highlight of the trip. But even so, discovering a landscape by yourself can be more deeply satisfying as I discovered once, exploring Gascony with the help of a self-guided itinerary from Inntravel. I was alone, but never bored and never lonely. It was just me and my boots, walking.

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Saxony, Germany/North Bohemia, Czech Republic


Headwater’s seven-night itinerary takes you to Elbe’s Sandstone mountains

No, it doesn’t look much like the Alps. But the crazy pillars and canyons of Saxon Switzerland make this national park near the Czech Republic amazing all the same. Mind you, you’ll need to be sure-footed to enjoy this circular self-guided Walking in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains itinerary with Headwater. En route, over a week of rollercoaster, 6 to 11-mile walks, you’ll be climbing ladders, teetering on cliff-edge paths and sashaying through deep, rocky clefts, with enchanted forests, brooding castles and the thunderous Lichtenhain waterfall among the many highlights. Accommodation is in three smart, four-star hotels — two of which have pools.

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Graubunden, Switzerland


Explore Graubunden with a botanist on this tour
Shutterstock

There’s more to the Alps than mountain scenery, as you’ll discover on this week-long tour of the upper Engadin valley, where mountain flowers and ecology get a share of the limelight. Based in the smart, contemporary Hotel Palü in Pontresina, on this Naturetrek trip you’ll sally forth with the botanist and photographer David Tattersfield on daily walks that use cable cars, local buses and the Bernina railway to explore high peaks, alpine meadows, natural rock gardens and fields of scree. All are home to extraordinarily robust and brilliantly coloured plants, and you may also spot ibex, chamois and golden eagles.

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The Cyclades, Greece


Syros is full of pretty coastal hiking paths
Getty images

The ever-changing play of sunlight across the Aegean is sure to add extra sparkle to this guided Greek Island Wanderer itinerary. On Paros, you’ll walk a Byzantine road, paved with marble, that’s thought to be 1,000 years old. On Syros, coastal routes are the norm, while a dramatic path beckons in Santorini, along the island’s crater. On each of your four island stops you’ll stay in small and friendly hotels, with plenty of free time for day trips to neighbouring islands or optional hikes with your guide.

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more destinations' pics

Bâlea Lake is a stunning 11-meter deep glacial lake in Romania's Făgăras Mountains


Făgăraș Citadel

[biophile]

1. These are so lovely! I just wish Americans felt safe traveling through US airports and US Customs

Also wish we had more discretionary spending power since our funds are being increasingly used for gas and food due to inflation from unnecessary wars!

[True Dough]

2. Wonderful imagery!

How many of these locations have you visited, Celerity? And which is your favorite?

[Celerity]

3. I've been to most of the nations, & in terms of exact places, I have been to Corsica, La Gomera (day trip from Tenerife)

Mallorca, the Algarve, the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia, Campania (Napoli, the Amalfi Coast), Haute-Savoie in France (Mont Blanc/Chamonix area for skiing, plus Thonon-les-Bains on Lake Geneva in the north), the Cyclades in Greece (been to many islands there), Galicia in Spain (Rías Baixas is a lovely wine region, hidden gem), Lapland here in Sweden, and Sardinia.

Of those, my favourite is the Cyclades in the Aegean, especially when we sail there. Islands there I reccomend include Santorini (of course), Mykonos (or couse), Ios, Folegandros, Naxos, Andros, Syros, Antiparos/Paros, and Milos🖤.

I LOVE the Aegean Sea, it is one of my top places to go to on the planet.

Santorini

Milos

Folegandros

[True Dough]

4. Gorgeous!

My wife and I have only been to Europe twice. We made it to the Amalfi Coast, but the list of stops has only grown after reviewing your post here.

[Celerity]

5. You having been twice to Europe is two more times that SO many Americans, lol. I hope you have a wonderful time

when you come and visit here again.

If you want to get off the beaten path, I cannot reccomend Eastern Europe enough. So much beauty, history, and the affordabilty levels are streets ahead of the Western EU.

In no order (and some I have left off):

bold are the ones I rec the most

Czech Republic
Poland
Croatia
Slovakia
Hungary
Romania
Moldova
Slovenia
Bulgaria
Montenegro
Albania


If Orbán goes down, Budapest (and Hungary in general) should rocket to top of the travel charts.

Széchenyi Spa

St. Stephen's Basilica

[True Dough]

7. One thing we repeatedly remarked on

was the amazing architecture in every place we went. When you return to the U.S., so many buildings look humdrum.

[Emile]

6. Spaceship Earth is beautiful.