Hiking

Austria's Tyrol and Salzkammergut shelter over 50,000 km of waymarked trails, with the Adlerweg crossing the entire Tyrolean Alps from Säuling to St. Anton. Hut networks (Schutzhäuser) make multi-day traverses easy — book a week ahead in July and August.

Germany's 200,000 km of marked trails range from the Black Forest's Westweg (285 km top-to-bottom) to the Saxon Switzerland sandstone ridges. Premium-marked Qualitätswanderwege guarantee waymarking quality, while the Romantic Road also runs as a footpath through 460 km of medieval towns.

Switzerland maintains 65,000 km of trails, all uniformly yellow-signed and rigorously maintained. The Via Alpina crosses the country end-to-end via 14 alpine passes, while the Tour du Mont Blanc loops 170 km through three countries from Chamonix. SAC huts book up months ahead.

France's GR (Grande Randonnée) network spans 60,000 km, with the Tour du Mont Blanc, GR20 (Corsica's spine), and the GR65 Camino route through Le Puy among the most-walked. Provence's wine country and Brittany's coast offer gentler loops within an hour of any village.

Italy's Sentiero Italia stretches 6,000 km from the Alps to Sicily. The Dolomites' Alta Vie are eight numbered high routes between rifugi, while the Cinque Terre's coastal paths and Tuscany's Via Francigena draw walkers year-round. Spring and autumn beat the high-season heat.

Slovenia packs the Julian Alps, Triglav National Park, and the Soča Valley into a country the size of New Jersey. The Slovenian Mountain Trail (Slovenska planinska pot) crosses it tip-to-tip in 70 days; few attempt the whole thing — most pick a one-week alpine section.

Spain hosts every flavour of the Camino de Santiago, with the Camino Francés (790 km) the busiest and the Camino del Norte (825 km) the quietest. Picos de Europa, Sierra Nevada, and the Mallorcan Tramuntana offer Alpine-grade terrain a few hours from cheap flights.

Portugal's Rota Vicentina runs 750 km along the southwest coast — wild Atlantic cliffs, fishermen's paths, and oak forests. The Via Algarviana crosses the Algarve inland, while the Camino Português threads from Porto into Galicia. Best walking is October through May.

Croatia's Velebit massif holds the Premužić Trail (57 km of rocky ridge), while Plitvice and Krka offer boardwalk loops between waterfalls. Coastal islands like Mljet and Hvar have looped walking circuits short enough for a day. Shoulder seasons avoid both crowds and heat.

Norway's DNT trail and hut network covers 22,000 km, with the Jotunheimen and Lofoten ranges the most iconic. Most cabins are self-service and book through the DNT app. Right-to-roam laws permit wild camping anywhere outside cultivated land.

Sweden's Kungsleden (440 km in Lappland) and the gentler Skåneleden (~1,000 km in the south) sit at opposite ends of the country. Allemansrätten freedom-to-roam means tent stays one night anywhere — fika in a village inn the next.

Finland's national parks (Pallas-Yllästunturi, Oulanka, Repovesi) thread together fells, peat bogs, and aapa wetlands. The Karhunkierros (Bear's Trail) loops 82 km through Oulanka — book autio (free) huts ahead in summer.

Denmark's Kløverstier (clover paths) ring its towns with four colour-coded loops at four lengths — instant day walks from any train station. The Hærvejen (Ancient Road) follows 280 km of medieval oxen-drovers' tracks through Jutland.

Poland's Tatra Mountains hold a dense network of waymarked alpine trails between hostels and refuges around Zakopane. The Sudetes, Beskids, and Bieszczady offer quieter, gentler hill walks with Polish hospitality at every stop.

Bulgaria's Rila and Pirin ranges hold 200+ glacial lakes — the Seven Rila Lakes loop is the most photographed day walk in the Balkans. The E4 European path crosses the whole country from the Black Sea to Greece. Mountain huts are cheap and full of hospitality.

Estonia's RMK hiking trails cross bogs, forests, and the Baltic coast on boardwalks — the 375 km Oandu-Aegviidu-Ikla route runs the length of the country. Trail huts are free, equipped, and a Nordic civility lesson in themselves.

Lithuania's Curonian Spit and Žemaitija National Park offer flat coastal and lake-shore walking. The country is more for cyclists than long-distance hikers, but a four-day Žemaitija loop makes for an unhurried Baltic week.

Belgium's Ardennes deliver gentle forested walks along the Sentier du Nord and HLT (Haute Lesse Trail). Flemish polder routes follow medieval pilgrim paths between belfries. None of it's strenuous, but the village inns at every stop are the point.

The Netherlands maintains 7,000 km of LAW long-distance footpaths across dunes, polders, and forest. The Pieterpad (492 km, the country's spine route) is the classic. Distances between villages are short and ferries thread the river deltas.

Ireland's National Waymarked Ways thread 4,000 km across the island — the Wicklow Way, Kerry Way, and the recent International Appalachian Trail extension among them. Coastal weather is unpredictable; pack waterproofs and a sense of humour.