The 13 best hiking spots in Europe

Are you looking for a dream destination to take your eyes full? Here are the 13 best hiking spots in Europe!

Is Europe the paradise of hikers? With its particularly diverse landscapes that contain unique natural and heritage treasures, we must admit that it has more than one asset for walkers. Whether you want to lose yourself in the tumultuous horizon of the Atlantic Ocean, climb high snowy peaks, discover bucolic forests or walk under the sun of the Mediterranean... The Old Continent is ready to offer you great moments of escape!

To help you see more clearly among the best hiking spots in Europe, here is a selection that takes you from North to South and East to West.

1. The Ring of KerryIreland

Located in the south-west of the country, the Ring of Kerry draws a loop of nearly 200 kilometers, crossing varied landscapes among the most beautiful in Ireland. Along the trail you will discover Killarney National Park and its sumptuous lakes... If you're going through its multi-centered oak forests, maybe you'll have the chance to meet one of the many deer in the region.

Let the magic work by plunging you into this particular atmosphere, unique to Ireland, tinted with magic and mysteries. Your gaze is sometimes on the wild coast, sprinkled with dark islands, sometimes on one of the multicolored cities that are on your way. An ideal hike to reconnect with yourself.

2. The Cinque Terre, Italy

Start in a trek to discover the Cinque Terre. The Cinque Terre are five UNESCO World Heritage villages that occupy part of the coast of the Italian Riviera. Here, the landscape is typically Mediterranean: the sun darts its rays on the pine forests swept with sprinkles and vineyard fields.

Take the trails of the Cinque Terre to reach Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. These five small fishing villages of all colors are perched like eagle nests on the coast, offering visitors a unique landscape in the world.

3. Plitvice LakesCroatia

Nestled in the Lika mountainous region, the Plitvice Lake National Park is home to no less than sixteen lakes, which stand out by the intensity of their turquoise water, but also by their quite surprising configuration. Indeed, each lake is pouring into the other through a waterfall. In all, it is almost a hundred cascades that bathe the park... All surrounded by a primitive forest inhabited by particularly rich biodiversity.

On the other hand, the magic that undeniably emerges from this place out of time, the tower of the Plitvice lakes is among the best hiking spots in Europe.

4. Ascension of the Mont OlympeGreece

Gravir le Mont Olympe, it is not only to discover one of the best hiking spots in Europe, but it is especially to touch the border that separates the reality of the Myth. For if Mount Olympe is the highest summit in Greece, it is above all the remains of the gods of the Greek pantheon.

The hike is accessible to all and you can go back in two days. Arriving at the top, it is a simply grandiose panorama that awaits you, especially if you are sensitive to the mythological breath that dyes the place.

5. The crossing of the Rodna Mountains, Romania

Visit the Romanian Eastern Carpathians, in the heart of the Rodna Mountain National Park (or Rodnei). It is a particularly wild landscape that awaits you, mixing green and blue mountains, traditional pastures, alpine lakes and deep caves. The highest peak of the Rodna Mountains, the Pietrosul Rodnei, peaks at 2,303 metres above sea level, offering to those who venture there a breathtaking view of the Carpathian Mountains.

In short, the crossing of the Rodna Mountains is a hike of choice for those who love to enjoy large preserved spaces, away from the tourist hustle.

6. Kjeragbolten, Norway

Without knowing it, you may already know the Kjeragbolten. This rock stuck between two massive and dizzy blocks of Kjerag, dominant a fjord, lives the collective imagination. It is a trek or hiking goal for many walkers, who climb the tops to see it.

But the important thing is the way, not the destination, is it not? No worries to have, the paths leading to the Kjeragbolten honour the reputation of Norway in the hand. In fact, you cross landscapes with striking purity, which are worth the detour alone.

7. The Haute Route Chamonix – Zermatt, Switzerland

The Haute Route Chamonix – Zermatt connects the two world capitals of mountaineering, Mont Blanc and Cervin. This trail, which runs from typical Swiss landscapes, leads you to the highest altitudes of all Europe! It’s almost a week’s walk and big challenges waiting for you along the Haute Route, so get ready!

Foul the surface of the most imposing glaciers in the Alps and marvel at the sculptural beauty of the high peaks: the white tooth, the large Combin, the Arolla comb, and much more.

8. The Trail of the Seven Suspended Valleys, Portugal

Let's leave the glaciers and snowy summits to taste the sun! The trail of the Seven Suspended Valleys runs along the coast of the Algarve region, south of Portugal. Here you walk along ochre cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, offering breathtaking views. Observe the waves crash on the huge rocky arches that sprinkle the coast and, further on, let yourself be touched by the charm of a multi-coloured coastal village.

The pearl of the trail is also one of the treasures of Portugal: the marine cave of Benagil. This gigantic rocky dome, pierced by a well of light, is on horseback between land and sea.

9. The West Highland Way, Scotland

Do you want to immerse yourself in the Scottish atmosphere? Start in the West Highland Way trek, the most famous trail Scotland . About a week of hiking, you connect Fort William and Milngavie – not far from Glasgow, crossing some of the country's most beautiful landscapes.

Between mountains, valleys, castles and lochs, the West Highland Way offers you great surprises. Take the time to make some detours from time to time history to take full advantage of the treasures that lie along the path!

10. The Stubai altitude path, Austria

Alps lovers, you may not have tasted one of the most beautiful trails in the mountain range yet! The Stubai Mountain Path leads you to the tops, allowing you to travel for eight days the Stubai Valley.

If you are looking for one of the best hiking spots in Europe to empty your mind and communicate with nature, then don’t hesitate! Let yourself be carried by the beauty of forests and the murmur of streams and waterfalls you will find on your path. The purity of the landscapes of the trail is simply overwhelming.

11. Le Chemin des Phares, Spain

Want to discover Spain differently? The walkers usually know Galicia, the last stage of the path Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle . This Celtic territory is known to be particularly green, and its tormented ocean coasts sometimes remind Breton landscapes.

Le Chemin des Phares joins Mapica in Finisterre (the most Western point in all Europe) by connecting each of the most remarkable lighthouses and views of the Costa da Morte. It has eight stages that offer a moderate but well-present difficulty. Indeed, the coast does not owe its name randomly ( costa da morte meaning "Côte de la Mort" in Galician): its rugged terrain has seen more than one sinking. In any case, the Phare Path is imbued with a mystical atmosphere specific to the region, which is worth a visit.

12. The Bear Circuit, Finland

The Bear Circuit, or Karhunkierros , which is one of the best hiking spots in Europe, will not fail to captivate you. This very nice trail will make you discover, during a week more or less, the sumptuous Finnish nature, close to the Russian border.

During your hike, admire breathtaking views of the top of the granite hills of the Olanka National Park, or let yourself be charmed by intimate landscapes, bathed with streams and waterfalls. Although the path has some difficulties, many cottages are jealous of it, offering a welcome comfort to hikers.

13. The GR20 in Corsica, France

It’s hard to choose from the many wonderful hiking trails that cross the Hexagon... But we must admit that the Island of Beauty is well known. Its dream landscapes, which sometimes seem straight from another planet, offer an incredible playground for walk and nature lovers.

GR20 is renowned for being one of the most beautiful, but also one of the most difficult, hiking trails in Europe. The game, however, is worth the candle, as it will lead you to the heart of simply stunning landscapes!