The 10 most beautiful GRs in France to walk this summer

In a country with so many beautiful trails and passionate hikers, the most beautiful GRs in France cross a variety of impressive routes: it will take more than a summer to discover them!

France is in fact gridded with countless hiking trails. Among them, the GRs, or the Grand Hiking trails, are tracks that accumulate many kilometres well marked, approved by the French Randonnée Federation. Lacez bien vos shoes pour cette summer, the most beautiful GRs in France await you all over the country for the holidays.

1. The Tower of Brittany by the Trail of the Customs: the GR34

Among the most beautiful GRs in France, the GR34 regularly appears as the favorite of the French... It must be said that the itinerary is really alluring: a complete tour of the Brittany , mainly by its literal paths, hence its nickname of the Douaniers Trail.

The complete route of GR34 totals 2000 km from Mont-Saint-Michel Saint-Nazaire. Choose from a variety of sections fighting the title of the most beautiful section of the GR: the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, Saint-Malo and the coast of Emerald, the coast of Granit Rose, the peaks of Finistère , peninsula of Quiberon and the Gulf of Morbihan... it will probably have to be repeated several times!

In summer, the conditions are ideal for hiking Brittany , with seldom excessive heats, and the iodine air of the Atlantic Ocean to recover health. It'll just be necessary to foresee, in case a garment of rain!

2. On the Way of Stevenson in the Cevennes: the GR70

Perfect for a quiet hike even in the boom of summer holidays, Stevenson’s Way takes you through uncommon areas in the summer, but with great natural beauty: from the south of the Massif Central to the heart of the Cevennes , this beautiful GR of France accumulates 270km between Puy-en-Velay (Haute-Loire) and Alès (Gard).

The GR70 follows the footsteps of Scottish writer Robert Louis Stevenson (Dr Jekyll and M. Hyde, L’Île au Trésor...), who travelled with a donkey this same route in 1878: why he is now called the Stevenson Trail.

Why don't you take a donkey for your trip? It is possible to rent a companion with large ears in various points of GR70. A hat to protect yourself from the sun, a good water supply, a donkey and it’s gone!

3. Corsica by the ridges: the mythical GR20

The most mythical of the most beautiful GRs in France, the GR20 crosses the Corse from north to south, through the mountains. In order to achieve the completeness of the course, a real sporting challenge is to start in the village of Calenza and finish in Conza: in the meantime, a succession of breathtaking landscapes, but also a lot of denial and difficult, even very technical passages, intended only for seasoned hikers. Count 15 days of trek.

This is why we carefully choose its sections for the summer: it is also possible to go on the GR20 day and to do several stages, without embarking on an adventure beyond its level. See breathtaking natural sites such as the circus of Solitude, altitude lakes (Lac de Nino, Lac de Melo and Capitello), summits such as Monte D’Oro or Monte Incudine, spectacular formations such as the Aiguilles de Bavella, etc...

Only flat of the GR20 in the summer: frequentation, with hikers everywhere!

4. From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean by the Pyrenees: the GR10

Another of the most beautiful GRs in France with a dizzying track, the GR10 tags signal a route of about 900 km, linking Hendaye on the Atlantic coast, in Banyuls-sur-Mer, on the Mediterranean. Between these two points, it is the whole chain of the Pyrenees that we cross, in the length.

In order to achieve the entire GR10 this summer, you may need to place all your holidays (count 50 days of walking), unless, once again, you will need to focus on some emblematic sites: the Holzarte Bridge, the circus of Gavarnie , the Neouvielle , Cauterets , the refuge of the Soula, Lake Oo, the valley of Lutour... impossible to draw up a complete list!

Mountain hikes, the GR10 reserves the landscapes of exceptional beauty: the difficulty varies according to the stages, but in general, go at least with good shoes.

5. The cliffs of the Alabaster Coast: the GR21

The finest GR in France does not always rhyme with great difficulty and insurmountable denivelés... GR21, which runs along the Norman coast, is accessible at all levels of walkers in its entirety. The 194 km of course are even possible on 10 days of walking, or a good holiday of hikers.

The trail starts at Havre , to follow the impressive cliffs of the Albany coast: as such, the section Etretat -Fécamp is memorable! The limestone cliffs remain a theme throughout the Pays de Caux, but the GR21 does not forget to leave the coast for portions through fields, pastures and forests.

The summer weather is ideal for getting on the GR21, but be careful to book your accommodation: there is a world in the resorts and in the villages.

6. The Alps in summer with the Tour du Queyras: the GR58

Many will tell you: Summer is the best season to discover Alps . Many of the most beautiful GRs in France take as a frame this beautiful mountain range, so the time of holidays, we often focus on a particular massif. Here we go for the Tour du Queyras , one of the most popular hikes in the Alps.

The GR58, in the Hautes-Alpes, takes place in a medium mountain world surrounded by several high peaks. The difficulty is not that of more technical alpine paths, and the landscape parade is simply magnificent. The unspoiled natural spaces encounter human activities with harmony, crossing wild areas like small mountain villages.

With a length of 130 km that has nothing excessive, it is possible to make the Tour du Queyras on the holiday, in 7-8 days walking.

7. On the Way of Santiago de Compostela: the GR65

One of the most beautiful GRs in France, but also probably the most famous: the GR65 is one of the three possible options from France to embark on the path of Santiago de Compostela , and deemed the most pleasant. This very ancient path is full of history and heritage. He takes his departure Geneva , and passes through the Puy-en-Velay: it is also called the Puy Road, or the Puy Road, Via Podiensis .

The pilgrims who travel along the path of Saint-Jacques have their small official stage notebook, which is submitted upon request to the church; many take on several occasions to complete the whole itinerary, which crosses the Pyrenees and the north of Spain , direction Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle.

However, it is not necessary to give a religious tournure to its hike on GR65, all walkers are of course welcome!

8. The Wild Loire on foot: the GR3

In all the most beautiful GRs in France, GR3 is the oldest signposted: also known as the "Savage Loire on foot", it covers more than 1200 km! To follow in all its length the course of the Loire, from the wild upstream in the Massif Central to Mount Gerbier, to the swallow and its estuary, to La Baule .

The GR3 crosses notably the Loire Valley, a region of vineyards and castles, all classified to the world heritage by Unesco. If you were looking for a section where to start your holiday on foot, it’s an idea! Very well marked, easy to follow, undeveloped difficult and in a climate favorable to walking even in the middle of the summer, the GR3 is perfect for a holiday suitable for all levels.

9. Cantal volcanoes in loops: the GR400

Some of the most beautiful GRs in France adapt perfectly to holidays in a few days, as is the case of the Tour des volcans du Cantal . This loop of about 140 km from Murat takes 8 days to go for good walkers, with easy steps and more difficult steps.

These sweet landscapes of volcanoes eroded by time, green to wish and quiet throughout the year, actually hide cumulative denivelés that will give your journey a nice sporting accent. It is possible to bivouaquer to take its time, but accommodations are also present throughout the itinerary.

Rando of medium mountain, the altitude allows to enjoy pleasant temperatures even in the summer, and to walk without problems in the day. That's how to swallow the miles.

10. The transhumance paths of the Routo: the new GR69

It is all new but already counts as one of the most beautiful GRs in France: recently inaugurated and marked from end to end, the GR69, nicknamed the Routo, follows ancient transhumance paths of sheep and sheep herds, locally known as the drailles, or carraires.

The route is more than promising: it starts at Arles in the plain of the Crau, crosses Provence and its massifs through the Bouches-du-Rhône and Vaucluse , before gaining the increasingly marked reliefs of the Alpes de Haute-Provence. The progressive ascent ends in the Stura valley, at the top of the Alps, on the Italian side of the massif.

A route very linked to the local culture of transhumance, Routo is the opportunity to discover splendid natural spaces as well as ancestral regional practices.