Favorite Hikes/Walks in Europe

Well, before I got to your list of countries my mind jumped to Lauterbrunnen Valley in Switzerland. I live in the edge of the Rockies but that location was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. I've done a few hikes there and there is a range for all levels. Mine were easy but there are much harder ones than the ones I did.

I did some shorter hikes around the Betws-y-Coed in Wales area a number of years ago. I hiked up to a Reservoir behind the hotel I was staying in and also did some hikes along the river there. I thought it was beautiful. I did not do Snowdon.

We have traveled extensively in Europe and our visit to Ortisei, Italy in the Dolomites was our best hiking/ walking experience. Ortisei is set in a valley and on each side either a gondola or funicular takes you up to mountain meadows to hike and walk among the spires of the Dolomites, breathtaking. It is not difficult and children could handle this area.
There were places to eat up there too.

Likewise, if you have other places besides these that you've loved,
please let me know.

A day on the Appia Antica, from rural Rome back into the city, was a fabulous trekking adventure. My husband and I are hikers (our fave part of the US is the Southwestern parks) and this was the highlight of all of our stays in Rome to date. I won't go into great detail how we got out to the further reaches last time, as it was a little hairy, but next time we'll probably take a bus to Ciampino and hop onto the ancient road just a few easy blocks from the airport. There is a LOT to see along the way (not every archeological site is open every day) and we can't wait to do it again!

The "road" is pretty flat so aside from length, depending on how much of it you chose to do, it's not difficult from an up-down perspective. It is still an active throughway for vehicles other than on Sundays, when it's closed to traffic.

https://www.parcoappiaantica.it

Dolomites, Dolomites, Dolomites!

UK self-guided, luggage supported inn to inn walking trips. I have used Contours Walking Holidays and have been pleased with the support, guidance and accommodations. Walking trips can be customized with start dates, number of walking days/distances per day walked, adding layover days. Contours provided advice as to transportation to and from start/finish. Walking packets have included OS maps, guidebooks when available, and custom walking instructions including available services on the route. B&B with breakfast included but overnight host may provide lunch packets and dinner at an added cost for the more remote locations without services.

https://www.contours.co.uk/

Epic UK walks:
Wainwright's Coast-To-Coast Walk https://www.contours.co.uk/coast-to-coast-walk-trail
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-walk-across-england-89547636/
Scotland West Highland Way https://www.contours.co.uk/west-highland-way

I have heard good reviews of HF Holidays, HF Holidays have walking trips centered on their base camps.
https://www.hfholidays.co.uk/

The go to resource for Norwegian trekking is the Norwegian DNT (Den Norske Turistforening). DNT has mountain huts/ lodges ranging from self-service to fully staffed (meals, hot showers, lodging). DNT also does guided tours with English speaking guides, transportation to/from, overnight lodging, all meals. I have done winter ski tours but the DNT also does summer hiking tours.
https://english.dnt.no/
https://english.dnt.no/routes-and-cabins/

For example, the hut near Myrdal (Flam): https://ut.no/hytte/1096

The cabin is located close to Myrdal station and Rallarvegen.

https://english.dnt.no/guided-tours/

And for Norwegian trekking you can do warm up hikes a metro ride from downtown Oslo:
https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/nordmarka-wilderness-area/2790/

Big forest region in northern Oslo with ample outdoor recreation
opportunities all year round. The routes in Nordmarka are usually
well-marked, but a map is recommended for longer distances.

https://www.visitoslo.com/en/articles/nordmarka-forest/

Hi Allison, my first thoughts were around Wengen, Switzerland and also the Dolomites. We have returned to both of these because of the strikingly beautiful views and the fantastic hiking.

But then other locations, such as Mittenwald, Germany or hiking in the Salzburg, Austria area have been pleasant, too.

If your family enjoys hiking, you may also want to consider biking. We’ve even taken some city tours that are a couple of fun hours with a small group of tourists, led by a guide who teaches about the history and culture of a city in a fun matter. I’ve done this in Munich, Germany and Sevilla, Spain and Verona, Italy.

Other than agreeing wholeheartedly with Kathy's suggestion of the Old Appian Way, I'd also recommend hiking in Ireland - our favorite country in all of Europe for easy day hikes through spectacular landscapes. The hikes in the foothills (not terribly taxing) above the monastic site at Glendalough in the Wicklow mountains are some of our favorites.

When you travel to the UK be sure to spend a number of days in London. The Thames path is a nice way to explore London and surrounding environs.
https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/thames-path/

You will also find pleasant strolls in Hyde, Richmond Regents, Victoria, Battersea parks and the Hampstead Heath.

I spent some time in Merano, in the north of Italy. They have a series of Promenades along the river, and a series of Waalweg trails, that go all over the region. I hiked out to the Gardens at Trauttmansdorff Castle, which are gorgeous and fun to walk in. Also took the bus to Kurzras, from which there’s a network of trails, and a funicular up to the glacier where the iceman featured in the Archaeology Museum in Bolzano was found. I saw people setting off across the glacier with their trekking poles.

We did a different Coast to Coast walk in England in June 2017: hiking Hadrian’s Wall. We walked the 73 mile trail from West to East over a week, crossing the narrowest part of England, following the historic Roman wall that separated Roman Britain from the Picts to the north, the entire length, almost 1,900 years ago.

The remains of many Roman forts and milecastles along the route still exist, along with sections of the wall itself. Several fascinating museums, too. Much of the wall itself is no longer in place; the clever locals dismantled a lot of the finely cut stone blocks to build farms, churches, and towns in what became northern England.

We stayed in a new place each night, and used Walker’s Baggage Transfer to take our bags each day to our next B&B, as we made our way to Newcastle. Scenery in the countryside is wonderful, along with the cities Carlisle and Newcastle, plus charming towns in Cumbria and Northumbria. And you call all get a certificate at the end, certifying that you hiked The Wall!

November 2018, I was in the Cotswolds for a week, and walked a friend’s dog daily, on trails in the hills. Scenic but severely muddy that time of year - wellington boots absolutely required.

Any number of Vias Verdes in Spain. They are walking paths along former railroad lines.
http://viasverdes.es/en/principal.asp
From the website: Vías Verdes (literally, "green-ways") are old disused railway lines that have been recovered and reconditioned for use by walkers and cyclists. Exploring them is a different, enjoyable and environmentally friendly way of getting to know Spain, its culture and its landscapes. This is an alternative ideal for all ages, that respects the environment and brings together sport and the great outdoors.

Click on my name and you'll find a link to our favorite dozen trails in the Swiss Alps, with pics and maps. All of them have been done by my kids.

Check out Gillian Price's guides to trekking/hiking in the Dolomites. Cicerone Guides.

Ortisei is wonderful, but the entire region is brilliant, with many options. Because it is such a popular ski region the lifts go up all year long for the tourists. And there are refugios for lunch.

Bring a raincoat.

There is a fantastic hike in Switzerland from Manlichen to Klein Schiedegg in the Lauterbrunnen area. You will need to take a train and gondola to get their and back down to the valley. We did this hike on Rick Steves Best of Europe tour and it was fantastic. Here's a link to a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK1yotozeoU
Bon voyage

Look at the RS Provence guide for the area around Vaison La Romaine and the area around the Pont Du Gard.
Also, to add to Edgar's tips above, check out the Sierra Club tours in the UK.
In addition to what's already been mentioned about Rome, take a look at the botanical garden, which used to be the Farnese family's backyard, and is now where today's Capulets and Montagues sneak off to avoid their parent's prying eyes.

I use www.alltrails.com for walk/hiking ideas when looking for new places to take my dog. There are walks for all levels and distances, many of them circular so you can park the car, set off and return to where you parked. A lot of the walks take place in beautiful countryside, old villages, ancient monuments and many historical locations.

I wouldn't consider Mount Snowdon, that's a more advanced level and isn't regarded as a casual hike. Many people end up being rescued from there due to inexperience and understimating the difficulty and rapid changes of weather.

Favorite hike to date - Mostnica Gorge to the waterfall at Lake Bohinj in Slovenia.

What are you looking for? Is is daytrips or are you considering longer trips for a couple of days and in that case what kind of accomodation do you prefer along the trail? Any particular environments you prefer?

There are several hiking possibilities in Norway and DNT is indeed a good source of information. However, the terrain can make the trails a bit challenging. One popular route is trail to Trolltunga, but it is a 27 km round trip with an 1100 m elevation gain. However there are other options as well.

I also have to mention a selection of Sweden's best hiking trails. In Sweden, the Swedish Tourist Association, STF, is the equivalent of DNT. They have selected 12 trails as "signature trails" that can be worth taking a closer look.

Kungsleden, The King's Trail. Maybe the best known hiking trail in the Nordics. 440 km through what is often called Europe's last large remaining wilderness, also a UNESCO world heritage site, and through five national parks. To put the distance in perspective it is roughly the distance from Amsterdam to Paris. Hiking the complete trail takes around a month but you can enter and leave the trail at several locations so there is also the possibility of doing shorter parts of the trail. The most popular is probably Abisko to Nikkaloutka. If you have an hour to spare, you can watch a youtube film about four people walking the entire trail late in the season.

Jämtlandstriangeln, The Jämtland Triangle. A very popular route a bit further south in the Swedish mountains. It is a three day hike between the mountain stations Storulvån, Sylarna and Blåhammaren. STF has made a small film showing what the trail looks like. In total it is 47 km of easy hiking with comfortable accomodation at the moutain stations. But it is a hike you need to do in full (unless you charter a helicopter) as Storulvån is the only mountain station that can be reached by road.

Siljansleden, there is a network of hiking trails around lake Siljan in Dalarna in total 340 km. But you can hike as far as you like. The area around the lake is very pretty and it is a popular summer destination with cute villages and a lot to see in general. Like where the Dala horses are made. And if you visit in the summer, try to catch the midsummer celebration.

Mörbylångaleden, the southern part of Öland, Sweden's second largest island, is another world heritage site with a hiking trail. It is a mostly flat landscape so very easy hiking and Mörbylångaleden is a great way to see the landscape. It is an 84 km trail so a five day hike but perfectly possible to do parts of it.

Höga kustenleden, The High Coast Trail. A trail that runs through another World Heritage area and a National park along the gulf of Bothnia. 128 km in total, but easy to do in sections. Running out of space so I can't write more about it, but it is a beautiful area.

A while back Rick had Cassandra Overby on his radio program, discussing her book "Explore Europe on Foot". I bought the book after hearing the program and there are some great suggestions in there.

@Badger. Whilst I'm sure the hikes you've listed are fantastic the OP typically walks 4 to 5 miles with 7 miled being the maximum. It would appear that they are after easy walks with a duration of one to two hours.

Another vote for the Dolomites. One of our very favorite areas. From various bases one can take lifts or cable cars. Especially good for kids is the Alpe di Siusi area. Take the cable car up to the beautiful alpine meadow and hike around there as much as you want and from there you can take lifts to higher areas. Easy to taylor to your needs. Check out this and other nearby areas here

https://www.suedtirolerland.it/en/south-tyrol/alpe-di-siusi/

Also 2 more favorite areas:
Costwolds. From Stow on Wold or Chipping Campden for example there are many walks. Kids especialy might like walking through sheep fields.
The Lake County in England. We base out of Keswick. Mountain walks of various legnths and difficulties. A few with sheep and certainly many with lake views and beautiful vistas.
Enjoy!

With two young children walking 4-5 miles per day 7 miles max. England Lake District Beatrice Potter bunny lady country could be an attractive option. I found this HF Holiday family walking holiday program base camped in Coniston:
https://www.hfholidays.co.uk/holidays-and-tours/family-walking-conistonwater

Spend the day climbing dramatic, rolling fells, exploring pretty
villages and taking in spectacular views. Then head back and enjoy
watching the boats bobbing on the sparkling Coniston Water as you
relax in the Gothic-style splendour of our National Trust property,
Monk Coniston. With so much to see and do you could choose to walk
through the woods to Tarn Hows, visiting Grasmere and its famous
gingerbread shop, or reach the top of the Old Man of Coniston, an
iconic local peak.

MONK CONISTON Wrapped in manicured gardens with stunning views over
Coniston Water, Monk Coniston combines country house grandeur and
romantic, gothic-style charm with contemporary touches to great effect
among the rugged landscapes of the Lake District. Rocky mountains and
grassy fells loom all around this handsome home, once owned by Beatrix
Potter, and more latterly turned hikers’ hotel and owned by the
National Trust. Fell-flecked scenery unfurls from the windows of the
bedrooms in the main house, adjoining cottage and counting house.

I haven't first hand experience with HF Holidays but have heard good things about the organization from Brits. I did do the Contours South Lakes Short Break]1 inn to inn walk similar to the above HF Holiday package. 'We walked from Windermere to Grasmere to
Coniston returning to Windermere.

The HF Holiday Coniston family holiday would more suitable for young children with lodging at one base and short to longer walking options each day, or no walking.

My son and I were going to attend Oktoberfest in Munich next month, but had to cancel our trip for obvious reasons. While in Munich, we were going to go to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and do several outdoor activities, including hiking the Hoelolentalklamm Gorge:

https://www.grainau.de/en/hoellentalklamm-gorge-en

Besides the gorge, there are numerous other activities in the area including AlpsIX:

https://zugspitze.de/en/Garmisch-Classic/Summer/AlpspiX

A cable car:

https://zugspitze.de/en/Zugspitze/Summer/Cable-car-Zugspitze

And several Alpine huts:

https://www.outdooractive.com/en/huts/zugspitz-region/huts-in-the-zugspitz-region/8140022/

Good luck!

A couple of posters have mentioned HF Holidays. My husband and I were quite happy with them. We did a self-guided HF Holidays tour in Glencoe last year. It was great. Whether guided or not you choose the level of difficulty. The guides are all volunteers and extremely knowledgeable. Even though we were self-guided they were very generous with their time and insights. While not lavish the Accommodations are comfortable and have everything you need. The food is excellent. They also have family specific trips.

@Badger. Whilst I'm sure the hikes you've listed are fantastic the OP
typically walks 4 to 5 miles with 7 miled being the maximum. It would
appear that they are after easy walks with a duration of one to two
hours.

But the OP also mentioned the Camino so I thought I should add a couple of longer trails as well. And apart from the Jämtland triangle, they all have in common that you can do shorter hikes on them as well if you want to. It is entirely up to you if you want to hike all 440 km on Kungsleden or if you are happy with 1 or 2 hours.

Thank you, Thank you, all, for such wonderful responses! I have to admit, Switzerland wasn't really on my radar, in part because of the expense, but I think I might need to take a look at spending even a few days there. The Dolomites are also a place I hadn't really considered, in large part because I had put Italy in the Places to Visit When Kids Are Older column (mainly because my ideal Italian trip involves a lot of art museums and wine - neither of which would be enjoyable with them now!). I forget that Italy is a large and varied country. My sister and I spent a few days in Lake Bled, wow, ten years ago now, and thought it was the most beautiful place in the world. So maybe a Dolomites/Slovenia trip?

Thanks to all that suggested the HF Holidays. I've never been one to want to do a group or structured trip, but those look amazing. Especially the self-guided family tours in Scotland. Definitely something to consider.

And to Badger - Thanks for those Swedish suggestions! While definitely beyond our scope now, it's something to tuck away for when they are older. My dream is to take them on the Camino when they are 17 and 15 or so. I might have to add the Kungsleden to the list of dream vacations!

Thank you all again! Again, right now we're looking at next summer or the one after, given all that is happening. But it's nice to dream about traveling again, this time with my kids, and showing them different parts of the world. Stay safe, stay healthy!

In Chamonix - from Plan de l’Aguille to Montenvers Mer de Glace train station. Take the train back down to the valley. It is a 3 hour hike. I was able to do it with a really bad knee. Beautiful!

Hi, Allison. I hope these ideas will be useful...

My favorite hikes in the Black Forest:

Seebrugg – Peaceful, flat, shaded trail around the Schluchsee reservoir. Hourly trains from Freiburg and Donaueschingen (Black Forest Railway connection).

Beuron – Short or long, easy or hard hikes beginning at the Haus der Natur interpretive center. Historic and religious sites, varied landscapes. Hourly trains from Donaueschingen and Ulm.

And not far, in Austria:

Bregenz – Take the Pfänderbahn cable car up, but walk back down. Frequent trains, and seasonal ferries, all around Lake Constance.

Resources:

• Good map boards at these trailheads
• Good markings along the trails, but don't continue far if you lose track of the specific symbol for your trail
• Lots of free hiking brochures from local public transit agencies (Verbünde); download, or request online; search keywords: "Ausflug" (outing) and "Freizeit" (leisure)
• Maps not needed for these hikes, but LGL maps are good for hiking and can be ordered from amazon.de to your home, or to your hotel once you're in Europe
• Best hiking guides are in German, many with themes such as mysteries, legends, or forgotten places, which could be fun for kids; not impossible to interpret, even if you don't speak the language; search for "wandern Schwarzwald" (hiking Black Forest) on amazon.de
• Ask whether a card, such as KONUS, entitling guests to free use of buses and local trains (in 2nd class), is included in the small tax you pay on your hotel room in the Black Forest or around Lake Constance

The Cotswolds are a great idea! You can also walk all along the Thames River. I’m Edinburgh we walked along the Water of Leith and loved it! We started in Dean Village and followed it toward Leith where it ends at the North Sea. Edinburgh also offers hikes around Arthur’s Seat and Carlton Hill. It’s a great city and area!

Theth to Valbone. There is one not often thought of

https://thesandyfeet.com/theth-valbona-hike-albanian-alps/
https://theculturetrip.com/europe/albania/articles/the-valbona-pass-in-albania-is-one-of-the-worlds-greatest-hikes/

We try to get to Europe for hiking holidays every year (but not this one). Our favorite areas are Switzerland, the Dolomites, and the UK.

In 2018 we took our 6-year-old grandchildren (twin boys) and their parents to Switzerland for 12 days, staying in Muerren and Bettmeralp. With self-catering apartments, cooking for ourselves, it was not expensive. Everyone loved it. In Bettmeralp there is a zip line/ropes course for children that age, or older, with proper gear (gloves, helmet, and harness) included). It was a hit!

I see HF Holidays has been mentioned above. We have done several 3--4 day walking holidays with them (but without the grandchildren so far). We had one booked for this August but of course had to cancel. I highly recommend them, especially the Family Adventures which would be perfect for you. Kids under 18 are free. Here is a complete listing:

https://www.hfholidays.co.uk/holidays-and-tours#/holidays?FC.Holiday%20Types=Family%20Walking%20Holidays&sort=ordering%7CASC&page=1

Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Cornwall, Wales. . . Take you pick. They also offer week-long family holidays with guided walking in the Austrian Alps. English-speaking guides and fellow guests. I am looking at those for a future visit with the grandchildren.

Summer in Spain is HOT in many places, so that is worth keeping in mind.

My first thought was Austria, around Salzburg. Spectacular scenery, cable cars, lakes and water parks to cool off in, salt mines, ice caves, mountain coasters and castles. We stayed at Landhaus Armstorfer for 5 nights in June 2018. Highly recommend it, but a car is required.

My favorite hikes in Europe were:

1. Dolomites, Ortisei area/Val Gardena region. Lots of options and some real nice B&B's right there in the town.
2. The top of the mountain of Murren and hike all the way down to Gimmelwald trail. Great hike. Tons of other hikes all around.
3. One hour train ride outside of Munich to the town of Bavaria. Lots of walking and bike trails and some good non touristy spa's, B&B's to stay at. Hike all the way to the famous Neuschwanstein Castle.

I mentioned this up above, but found some more info

https://travellingbalkans.com/theth-valbona-hike/
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GeDaaLKkSIA&vl=id