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One or two home bases in Europe to hike in August

Posted by (Los Angeles) on

Hello all--
I would like to spend two weeks in August hiking in Europe -- not too strenuous like Mont Blanc, but scenic trails and a good workout. I prefer to stay in one or two or three hotels and vary where to go each day from that point. Good food at night, could rest for a day and get back to it next day, nothing too pre-planned except for hotels. I adored the Grindelwald area, but want to explore somewhere new like Dordogne France, Austrian alps, Italian dolomites, maybe Highlands in Scotland. Really looking forward to Cassandra Overby's new book on just this type of trip -- hiking from a homebase.

I'm overwhelmed at possibilities -- wondering what comes to your minds as I lay this out.

Thank you--appreciate your help!

Posted by
349 posts

Hi Bree88,

We stayed several days in the Dolomites - Ortesei and it was wonderful. I can provide many thumbs up for the Dolomites!

Posted by
116 posts

We stayed in Maria Alm, Austria a few years ago for a week. We flew to Munich and rented a car and drove there. We could easily take day trips to Halstatt, Salzburg etc. There was also an abundance of areas to discover and take hikes that weren’t too strenuous if that’s what you are looking for. You definitely could take more difficult hikes, but we chose not to.
The area was gorgeous. The population is only low 2000s, I believe.

Posted by
785 posts

Two suggestions:

Take a look at the corridor between Verona & Lake Garda at the south and Sterzing/Vipiteno to the north, almost to the Austrian border. There are tons of great towns and cities that offer outstanding hiking opportunities. Many have cable cars that take you up into the mountains for the trails. Mezzocorona is a good example, as is Sterzing.

Heading north from Turin, place yourself in the Aosta Valley. I'd pick a spot somewhere between Ivrea and Aosta, based on how much infrastructure you need (restaurants, bars, shopping, etc.) Basically the train runs back and forth all day, so each day you can pick different trails and hiking destinations. It would be a very chill, slow groove, but the Aosta Valley is absolutely wonderful.

Posted by
2332 posts

The Salzburg are offers tons of fabulous options. The Dolomites are spectacular, and that area offers some challenging hikes. Slovenia would be a great choice, also. Check out the Soca River, Vintgar Gorge, Lake Bled.

Posted by
2724 posts

I totally agree with meIT. The Dolomites offer endless possibilities for fabulous hiking. Ortisei is a wonderful place to stay. We love Hotel Grones. If you stay there, select the half board plan. The food is superb.

Posted by
1377 posts

Maybe for a Future Hike, look into the Camino de Santiago. You can do as much or little of it as you like. I will be embarking on my first time doing this at the end of May. I chose to start in Valenca, Portugal to Santiago de Compostella, which is about 110km route I am taking. Meeting the 100km minimum for a certificate.

Enjoy.

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