25 of most enticing walking holidays in Europe for this year [View all]

Wondering where to lace up your boots this year? Our expert picks the best trails, from Amalfi coast hikes to Greek island hopping and Norwegian fjord explorations

https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/best-walking-tours-in-europe-0q9lp5tvh

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The town of Assisi in Umbria, Italy
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Remember that song by Nancy Sinatra, These Boots Are Made for Walkin’? Well, Nancy, I’ve got news. It’s not just the footwear. Our bodies are made for walking too — and there are few holiday pursuits more natural and rewarding than a proper old-fashioned hike. You stretch your legs a little, conversation is uncorked and the need to reach your goal before nightfall supplies all the purpose you need. Suddenly, you notice your surroundings too — and that’s what makes this collection of European walking holidays especially mouth-watering, because they explore some of the continent’s most dramatic and fascinating landscapes. The scenic splendour comes courtesy of destinations such as Madeira, Mont Blanc and Albania’s Accursed Mountains. In the Dolomites you get a side order of serious gastronomy too. And in Umbria, Galicia and the hilltop Cathar towns of France there are deep layers of history to sift through along the way. Our continent has plenty more going for it. World-class networks of mapped and waymarked trails are perhaps our most obvious advantage, closely followed by a plentiful supply of comfortable hotels and mountain refuges.

But what’s less appreciated is Europe’s geographical range. It means that, whatever the season, you can undertake a serious hike. In mid-winter Spain’s Canary Islands beckon. In spring Italy’s Amalfi coast and Greece’s Cycladic islands are at their best. Come summer Europe has some of the finest and most accessible mountain ranges to tramp through. In other words, the options are almost limitless. And here’s another layer of choice to go on top. Should you book on a guided or a self-guided tour? Both can be brilliant. Guided groups are the no-stress, social option — but they come with one big caveat. Ask the operator what their average group is like before you commit. In my experience, conversation flows most easily among people of more or less the same age — and when it’s good, the chat becomes the absolute highlight of the trip. But even so, discovering a landscape by yourself can be more deeply satisfying as I discovered once, exploring Gascony with the help of a self-guided itinerary from Inntravel. I was alone, but never bored and never lonely. It was just me and my boots, walking.

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Saxony, Germany/North Bohemia, Czech Republic


Headwater’s seven-night itinerary takes you to Elbe’s Sandstone mountains

No, it doesn’t look much like the Alps. But the crazy pillars and canyons of Saxon Switzerland make this national park near the Czech Republic amazing all the same. Mind you, you’ll need to be sure-footed to enjoy this circular self-guided Walking in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains itinerary with Headwater. En route, over a week of rollercoaster, 6 to 11-mile walks, you’ll be climbing ladders, teetering on cliff-edge paths and sashaying through deep, rocky clefts, with enchanted forests, brooding castles and the thunderous Lichtenhain waterfall among the many highlights. Accommodation is in three smart, four-star hotels — two of which have pools.

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Graubunden, Switzerland


Explore Graubunden with a botanist on this tour
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There’s more to the Alps than mountain scenery, as you’ll discover on this week-long tour of the upper Engadin valley, where mountain flowers and ecology get a share of the limelight. Based in the smart, contemporary Hotel Palü in Pontresina, on this Naturetrek trip you’ll sally forth with the botanist and photographer David Tattersfield on daily walks that use cable cars, local buses and the Bernina railway to explore high peaks, alpine meadows, natural rock gardens and fields of scree. All are home to extraordinarily robust and brilliantly coloured plants, and you may also spot ibex, chamois and golden eagles.

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The Cyclades, Greece


Syros is full of pretty coastal hiking paths
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The ever-changing play of sunlight across the Aegean is sure to add extra sparkle to this guided Greek Island Wanderer itinerary. On Paros, you’ll walk a Byzantine road, paved with marble, that’s thought to be 1,000 years old. On Syros, coastal routes are the norm, while a dramatic path beckons in Santorini, along the island’s crater. On each of your four island stops you’ll stay in small and friendly hotels, with plenty of free time for day trips to neighbouring islands or optional hikes with your guide.

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