12 Best Hikes in Europe
Prepare for an adventure like never before with these 12 best hikes in Europe.
Europe is one of the world’s most popular destinations: here you can find beautiful art, historic architecture and some of the world’s most magnificent natural landmarks. Hiking in Europe’s most scenic locations will show you the hidden charms and breathtaking beauty of European nature.
Pack up your hiking gear and go for a tour of the 12 best hikes in Europe.
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In This Post
12 Best Hikes in Europe
Cadini di Misurina Hike, Dolomites, Italy
- Hiking Distance: 4km
- Duration: 1.5 -2 hours
- Elevation: 112m
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Season: June – October
Easily one of the most beautiful hikes in the Dolomites and one of the best hikes in Europe, Cadini di Misurina Hike is a must-do for all hiking lovers. The rugged mountain peaks will have you feeling like you’ve stepped onto the set of Mordor from Lord of the Rings!
Due to its stunning beauty, you will notice the trail and lookout points to be quite crowded, but this should not take away from the splendour of Cadini di Misurina Hike.
Tour du Mont Blanc, Switzerland, Italy & France
- Hiking Distance: 165 kilometres
- Duration: 6 – 12 days
- Elevation: 10,251 m
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Season: Mid-June to Early September
Tour du Mont Blanc is one of Europe’s most popular long-distance hikes. It covers 3 countries – Switzerland, Italy and France – and offers some of the most beautiful landscape and mountainscape views on earth. Tour du Mont Blanc is one of the most famous and best hikes in Europe for viewing picturesque towns and snow-capped mountains in one.
Mount Triglav, Slovenia
- Hiking Distance: 25.4 km total
- Duration: 2 days
- Elevation: 2,864 m
- Difficulty: Moderate – Difficult (depending on the section of the hike)
- Season: July – September
Mount Triglav is one of the best hikes in Europe located within the Julian Alps. This hike brings you to the highest point in Slovenia and offers stunning mountain views and more. It is a two-day hike so you will camp overnight and continue the following day. The best thing about Mount Triglav’s hike is that it is relatively easy except for the last climb to the peak.
Kjeragbolten, Norway
- Hiking Distance: 12km
- Duration: 6-8 hours
- Elevation: 570m
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Season: June – September
Another of the famous Norwegian inlets, prized by hiking fans the world over, is Kjeragbolten. It is primarily renowned for a magnificent natural phenomenon, a boulder stuck between two rocks.
Keep in mind that the hike is really strenuous because the 7-mile round trip has an elevation increase of over 1,800 feet and can take up to 8 hours.
Pravčice Gate Hike, Czech Republic
- Hiking Distance: 6km
- Duration: 2.5 hours
- Difficulty: Easy
- Season: April – October
Pravčická Gate is the biggest natural arch bridge in Europe with a height of 16 m. It is located in Bohemian Switzerland national park and is a must-see for nature lovers. The best trail to take for this hike is Gabriela’s Trail.
Calanque d’en Vau, France
- Hiking Distance: 8km
- Duration: 4 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Season: June – October
Calanque d’en Vau is a stunning hike located in the south of France. It is loved by tourists and locals alike all wanting to see the dramatic cliffs and bright blue waters that make up this region. The hiking trail Via Port Pin is the best option for reaching Calanque d’en Vau. This is one of the best hikes in Europe with a reward you won’t want to miss!
Fløya Hiking Trail, Norway
- Hiking Distance: 4.5km
- Duration: 4 hours
- Elevation: 6200m
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Season: June – September
Situated close to the beautiful city of Svolvær, the Fløya hiking trail is one of the best hikes in Europe for natural beauty lovers. Fløya, one of Norway’s loftiest peaks, offers breathtaking views of Svolvær and the fjords all around.
Khada Valley and Fire Cross Tower, Georgia
- Hiking Distance: 11km
- Duration: 5-7 hours
- Elevation: 2,070m
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Season: June – September
Head to Guadauri to go hiking in the Khada Valley. Here you can find ancient settlements and tread a path once journeyed by Silk Road caravans. It was only when the Russians built the road infrastructure currently in use that the road stopped being one of the region’s main trade arteries. This is the perfect hike up steep grassy slopes in an undiscovered spot.
Plitvice Lakes Hike, Croatia
- Hiking Distance: 3km – 11km
- Duration: 2-10 hours
- Difficulty: Easy – Difficult
- Season: April – October
Known for its unique waterfalls, Plitvice National Park is one of Croatia’s most prized parks known to attract nature and adventure lovers from around the world. This park offers some of the best hikes in Europe with plenty of different options (trails A, B, C, E, F, H K) based on your skill level.
Keep in mind that in summer and September, the price of admission is about 44.5$, making it one of Europe’s most pricey treks.
Matterhorn, Switzerland
- Hiking Distance: 46,5 km
- Duration: 5 days
- Elevation: 3,260m
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Season: July – September
Bridging Italy and Switzerland, the iconic pyramid-like peak of Matterhorn is one of the world’s most beautiful mountains and one of the best hikes in Europe.
There are many treks in the mountain’s vicinity but most of them are devilish, nevertheless one of them is more accessible than the rest. Go hiking on a Hutt-hiking trek: during up to a week’s hiking trip, you will hike from hut to hut in the region surrounding the magnificent Zermatt skiing resort.
Keep in mind that the tour is long, lasting up to a week and an Alpine environment can be challenging so take time to prepare. Also, don’t forget that trekking around Zermatt and Matterhorn is one of the most instagrammable hiking experiences.
El Camino del Rey, Spain
- Hiking Distance: 7.7 km
Duration: 5 hours
Elevation: 600m
Difficulty: Easy – Moderate
Season: July – September
One of the world’s most iconic and best hikes in Europe is El Camino del Rey. This hike follows the steep slopes of a narrow gorge, situated in Andalusia’s Malaga province. Even though some parts of the trek fell into disrepair, it is still one of the most cinematic and pleasant hikes to carry out.
Its attractions include a decrepit-yet-scenic bridge and one of the region’s most luring mountainscapes.
Cinque Terre, Italy
- Hiking Distance: 11km
- Duration: 5 hours
- Difficulty: Easy – Moderate
- Season: June – September
Made up of 5 scenic villages perched within the cliffs along the sea, Cinque Terre is synonymous with Dolce Vita and stands for outstanding seascape. Hike from village to village: Monterosso al Mare; Vernazza, Corniglia Manarola, and Riomaggiore to see and experience the magic of this region.
Keep in mind that there exists over 120 km of hiking paths on the Cinque Terre coastline with 48 hiking routes to set out on. No admission fee is needed for the Cinque Terre National Park. You just need to get hold of a special pass, a Cinque Terre Card, for two most famous hikes: one from Monterosso to Vernazza and the other from Vernazza to Corniglia
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Discover the nature of Europe whilst hiking some of the best hikes in Europe!
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