Hiking in Europe: 6 Trails for All the Family

Concerned about soaring temperatures around the Med, or considering holidays that take you far from the madding crowds? You’re not alone; in recent years, there’s been a distinct shift towards slow-travel “coolcation” itineraries that support our holistic health. So swap city breaks and sunbathing on busy beaches for active holidays in nature’s most peaceful environments – the lakes and massifs of Europe. Geographically separating the continent’s cool northern climes from the dryer, hotter south, a 1,400-km string of mountains runs from the Cantabrian sierra in Spain through the Pyréneés to the Alps and on into the Balkans, traversing eight countries and laced with a vast network of iconic hiking trails.

There’s no better way to reset mentally and physically than spending time immersed in untamed, ravishing natural surroundings. Here’s your guide to the six best hikes in Europe, from family-friendly rambles to serious challenges.

Mountains offer idyllic summer escapes from unrelenting heat as well as clogged beaches and cities. These two high-altitude hikes in Europe will wrap you in bracing, unpolluted air and lower temperatures while reintroducing you to the sheer beauty of untamed nature.

Serving up vaguely sinister scree slopes and colourful wildflower meadows in return for remarkably little effort, this Dolomites circular hike around the base of three celebrated, jagged limestone spires is eminently suitable as an introduction to European hiking for your kids. It features a clearly signposted gravel track, and along the way you can tuck into Tyrolean schnitzel at Rifugio Locatelli while soaking up views of the three peaks from its terrace. There’s even a dollop of history thrown in for good measure, if you take the short detour to the World War I tunnels carved into the cliffside. A word of warning: this trail gets crowded in summer, so early starts are recommended to soak up the otherworldly aspects of the landscape.

• Start/end point: Rifugio Auronzo, near Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Dolomites
• Trail length: 10 km (3-4 hours)
• Difficulty: Easy
• Suitable for: Families
• Where to stay: Novotel Venezia Mestre Castellana is an ideal urban base for starting and finishing your trip, or for a road trip around northern Italy.

This once-in-a-lifetime trip is a testing European hiking loop circling the spectacular Mont Blanc massif. The TMB wends its jaw-dropping way through the French, Italian and Swiss Alps, and involves around 10,000 m of ascent and descent in occasionally snowy conditions – even in high summer. On the route, you’ll pass ice-blue glaciers creaking mournfully, craggy peaks and lush alpine valleys linked by high-mountain cols. While this is not a novice hike, you don’t need technical climbing skills; the path is clearly marked and you’re never too far from traditional mountain villages like Argentière and La Palud for filling up on food or overnighting amid snow-capped peaks.

• Start/end point: Les Houches near Chamonix
• Trail length: 170 km (11 days; tackle separate stages with the help of the gondola service)
• Difficulty: Challenging
• Suitable for: Experienced hikers
• Where to stay: With regional dishes like raclette served in Mama Giulia trattoria, ibis Styles Les Houches Chamonix has a handy location in Les Houches, gateway to the hike.

There’s something utterly magical and invigorating about hiking Europe’s myriad of lakes, from the stillness of the water to the hill-and-mountain panoramas that back them. Here are two – very different – favourites.

The bewitching spa town of Bled is a summer playground squeezed between the mineral-blue waters of its namesake glacial lake and the dazzling Julian Alps. Overlooked by a medieval fortress, the town’s red roofs tumble down to the waterside, an idyllic setting for a scenic family-friendly hike around the shoreline – perfect any time of day, but even more memorable at dusk when sunlight dances across the water. Take a deep gulp of fresh mountain air before embarking on the steep trek through woodland to Velika Osojnica viewpoint on the west side of the lake; from there you’ll have unforgettable views of the Baroque church marooned on minuscule Blejski Island, which appears to float serenely on the water.

• Start/end point: The landmark Heart of Bled sculpture on the lakeside
• Trail length: 6 km (1.5–2 hours or 2.75 hours if you visit the viewpoint)
• Difficulty: Easy
• Suitable for: Everyone
• Where to stay: Book in at ibis Styles Ljubljana The Fuzzy Log, a cool capsule hotel with a rooftop bar five minutes’ walk from the bus and railway stations.

Following a prehistoric geological fault splitting central Scotland from west coast to east, the Great Glen Way is a superb introduction to accessible hiking in the Highlands, and can be easily chopped up into smaller, manageable segments. The route connects three tranquil lochs (Lochy, Oich and Ness, surrounded by serene forested hills) along the Caledonian Canal – a masterpiece of early Victorian engineering by Thomas Telford. Although the raw beauty of the lake-and-mountain scenery is the star of the show on this walk, man-made attractions en route include Neptune’s Staircase, the longest staircase lock in Scotland, and medieval Urquhart Castle, perched over the fathomless waters of Loch Ness – you might even encounter Nessie!

• Start point: Fort William
• End point: Inverness
• Trail length: 120 km (10-12 days, every stage can stand alone)
• Difficulty: Easy to moderate
• Suitable for: Children aged 8 and above
• Where to stay: Mercure Inverness Hotel is a comfy respite with Scottish single malts in its 33 Church Street Bar and Brasserie.

If you’re determined to find hidden gems when hiking in Europe, here are two less-crowded and satisfyingly mind-blowing routes that you'll probably have to yourselves.

A relatively new kid on the European hiking scene, the Hřebenovka is a captivating trail re-opened in 2023 after a massive wildfire, and links the forested Krušné and Lužické mountain ranges along the Czech–German border. The hike weaves its scenic way through the staggeringly beautiful Bohemian Switzerland National Park, an ethereal landscape of deep gorges carved out by the Elbe River, cascading waterfalls and the bizarre, 90-million-year-old sandstone Tisá Walls rock pinnacles. If little legs are joining you on this expedition, the trail is regularly interspersed with ages-old villages where you can refuel, while Baroque-era towns like Děčín, standing on a sweeping Elbe meander, connect with public-transport routes.

• Start point: Petrovice
• End point: Stožecké sedlo
• Trail length: 100 km (6 days, each leg stands separately)
• Difficulty: Easy to challenging
• Suitable for: Everybody; pick your leg carefully if with the kids
• Where to stay: Enjoy some hedonistic luxury at The Mozart Prague as you rest up after your hiking in Europe!

Also known as the Via Podiensis or Grande Randonnée 65 (GR65), this profoundly spiritual, ancient pilgrimage path starts from Le Puy-en-Velay in the Haute Loire and unites with the Camino de Santiago just short of the Spanish border, encompassing upland scenery, volcanic plateaux and medieval villages. It takes five weeks to walk the Chemin’s entire length – the ultimate in slow travel – and the most breathtaking stages incorporate dumpy, conical extinct volcanoes in the Auvergne region, the Velay’s black volcanic bluffs and wild moorlands swathing the Aubrac Plateau. On the final section between Aire-sur-l’Adour and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, you’re accompanied by sublime vistas over snow-clad Pyréneés peaks.

• Start point: Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute Loire
• End point: Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Pyrénées-Atlantiques
• Trail length: 750 km (40 days but easily broken into shorter legs)
• Difficulty: Moderate to challenging
• Suitable for: Families on short hops; expert hikers on the entire route
• Where to stay: ibis Styles Le Puy en Velay offers cosy rooms 5 minutes’ walk from the train station and steps from the start of the Chemin le Puy.

Hiking in Europe means spectacular landscapes and dramatic terrains suitable for all ages and all levels of ability. However, it takes preparation; plan carefully and you’ll make the most of your experience.

• The best time for alpine hiking in Europe is mid-May until the end of August, when trails are generally snow free and days are long and warm.
• Early to mid-September see stable but cooler conditions – but many of your fellow hikers will be long gone, so you might be solo on the trails.

There are two golden rules for European hiking. Firstly, physical preparation is key; you’ll enjoy the experience much more if you have a reasonable level of fitness. Secondly, never, ever compromise on safety. Here’s how to ensure your hike goes well – and safely.

1. Don’t be blasé about the weather – even in summer, conditions can change rapidly in alpine regions. Always check forecasts before setting off, and cancel the day’s hike if in doubt.
2. Don’t hike if temperatures are soaring. People die of heat exposure, even in Europe.
3. Wear adequate waterproof clothing to suit the temperature and weather conditions.
4. Carry enough water for the day.
5. Bring high-energy snacks like nuts and dried fruits for maintaining energy levels.
6. Know how to use a compass and GPS app. Mobile coverage is sporadic in the mountains, so take a paper map as a back up.
7. Invest in a basic first-aid kit with bandages, plasters, antiseptic wipes and any personal medication.
8. Take emergency supplies like a head torch, spare batteries, whistle and thermal blanket.
9. Hike with other people; there is safety in numbers and if you have even a simple slip while hiking solo in Europe, it could be disastrous.
10. Buy insurance to cover your trip; in the unlikely case of an accident, it’s very, very expensive if you need to be rescued from a remote spot by helicopter.

Follow these simple rules to reduce your impact on the environment when hiking in Europe.

1. Leave no trace of your presence and take litter away with you.
2. Walk in single file in the middle of the trail and stick to waymarked routes to help conservation management – for example to avoid ground-nesting birds in spring.
3. Don’t pick wild flowers or destroy vegetation
4. Never disturb livestock or wild animals.
5. Fire risk is significant, especially in summer, so never light barbecues.

Looking for more walks in wild and wonderful landscapes? Read our round-up of hikes in Corsica. Want to introduce young kids to the great outdoors? Here are some family-friendly hikes in the UK, from the South Downs to Nottinghamshire's Robin Hood Way.