For anyone who likes to spend their time off actively and meaningfully, walking holidays are an amazing way to do so. Many people believe that they can also open up opportunities for spiritual and personal growth. From coastal trails to hiking in the mountain ranges, if walking holidays sound like they are up your street, here are our favourite destinations for them in Europe.
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Top walking holiday destinations in Europe
Table of Contents
Planning Your Trip
We use the below booking platforms to plan our trips. We hope you find them useful too!
Spain
Spain is home to one of the oldest networks of routes for walking holidays, which was historically used for pilgrimage purposes – Camino de Santiago. There are dozens of different routes to choose from, with their purpose being reaching the town of Santiago de Compostela. Given that Spain has an incredibly diverse terrain, it makes it the ideal destination for walkers of all levels, whether you enjoy coastal views or challenging hills. The most popular of the Camino de Santiago routes are Camino Frances and Camino del Norte.
Portugal
Similarly to Spain, Portugal has a mild climate throughout the year as well as a varied landscape that introduces a variety of challenges. The country has some of the most popular walking routes in Europe, including the Camino Portugues coastal route, which follows the Atlantic coast all the way into Spain. The other trails, outside the Camino network, include Via Algarviana and Rota Vicentina, which have great options for both day-long hikes and week-long walking holidays in Portugal.
Scotland
Scotland’s quickly-changing weather conditions do not stop walkers from taking on this land. It is thanks to the country’s rich history and natural beauty, which is incomparable to anywhere else in Europe. The West Highland Way, for instance, is a stunning route from Glasgow to Fort William, all across the picturesque Highlands. Some lesser-known yet equally beautiful walking trails in Scotland are Isle of Skye and the Fife Coastal Path.
Italy
Indeed, Italy is not just great for its delicious food and wine – it is the perfect place for walking holidays too. The country’s most walked trails, unsurprisingly, are coastal, as you can enjoy the dramatic cliffs and charming coastal villages along the way. The Cinque Terre route and the Amalfi Coast are both amazing, but if you want to go a step further, you can also do an exotic walking holiday in Sicily.
Switzerland
Switzerland has some of the best-maintained hiking trails in Europe, with the main network of routes surrounding the Alps. These hikes tend to be on the challenging side and most of the time include camping along the way. However, if you want a less strenuous experience, there is also the walk around Lake Geneva or the hikes in the Jura Mountains, both of which guarantee breathtaking landscapes.
Book a walking holiday with Orbis Ways
If one of these destinations caught your eye, the simplest way to book your walking holiday is through an agency. This is because of the amount of research and logistics that it involves, including route planning, accommodation booking, airport transfers and so on.
Orbis Ways is one of the leading walking holiday agencies in Europe, covering a wide range of destinations and routes. In addition to general hikes, they also specialise in planning authentic Camino de Santiago holidays, making sure that you receive your pilgrim certificate at the end. With all the details taken care of, all you have to do is show up and enjoy!
Conclusion
Europe is such a diverse continent, with its varied landscapes and historically significant sites. You can, therefore, be sure that you will easily find the perfect destination for your walking holiday!
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