Europe is primed for glorious walks, and with the evenings finally getting longer, the temperatures warming up and spring flowers beginning to bloom, it’s arguably the best time of year to get some nature-bound steps in.
And while we have our own roundup of our favourite European hiking trails, the Independent has just shared their top picks ahead of the blooming season, too.
Two of these are in the UK, including the South West Coast Path, a 1,014km route that is the longest National Trail in the UK, stretching all the way from Minehead in Somerset to Poole Harbour in Dorset via Cornwall and Devon’s rugged coasts.
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The other is the West Highland Way, a 154km trail that journeys from Milngavie in Glasgow via Loch Lomond to Fort William, and that was featured thanks to its ‘diverse landscape of pristine lochs, desolate moorlands and glacier-carved valleys’. Read more about the UK routes that made the list here.
In mainland Europe, the Cinque Terre Coastal Trail was featured. The trail connects five villages on the Lingurian coast and has a variety of sections, some just a few miles long. A particularly famous portion, Via dell’Amore, was reopened last summer after restoration works.
The fourth and final entry on the list is the Camino de Santiago, a world-famous pilgrimage that winds through little towns, pretty countryside and vineyards in Spain. While it’s traditionally a religious partaking, lots of hikers complete sections of it to soak up the history and culture.
Get a move on
Have a look at this recent roundup of Europe’s most pedestrian-friendly cities, or check out our roundup of the best hikes in Europe.
Did you see that this is officially the most beautiful place in the world, according to Time Out?
Plus: A new initiative to protect Italy’s most beautiful roads has been launched.
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