
The 15 best hiking trails in Europe (2025 edition)
Welcome to this article with the best hiking trails in Europe! This article was first published in 2019 and has been updated in 2025. In the past couple of years, I’ve been exploring plenty of new places and new hiking destinations within Europe. I moved from The Netherlands to Sweden so I can now explore even more on foot in the mountains. Here comes the 15 best hiking trails in Europe!
Note that all trails and hikes mentioned below have been done by myself and I only speak of personal experience.
Landmannalaugar – Iceland
My favorite place to hike on Iceland is definitely Landmannalaugar. This unrelenting region in the Icelandic highlands is only accessible in the summer and with a 4WD car or by bus from Reykjavík. You will find countless hiking trails in Landmannalaugar, but my favorite trail here is the first section of the famous Laugavegur hike, from Landmannalaugar to Hrafntinnusker, the first mountain hut on this hike.
You take a full day there and back (24 km return, approx. 6-8 hours) but the walk is really worth it. If you don’t want to hike that long you can, for example, climb the Brennisteinsalda or take a trip through the Laugahraun – an endless lava field.
Landmannalaugar is known for its orange and brown rhyolite mountains which you can see below on the photo and the hotpots. There’s a hot spring at the campsite where you can bathe after your hike. Furthermore, there is an occasional shop in an old school bus and you can camp or sleep in the refuge. There are no hotels in the area, Landmannalaugar is really a destination for adventurers.
Further reading:

Aurlandsdalen, Norway
Forget Trolltunga, Preikestolen, Kjeragbolten and those other famous hikes in Norway, one of the best day hikes in Norway you can make here is the lower section of the Aurlandsdalen trail. The Aurlandsdalen is also called the Grand Canyon of Norway and is 40 kilometers long. The lower part of the hike, from Østerbø to Vassbygdi is a full day hike but very worthwhile. You start the hike at the Østerbø Turisthytte and walk down into the lower part of the Aurlandsdalen. Sometimes the path is wide and relatively flat, sometimes narrow and steep. The distance of this hike is 20 kilometers and it takes approximately 6 hours.
You can reach the start of the route by bus or taxi from the parking place in Vassbygdi. Here at the end is a small hut where you can buy some drinks after your trek. You can find the bus schedule for this hike here.
Further reading:

Drottningleden, Sweden
Drottningleden is an eight kilometer linear walk in the Vindelfjällen Nature Reserve in the north of Sweden. The trail will give you some of the most stunning views in all of Sweden and takes you across a mountain ridge where reindeers live. The trail starts either at the naturum Vindelfjällen or the small town of Laisaliden and is a linear walk. I think the prettiest section is near Laisaliden however opinions vary of course. I have done this trail many times as I now call the north of Sweden my home and can truly recommend this amazing hike!
Further reading:

Kungsleden Trail, Swedish Lappland
Since nowadays I’m mostly hiking in the north of Europe, I figured I’d also add a multi day hiking trail in Sweden. Of course, this has to be Kungsleden, also know as the King’s Trail. This classic hike has been on the top of most bucketlists for a long time and is well worth the effort. The whole trail will take you somewhere between 3-4 weeks, but you can also hike just a section if you have less time to spend. I’ve hiked most sections and loved every bit of it. You can read more about them here:

Lost Valley, Scotland
In my opinion Scotland is one of the most rugged and beautiful hiking destinations in Europe. My favorite hike in Scotland is the Lost Valley Hike. This relatively unknown hike in the Glencoe area will take you half a day and a lot of sweat, but once you reach the end of the hike it is well worth the effort. The Lost Valley bears this name for a reason, because you cannot see it from the road and the parking lot of the hike. After more than an hour of climbing and scrambling do’ll arrive in the valley that suddenly reveals itself. From here you can go even further down the valley, but there is no marked trail anymore. The walk is about 4.5 kilometers return and will take you around 2-3 hours.
Also read my list with the best hikes in Scotland

The Kammenroute, Veluwezoom National Park
When you make an overview of the best hiking trails in Europe while being Dutch, a hike in the Netherlands cannot be missed. It was a difficult choice, but the Kammenroute on the well-known Posbank is ultimately my favorite hike you can do in my country. Of course, the hike is recommended in the summer when the heath is in bloom, but it is also beautiful in the fall when the leaves are coloring.
The Kammenroute is 6 kilometers long and has nice height differences for Dutch standards. You can park your car at the Veluwezoom visitor center in Rheden and walk the route from here. At the top of the Posbank you will find the Pavilion where you can take a break and in the weekends Koepel de Kaap is also open. Tip: walk this route on a weekday, it is a lot quieter there than in the weekends, when the Posbank is a popular tourist attraction.

Gringlay, Luxembourg
Luxembourg is a true hiking paradise and an excellent place with good hiking trails for starting hikers to practice their alpine skills. Two of the most beautiful long-distance beautiful hiking trails in Europe can be found here, the Mullerthal Trail and the Lee Trail. On the latter you will find the most beautiful view of the Ardennes, the Gringlay (or Gringlee). From here you have a beautiful view of the river Sûre below you.
The ascent can be made from two sides: from the station in the village of Michelau, which is the least steep and takes you a good hour and a half to the top. From Camping du Moulin in Bourscheid Moulin it is steep and you are at the top within an hour.

Hiking near the Geierlay swingbridge – Germany
It probably doesn’t surprise you that the Geierlay Suspension Bridge in the Saarland is also on the list. I have been here three times now and time and time again I am amazed by the beauty in this area. You can visit the Hängeseilbrücke Geierlay by a 1.8 kilometer walk from the village of Mörsdorf, but the 6.2 kilometer route is more beautiful. Another good option is to do a stretch of the Saar-Hunsrücksteig. The Blankenrath – Kastellaun route takes you across the bridge and is 17 km long. The hotel where we stayed, Hotel Burgstadt, can arrange transfers for you. It’s definitely one of the best hikes in Germany

Bohemian Switzerland, Czech Republic
I recently hiked the Hřebenovka Trail in Bohemian Switzerland in Czechia. I usually go hiking in Czechia every other year and it’s nowadays one of my favorite hiking destinations, especially because their trails are so well maintained.
The Hřebenovka trail is one of the newest long distance hikes and the section through Bohemian Switzerland is actually the only well developed part of the trail. It’s just over 100 kilometers and absolutely stunning as well as challenging, with many ladders and stairs to be climbed and descended. Unfortunately, this region was fit by forest fires in 2023 which means that some sections of the trail are currently rerouted, however I hiked it recently (May 2025) and I still absolutely loved it. More can be found on this website.

Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe to Heiligenblut – Oostenrijk
I have been coming to Austria ever since I was a little girl and made countless hikes here. It is difficult to name the most beautiful area, but one of the best hikes in Austria I ever did was the first section of the Alpe Adria Trail, from Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe at the foot from the Grossglockner to the picturesque Heiligenblut. This hiking trail takes you from the glacial landscape through the terminal moraine and alpine lakes through a green valley far back to civilization. The distance of this trail is approx. 13 kilometers and you can find my full article here.

Tre Chime / Drei Zinnen, Italy
One of the best hikes in Italy that should not be missed on this list of the best places to hike in Europe is the Tre Chime / Drei Phrase hike in the Dolomites, Italy. This famous rock formation is one of the most beautiful in the world for me and you can make all kinds of hikes here. I myself combined the hike at the Drei Zinnen with a Klettersteig (Via Ferrata), but you can also easily walk around the Drei Zinnen. You should also have lunch at the Drei Zinnen Hütte, it can be quite busy but the pasta is excellent! If you want to do the walk around the Drei Zinnen, the distance is around 11 kilometers.

Ruta de los Volcanos, Spain
For Spain it was difficult to choose what my favorite hike is, but in the end I ended up at the Ruta de los Volcanos, one of the most famous hikes in Spain. This day hiking trip on the island of La Palma is an ultimate beautiful hike along countless volcanoes and offers you fabulous views of the entire islands and various other Canary Islands in the distance when the weather is nice. The route starts at Refugio El Pilar, accessible by taxi, and ends in Los Canarios.
Although the route is nowhere really technical, it’s nevertheless a tough walk since the weather can be huge on the ridge of Cumbre Vieja. Fortunately I had good weather both times that I walked the Ruta de los Volcanos, but do this walk only when the weather is good. The hike is about 18 kilometers long and will take you around 6 hours.
Note that the trail was recently closed because of volcanic activity however according to Senderos de La Palma the trail is currently open.

Vikos Gorge, Greece
In the north of Greece lies the Vikos gorge, one of the deepest gorges in the world. It is a pure paradise for hiking and you can enjoy hiking in as well as around the gorge. There are countless day hikes here but if you have less time to spend, the hike from Monodendri to the Agia Paraskevi monastery is a must, about half an hour each way. From the monastery you have a fantastic view over the gorge and I will tell you a secret: from the monastery you can go a little further along a very narrow path. You will automatically come across a sign “entering at your own risk”, from here you can walk a little further along a path with steep abysses, which is unsuitable if you are afraid of heights, but well worth the views!

The Soča Valley in Slovenia
The Soča Valley is of course not to be missed during your hiking trip in Slovenia. This valley with the bright blue Soča River as its center offers not only countless hiking trails, but also a lot of natural beauty such as waterfalls, rocks and special views. I visited the canyon while the weather was cloudy and rainy. Which is a shame at first, but on the other hand it’s great because the water seems even bluer! The Alpe Adria Trail I told you about earlier also runs through the canyon!
You can read my whole article about hiking in Slovenia here.

Conclusion of hiking in Europe
Hopefully you have gained a lot of inspiration for the future of hiking routes in Europe. Europe is perfect for making beautiful trips, whether you are looking for a short walk or a multi-day hike. If you have any tips for this list with the best hikes, please let me know in the comments below so that other readers can also enjoy your suggestions as well.
Want to read more? Then you may also enjoy the following posts:
- The best destinations in Europe for experienced hikers
- The best multi day hikes in the world
- The best one day hikes in the world
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5 Comments
Guide Bohemian Switzerland
Thank you for recommend the Bohemian Switzerland for hiking in Europe. If anyone need help, there is free download map: http://www.bohemian-switzerland.cz/map
Jasper Baetens
Nice article, thanks for the inspiration! The GR20 is another European hike that I would highly recommend!
anto
I’ve heard of it and would love to try it myself one day!
Hussain
Thanks for sharing your lovely adventure Antonette. Fabulous post!
anto
Thank you!