3 Hikes in Europe You Have NEVER Heard of Before

I did numerous hikes in Europe, and I hold great memories of some of them. Those are the hikes I will present to you right now. I will try to name only hikes that you have never heard before. This is to give as much value as possible to this article and to avoid telling about obvious and crowded hikes in Europe. So let’s dive into the hikes in Europe you have never heard of before.

1. The Percurso dos Sete Vales Suspensos, Portugal

In September 2020, I was able to travel to Faro in Algarve, in the South of Portugal. The weather was perfect to relax, and also to hike. So we looked for information about hikes in Algarve, and we found this one. Basically, the Percurso dos Sete Vales Suspensos (the seven-hanging valleys hiking route) is a trail following the coastline. This means that it is very easy to follow. The two only questions are: where do you want to start and do you want to go West or East?

We decided to start the hike at Praia da Marinha and to head West up to Alfanzina Lighthouse. It took us 6 hours with all the stops (in Benagil for instance) to join those two points. On the way, we had the chance to see the view below under great conditions. If you are interested in this hike, the best is that you read the article I wrote about it. It will get much more in detail into this hike. You will find it here: What Is The Best Hike In Algarve?

2. Anello del Lago Santo e Monte Marmagna, Italy

Now let’s head to Italy and get in altitude. We won’t go in the Alps or in the Dolomites, but in the Alpines. This mountain range located in Northern Italy is much smaller than the Alps. But still, there are great hikes to do here, and they are not as much crowded as the ones in the Alps and the Dolomites.

I had the chance to hike the Anello del Lago Santo e Monte Marmagna in August 2020 during the pandemic. Just like for the hike in Algarve, this made the trail very calm compared to normal times. This hike in Italy is not easy to access, but once you are on the trail, it is very well indicated. So, how do you get there?

To get to the Anello del Lago Santo e Monte Marmagna, you will need to get a car and drive up to Corniglio, in Emilia Romagna. This is not the easiest drive in the world and you will need to be ready for some mountain driving! Once again, if you want to know more about this hike, I can only recommend that you read the article I wrote about the hike from Lago Santo to Monte Marmagna.

3. Ben Nevis, Scotland

Is there a better way to end this top 3 than with the highest point of the United Kingdom? Ben Nevis is located in Scotland and offers a great viewpoint of the Highlands. I had the chance to go there back in Summer 2014, and even if I was young, I still remember very well the landscape. When you arrive, it’s just like the old Windows XP background: green big hills in the middle of nowhere.

To hike there, the best is to follow the trails. The thing is that there are different trails you can take in Ben Nevis. There is one which is called “The Tourist Trail” because it is the crowdest one, and there is another one. But to know exactly which trail you should take, the best is that you take the time to read the article I wrote about How hard is it to climb Ben Nevis? In this article, I really explain the differences between all the paths.

Famous hikes in Europe

Now that we discussed hikes people usually don’t know about, we can also do the opposite. Indeed, there are great hikes to do in Europe. For instance, the Alps spread over France, Italy, Switzerland, and even up to countries in Eastern Europa. Since those mountains are very high, they offer great landscapes.

Mont Blanc, the highest of Europe hikes

Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in Europe, culminating at 4,809 meters above sea level. Of course, reaching the top is very difficult and not for everyone. But there are lots of hikes around the Mont Blanc that offer great views of the valleys. This is what I would recommend for beginner and hardened hikers. For professional hikers, you can give the summit a chance, but you will have to plan your trip in advance. Indeed, summiting the Mont Blanc is getting more and more popular, and the trail is getting very crowded.

Dolomites, the most beautiful of Europe hikes

Let’s head back to Italy, but to another region. Now we left the Alpines and we head East to the Dolomites. This is a much more famous mountain range in Italy. It’s known for its scenic rocky mountains and the valleys in between them. To get there, the best is to land in Venice, Zurich, or Munich, and then rent a car to get to the valleys.

Iceland, the most extreme of Europe hikes

Let’s finish this article with the hardest hike to reach in all of the ones I presented to you for now. Indeed, whereas you could drive to all of the last hikes, you cannot drive to Iceland if you are not directly from this island. So to get there, you will need to get a plane ticket and then rent a car. This is the best option and you won’t regret it. There are tons of hikes to do in the area.

Now if you already heard of any of the 3 first hikes, I would be curious to know about it and to have your feedback. I still have very clear memories about Portugal and Italy, but not that much about Ben Nevis in Scotland, so it would be a pleasure to hear about that in my mailbox or in the comments section!