Great Scenic European Short Walks
 

There are so many that it is difficult to begin but I will start with St. Govan's Chapel and Worms Head and Rhossili Bay walks in Wales. Short but oh, so breathtaking.

Amongst my favourites are walks all over Northern Yorkshire as well.

The coastal footpath (North Walk) that brings you to the Valley of the Rocks just outside the south west English town of Lynton is pretty spectacular. As is the whole stretch of the South West Coast Path.

Walking along the South Bank in London along the Thames

Hi All,

Hmmm, how short is "short"?

One of my favorites is in Montreux, along the flowered lakeside promenade between Montreux and Villeneuve -- especially when the city's gardeners have created sculptures along the way.

Another good one near Montreux is the walk through the vineyards between Vevey & Lausanne. This paricular short walk is from Chexbres to Rivaz, ending at the lake.

Another good one is from Rougemont to Chateau d'Oex, but it's almost long-ish and may be better to bike it. The landscape is gorgeous green rolling hills dotted with brown-wood chalets. Just picture-postcard perfect Swiss scenery.

Ok, here's one that is probably too long but is stunningly beautiful: from Mittenwald in Germany to Kruen. It's about two hours, but the whole time you're surrounded by mountain ranges, and you can hardly keep your mouth closed for the beauty of the area. The trail winds over hills and around farms, and you feel like it's the yellow brick road!

s

In Italy: the Via dell'Amore in the Cinque Terre (between Riomaggiore and Manarola). Short, beautiful, and unforgettable! And, if you're so inclined, you can keep hiking much further.

One of my favorites in Paris is to walk from Notre-Dame all the way to the Arc de Triomphe, largely thru the Tuileries gardens and passing so many neat monuments and then up the unqiue Champs-elysees - a few miles with unparalleled scenery of interest to me.

In the fall of 1998 we walked out the back gate of Cottage in the Woods in the Malvern Hills and walked through the leaves which were turning. The trail followed an escarpement which is supposedly one of the longest views in Britain. Now I suppose people can do it with Elger (who came from the area) on their headphones!
I also loved the coastal path near Menabilly -- which was where Daphne duMaurier stayed and wrote some of her later novels.

hopingtotravel - I have sailed past Daphne Du Maurier's home a little way up the estuary from Fowey which all the guide books refer to as her home town. I am slightly confused about the name Menabilly? Could this be a second home?

English Peak District
(2-6 hours, in order of difficulty)
- Elton circular via Robin Hoods Stride
- Edale to Castleton over Mam Tor
- Edale to Hayfield past Edale Cross
- Edale to Snake Inn over Kinder Scout

French Riviera

Cap d'Ail to Monaco

Cap d'Ail train station and then two miles along the coast on fine flat paved footpaths passing the signature Riviera scapes of azure-hued water lapping at a rocky coast with cypress trees swaying above.

This walk is all nature - just gorgeous - the French Riviera sketched in our minds' eyes but which many people never see due to the tremendous development along most of the coast.

Isolated swimming holes - skinny dippers.

Tod, Ferryside, (if I have the name right) was Daphne's home as a child. I believe her son lives there now, or at least did 10 years ago. It is the one up the beautiful Fowey estuary.

She and Boy Browning rented or leased Menabilly for several years. It is out in a field. There is a little road to a nearby farm where one can puts coins in a can to walk a path which leads down to the coastal path. Unfortunately the leafy trees prevented us from seeing Menabilly from that trail. I guess it can be seen in winter.

Any of the many walks on La Palma, Canary Islands, particularly around the Caldera.

Craster to Newton-by-the-Sea via Dunstanburgh.

Ruined castle, sea, cliffs, crab sandwiches & a pint of beer at the Sailor - then pick up your kippers on the way back

Alan, we were going to do the Craster walk on our most recent trip to the UK but unfortunately ran out of time. Obviously we missed something wonderful!

Sailor - it's the Ship. Perhaps I should drink less next time...

t

The Birks of Aberfeldy in Scotland is a nice forested short walk.

Coastal walks are great in Kent coasts in towns like Ramsgate or Broadstairs
http://www.hotelara.com/england/2007...airs-kent.html

To name but a few:
The walk around Hardcastle Crags in Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire. Combined with a walk up to Heptonstall where Sylvia Plath is buried (not for the unfit).
Walk the entire walls of York.
The walk to Castle Gloom (Dollar Castle) in Scotland.
I'm very much looking forward to walking in Cinque Terre, North Italy this year.

bookmarking

Middle section of Hadrian's Wall.

The Appian Way.

We loved walking the historic wall in Dubrovnik. Stunning view after stunning view...something I'll never forget!

Tracy

That is a fabulous walk, isn't it? The views of Dubrovnik are gorgeous from the walls.

The walk around Burg Eltz in Germany is also pretty.

Scenic walks in Europe...where to start? And where to stop?

That walk between Grutschalp and Muerren in the Berner Oberland sure was gorgeous, I can tell you that.

In the Aran Islands of Ireland, on Inis Mor (the biggest of the three) a great walk is the trip up to Dun Angus, and then looking over the 300 foot cliff into the Atlantic Ocean.

York walls
Pennine Way

From Cogne near Aosta, Italy, along the Valnontey River to the tiny village of Valnontey where the trail brings you to a spectacular view of the Gran Paradiso in the Gran Paradiso National Park, one of the most beautiful places on earth.

So many, including many mentioned here, but the first that came to mind was circling pretty Lake Bled in Slovenia.

Walking through the Valley of Temples in Agrigento, Sicily is another.

How about the walk along the glacial ice caves in Grindelwald, Switzerland. or the almost flat and easy walk above Grindelwald from Mannlichen to Kleine Schiedig (butchered the spelling, I know -- but too late to look it up)?

Patrick, you took the words out of my mouth.

The walk from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg up above Grindelwald. Absolutely breathtaking.

Here's a photo link:

http://tinyurl.com/38evqp

In the large photo, you can see the walking trail with two people just to the right of the wooden chalet.

The Mannlichen route was closed when we went to do that walk in June last year due to a snow fall, so thanks for the photo link. Guess we have a good excuse to go back.

bookmarking!!

Haystacks, Buttermere from Honister Pass - no steep inclines as the car park is nearly at the top of the ridge.

The round Derwentwater walk ( the best in England). Lots of pubs stop offs and a boat launch if you get tired.

Bamburgh beach

Malham Cove, Yorkshire Dales

Capo D'Orso, Palau, Sardinia

Cala Varques, Mallorca

Canos De Meca, Costa De La Luz (Cape Trafalgar lighthouse)

Waterfalls Walk, Ingleton, Yorkshire

Wheat fields south of Pienza

Il Forno to the old Tuna factory, Elba

The town walls around Lucca

No its not in Europe - but the seashore at low tide in Sooke, BC - life is like a box of chocolates in Sooke!

Walking in the Alpe di Suisi in the Dolomites in Italy is our family favourite.

Glad to see someone else enjoys Sooke.

Loved the short bits of the English Coastal Path we have experienced.

hopetotravel

the National Geographic count in one half hour walk was
1 racoon, 3 rabbits, 2 deer, 8 sea otters, 10 seals, a bald eagle, three very big and very purple starfish, other rubbery things that we still can't find in natural history books, crabs the size of footballs and something in the bushes making very strange loud noises that was given a wide berth.

This was following a road journey during which we saw two black bears.

Soooke is indeed a great place.

...walk the entire wall surrounding Dubrovnik...(stop at Cafe Buza for a breathaking view...join [or don't join] the cliff jumpers!)

Cinque Terre...the most challenging segment is Vernazza to Monterosso, short but sweet)

Walk the beach from Bidart to Biarritz...amazing lunarscape rock formations, flat sandy beach (La Tantina ,overloking the beach, for lunch)

Near Bilbao, the mountain gravel road just a few kms. north of Gernika, to the Painted Forest (El Bosque Pintado)..about an hour or more.

Any of the walking paths, particularly when there's snow on the ground, at the
Grand Hotel, Stary Smokovec in the Tatras

Any of the marked paths around Broadway and Chipping Camden in the Cotswolds...

The 45 minute cross-country walk from Domain de la Rhue (inn) to the top tier at Rocamadour....elevator down to the street level.

Walk the D-Day (Omaha) Beach at low tide, then follow the trail to the cemetery. Exceptionally emotional!

Walking across the Karluv Most
(Charles Bridge) all the way uphill to Hradcany Castle.

The tree lined street, especially for the colorful foliage in fall, leading to San Souci (from Potsdam Station).

Stu T.