Europe’s most breathtaking treks to do in 2024.

Fancy a French day hike to start things off smoothly? Indeed, we will gradually ascend in level of difficulty throughout this article, beginning with the shortest one of them all, The Lac d’Arremoulit trail. 

The aim of this mesmerising 2.5 hour hike is to trail up to the Arremoulit mountain refuge at a staggering 2,305 metres in altitude in the French Pyrenees National Park. A sight not to be missed! You will be blown away by the magnifying beauty that will surround you throughout your ascent. In addition to over 3,000 plant and 4,000 animal species, this hike also features glacial lakes, floral meadows, caves, ravines, peaks, and valleys that will absolutely take your breath away. The best time to do this hike is from April to September, as you would avoid larger crowds and smoother trail conditions.

Now, let’s jump into more lengthy treks. And boy do we have a good one for you: The Walker’s Haute Route travels from the base of Mont Blanc in Chamonix (France) all the way to Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland. 

In the span of seven to ten days, you will mount up to 12,600 metres in altitude and reach unbelievable peaks! If you’re looking for a detailed itinerary and advice about this route, we highly recommend you visit this page, where a previous trekker wrote about his experience mounting one of the world’s most famous treks. Best time to trek this beast is from mid July to mid September to avoid snow and muddy trails. 

For our third trek, we’ve decided to bring a big name into the mix: the pilgrimage route to the city of Santiago de Compostela in Northwestern Spain. Starting from the French town of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, an impressive stretch of over 800 km will leave you speechless (but mostly breathless)! There are over 10 Compostela routes, but this French alternative is considered the most social and scenic. 

Without a doubt, this long trek would take several weeks to complete (around 30 to 35 days approximately), making you go through various terrains and villages, but will ultimately have an elevation of up to 20,000 km! Therefore, the best time to complete this lengthy hike is either April through June or September through October to avoid extreme heat conditions! 

Now, let’s travel to Italy and the notorious Dolomites - an exceptional destination that must be trekked! These mountains offer countless hikes for all levels, but we’ll focus on the most renowned of them all, “Pale Di San Martino Traverse”, a shortened version of Alta Via 2. 

Whereas Alta Via 2 is 200 km long and lasts 14 days, the Pale Di San Martino Traverse covers the most scenic parts of the hike and is a more doable 37 km long hike, lasting between 2 and 4 days depending on the hiker’s level. Stretching from the Northern end of the Pale Di San Martino Nature Park all the way to the South of the Park reserve, over 2700 metres in altitude. The best time to hike this terrain is during the summer months, so anytime between June and September. 

The Juliana Trail in Slovenia: an exceptional escapade. Travelling over 270 km from North to South in the Julian Alps, this trek is no walk in the woods. Often compared to the Lake district in terms of terrain and distances, the Juliana Trail is notorious for its much praised summit, the Triglav, but is ultimately twice the height of altitude to the highest summit than the latter.

From Ljubljana to Triglav National Park, this trek requires much practice as it elevates all the way up to 7163 metres in altitude, in only 7 days. Moreover, the recommended time of year to mount this trek is (ironically) the hotter months of July to September in order to lounge the breathtaking Lakes Bled and Bohinj for much deserved swims! But most of all, we advise you to take many breaks along the way to take in the unbelievable picturesque landscape set before your eyes (as well as a sip of water).