Best Spring Hikes in Europe

Spring is here and your hiking boots are nagging at you almost every day from the shoe rack because they finally want to see daylight again? Let’s go – take advantage of the good weather and long days after the dark winter. Find out what you should bear in mind when hiking in spring and where you can go on multi-day hikes in March, April and May:

Overview

Tips for choosing a tour:

• Obtain information
• Check your equipment
• Mountain hiking in spring: only for experienced hikers

Tour tips for hiking in spring

• Multi-day hikes in Germany:
  • Moselsteig Trail
  • Maximilian’s Trail
  • Munich hinterland
  • Trekking in Germany
• Multi-day hikes in Europe:
  • The Fishermen’s Trail in Portugal
  • GR 131 and GR130 on La Palma, Spain

At the very beginning of my “hiking career”, I regularly traveled from the big city to the mountains. In spring, when there hadn’t been any snow in Munich for weeks, nature taught me one thing: it’s not summer in the mountains just because there’s no more snow in the city. Old snow and, above all, slush have accompanied me on many tours. So here are some tips for the start of the hiking season:

Obtain information:

In many hiking regions, the off-season is used to prepare hiking trails for the summer. Find out in advance which hiking trails may still be closed. Also note the closure periods in nature reserves, some of which should not be entered until April in order to allow animals and plants to rest.

It has already happened to me that I had to turn back on an actually quite easy hike from Lenggries to Lake Tegernsee because the path was full of fallen tree trunks. Fortunately, I was still able to complete the hike, but on a somewhat monotonous forest path.

Equipment:

If your hiking equipment and especially your hiking boots have been hibernating: Check them once before the first use in spring to make sure everything fits. Also be prepared for mud. Hiking trails are often very muddy, especially after a snowy winter or rainy weeks. Sticks are helpful, especially on steep sections.

Make sure you also pack sun protection in your rucksack. After a long winter, the skin needs time to get used to UV radiation again. Even in March and April, the sun can be very strong, especially at midday.

It can also be very fresh in the morning and evening. It is therefore better to pack an extra layer to stay warm.

Mountain tours in spring:

Even if it feels like winter and snow are long gone in most cities and even in mountain villages, it’s a different story in the mountains and especially the Alps. If you are planning a mountain tour in spring, you should expect snow and ice on many peaks and trails. You should also be aware of avalanches and check the latest avalanche report before setting off on your tour. Choose your equipment accordingly and pack a pair of “Grödel”. Demanding tours involving scrambling or climbing are best postponed until summer and only undertaken with the appropriate previous experience and equipment.

Mountain tours that run on the south side and get a lot of sun are often free of snow earlier. However, even here you have to expect old snow fields or icy passages, for example in the forest or in places where there is little sunshine.

Also note that many huts in the Alps only open in June or July. You can find out more about winter hiking (winter conditions can be expected at higher altitudes until the end of May/June) in this blog article.

 In March, April and May, you can prepare for longer hiking tours in summer and explore flatter areas. You can also use the many public holidays in April and May to plan one or two multi-day hikes. Here are my tips for the most beautiful hikes in Germany and Europe:

My tips for multi-day hikes in spring in Germany:

NRW: The Moselsteig Trail

The Moselsteig Trail takes you up and down through the vineyards along the Moselle. From day tours to multi-day hikes, everything is possible on the Moselsteig Trail. On a total of 24 daily stages, you can hike over 360 marked kilometers from Perl on the German-French border to Koblenz. Public transport and civilization are never too far away, so you can plan your hikes flexibly.

I hiked part of the Moselsteig Trail in 2022 and was amazed at how much altitude we gained even without long climbs.

More information on the official website:
https://www.visitmosel.de/wandern

 

Bavarian Alps: Maximiliansweg

Follow in the footsteps of a Bavarian king on the Maximiliansweg. The long-distance hike can be started from May. The Maximiliansweg starts at Lake Constance and ends in Berchtesgaden at Königssee (or vice versa) and can also be completed in individual stages. For the complete tour you have to hike 360km, stages can be arranged very flexibly and you can almost always spend the night in a village if huts are not yet open.

https://www.wildganz.com/fernwanderweg/maximiliansweg

Spring thru-hike around Munich: From Lenggries to Spitzingsee

A multi-day hike south of Munich that I put together myself and that leaves plenty of room for flexibility is the tour from Lenggries to Lake Schliersee. You are mainly on forest paths, which are easy to do even with the last remnants of snow. You can also spend the night in the valley and are not dependent on hut opening times. You can also easily start and finish the hike from Munich using public transport. Summits, detours and extensions, for example to Spitzingsee, are possible at any time. If the weather doesn’t play ball, you can also use the thermal baths directly on the lake at Tegernsee and/or Schliersee – booking recommended.

Duration: 2-4 days

56 kilometers

To the tour on Komoot:

https://www.komoot.com/de-de/collection/3394989/-fruehlingswanderung-muenchner-voralpen

Out and about with a tent: trekking sites in Germany

For all those who like to travel with their own tent: there are more and more trekking sites in Germany where you can camp legally. In most cases, you have to reserve a pitch, so you are not quite as spontaneous and flexible when you are out and about. Such sites are a great way to try out camping in the great outdoors. In addition, you are often not alone at the campsites, which can be an advantage if you are going off on your own for the first time. If you like, you can also meet like-minded people at such trekking sites. Most trekking sites can be booked from April or May.

Unfortunately wild camping is not allowed in most European countries. But luckily there are more and more trekking camps being build in Germany and other countries. Beware of wild camping in national parks, there are high fines if someone catches you.

You can find more information from the DAV:

https://www.alpenverein.de/artikel/zelt-trekking-in-deutschland_f820b191-f519-4021-99d5-699141764d3e

The most beautiful spring hikes in Europe

Do you still have vacation days that you need to get rid of in the first quarter? Or would you like to use the many public holidays in April and May to start your hiking season? Here are my tips for hiking in Europe in March, April and May:

Portugal: The Fisherman’s Trail

On the west coast of Portugal lies the beautiful Fishermen’s Trail, also known as the Rota Vicentina. South of Lisbon, it almost always runs along the coast from one small village to the next. Spring is the ideal time for the fishing trail, as it is not yet so hot, everything is in bloom and the towns are not yet so crowded. The only catch: numerous hidden beaches invite you to linger and you may not make as much progress as you thought.

The official website has tips for accommodation and even luggage transport that can be organized. A large part of the route runs over sand – you shouldn’t underestimate this. In addition to the coastal tour, there is also an inland route that passes through small villages and towns.

The Fishermen’s Trail was my first multi-day hike in 2019. Since then, I’ve been on the Ruta Vincentina several times, which now leads all the way to Lagos in the Algarve. You can find more pictures and impressions of the fishing trail on my travel blog Vagabondia.

In my opinion, the most beautiful part of the hike is the stretch between Porto Covo and Odeceixe, for which you can plan around 4-5 days.

• Duration: 5-13 days (13 stages)
• Kilometers: 226

Official website: https://rotavicentina.com/de/

Spain: Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are a paradise for hikers all year round. Geographically speaking, they belong to Africa and therefore have a mild climate. Each of the 7 islands has its own charm, but my heart is particularly attached to the small island of La Palma. The Spanish like their palm trees, so please don’t confuse La Palma with Palma de Mallorca or Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria.

There are two signposted long-distance hiking trails on La Palma: the GR 131 and the GR 130. The GR 131 leads across all the Canary Islands. If you follow the GR 131 on La Palma, you will be hiking on the trails of the Transvulcanias, a well-known trail running event. I would have started the Transvulcania in 2022, but unfortunately a coronavirus illness put a spanner in the works. The GR 130 leads around the entire island and you get to know all the larger and smaller towns on the island as well as many great beaches and natural pools.

You can read more about La Palma on my travel blog. I lived on the island for 4 months in 2021 and have been back almost every winter since. Day hikes, trail running and a circumnavigation of the island are possible on La Palma.

Komoot:

GR 131 and GR 130 on La Palma
https://www.komoot.com/de-de/collection/3395026/-la-palma