Shorter hikes in Germany

Hünenweg

Bourtanger Moor

In April 2022 I wanted to get fit for the upcoming season and was looking for a technically easy training hike: Hünenweg which connects Osnabrück with Groningen in 327 km seemed perfect because it involves hardly any elevation gain or loss. Plus I had never before hiked in the Netherland which more known as a cycling than a hiking destination. 

I planned for an 38 km average which I miserably missed mainly due to my lack of fitness, bringing worn out shoes that caused me pain and to many sights to process with such a busy hiking schedule. 

The first third of the trail is dominated by megalithic graves from which the German name Hünenweg is derived. Highlight of this section is the "Hunebed centre" in Borger which vividly depicts the daily life of stone age people and how they built these enourmous graves using foundlings. 

Although the Netherlands is obviously pretty flat I was amazed by different landscapes. I hiked around the Zuidlaarmeer which is a huge shallow lake and crossed into Germany in the huge binational Bourtanger Moor. 

Megalithic grave

Despite getting wet feet in the swampy area it was amazing to see how this the effects of peat production are getting renatured step by step.

The second third in Germany follows river Hase, another big environmental project in which the river is given back its floodplains.

The last third is all about megalithic graves again, the main concentration is next a huge golf course. It is a stark contrast to see all the graves and then seeing well groomed men playing golf next to it ...

I was lucky to meet trail coordinator Anna Schulte who explained that the Hünenweg has just recently been opened and is still a work in progress. Although there is still potential for improvement like getting more trail of the pavement I really enjoyed this trip across a rather unknown hiking region.

Anna also revealed me another interesting sight along the trail: Litte trail town Haselünne boasts three (!) distilleries which can all be visited on a guided tour including tasting. (I went there at 9 am which seemed a bit too early for tasting though ...)

Jurasteig und Altmühltal-Panoramaweg

View from the Jurasteig over the Danube River

Both "Premium" hiking trails (235 km and 200 km respectively) are located in Northern Bavaria and they coincide over 50 kilomters. I have walked them 12 years apart - but encountered the same problem: These two trails mainly follow river valleys - especially the Altmühl - and this is where railway lines and major highways are situated as well. To make things worse I have hiked both times in winter when there is not much foliage in the trees and therefore traffic noise is even louder than usual. And this led to a bizarre situation: I was walking through nature reserves where any human intervention is forbidden and almost felt like in a primeval forest - if motorcylce and truck noises would not have catapulted me back into modern Germany ... I was so annoyed that I walked with headphones or even ear plugs to shut out the noise.

Kloster Weltenburg which can be seen from both trails

Other than the noise problem they are actually quite nice: The Altmühl valley is not only a paddlers but also a hikers' dream and the trails which are mostly routed high above the rivers offer wonderful views.over the Danube, Altmühl and other smaller rivers. Plus there is a lot to see: Kloster Weltenburg and Liberation Hall in Kelheim to name but a few cultural highlights. Although Northern Bavaria is definitely not the Alps you have a lot of meters to ascend and descend because the trail changes river sides quite often. I could have stealth camped as usual but as I have both times hiked in winter I stayed in hotels each night - and was surprised how relatively expensive accommodation is in this not very touristy area. In hindsight I must say that these two trails are quite ok (if you are not as sensitive to noise as I am!), but not a real highlight. I would not go out of my way to hike them.

View from the Frankenweg with the Franconian flag

Frankenweg

I might be biased because I am born in Franconia where this trail is located but the 520 km long Frankenweg is one of my favourite trails in Germany. Like the above mentioned trails it is located in Northern Bavaria where there are only only secondary and low mountain ranges - and a lot of agricultural landscapes. So don't expect untouched nature! But this trail's appeal is in its variety - it shows you all sorts of different aspects of this region from pilgrimage churches, calvaries and shrines along the trail to culinary highlights such as local breweries and bratwurst.

You come through charming towns, little villages with less charming smells out of cow stables and a lot of forest where stealth camping was easy throughout the way. Staying in hotels is also a relatively cheap option as this is not a very touristy area and restaurant and hotel prices are low for German standards. Natural highlights are bizarre rock formations and lookouts with sweeping views. I have hiked this trail in several sections of long weekends when I was still working and enjoyed how easily accessible the trail is with public transport. I like this trail so much that I have re-hiked several sections whenever I came to visit my former home and I prefer it to its counterpart "Fränkischer Gebirgsweg" in the same area. It is ideal for hiking beginners: Well marked, easily accessible, cheap accommodation and lots of variety!

Märkischer Landweg und Uckermärker Landrunde

What do you do when you live in Berlin and feel cabin fever, but only have a weekend to hike? Well, you hike in the region and luckily Berlin is surrounded by little populated Brandenburg which offers plenty of hiking opportunities. With 217 km and 155 km respectivly these two are my favourite hikes in the area and I have come back in different seasons to hike sections of them again and again. They are easily accessible from Berlin by train and can indeed be hiked year round. Even in summer you will hardly encounter another soul and in winter you the forest all to yourself. Summer is best though because there are plenty of lakes with crystal clear water and swimming opportunities. I have even tried out my packraft here ... Brandenburg is not a spectacular, but a very relaxing outdoor destination. 

Free camping is even legal in Brandenburg for non-motorized persons for one night in the "open landscape". 

Shorter hikes: Fun hikes in Europe

When I was still working full time I only had six weeks of holidays like any other German. Most of this time was spent hiking in Europe and this trail was ideal for a stressed out city dweller:

Salzburger Almenweg is a 350 km circular hiking rail in Austria. An "Alm" is a mountain alp where cows are kept for grazing in summertime. And because the milk is already there butter and cheese are made in an Alm as well. This trail connects 120 "Alms" most of which offer food and some even accommodation. Food consisted mostly of self baked bread, butter, cheese and ham or bacon. For dessert there was "Topfenstrudel" made of curd. For me all this was a culinary delight! I mostly camped but also stayed in an Alm a couple of times which resulted in several marriage proposals! But it wasn't young men proposing for me but the mothers-in-law. Farmers have a hard time finding a wife because most young women don't want to live the hard farmers' life any more.

I am still not married to an Austrian farmer but have a lot of fond memories of this trail! It is easily accessible by train via Salzburg and ski lifts provide an easy way to shorten steep ascents. Staying in the alms provided a great insight into farmers' life and the scenery was always nice up to somtimes even spectacular. Only drawback: Skiwelt Amadé is located in the same area and therefore ski lifts and gondolas can be a bit of an eye sore. But on the other hand this makes the trail ideal for beginners who want to experience the alpine world without too difficult trails. The free broschure in the picture is a great hiking guide for this trail.

Welterbesteig Wachau: What was thought to be a stopgap between two Corona vaccination dates
(because I could not travel too far abroad) turned out to one of the most fun trails in Europe. The name of this 180 km long trail is derived of the nomination as UNESCO World heritage (Welterbe) of this rather short stretch of the Danube river. This is a circular trail with endless loops stretching from the river itself up to the forested slopes traversing endless vineyards. The landscape was so picture-postcard idyllic that it nearly hurt my eyes ... Plus there were self-service refrigerators with wine bottles along the way - what a pity when I hit them early in the morning ...

Even better were the Heurigen restaurants were you cannot only drink wine but feast on bread, cheese and hams for a very decent price. The trail is so well marked that you can manage even when a bit tipsy. The huge abbey churches in Melk and Göttweig were almost overwhelming with their Baroque opulence and deserve a long visit. I was able to attend a mass service in Göttweig where the monks were singing in Latin - and I realized that I had not forgotten my Latin lessons at school.

Although this area is heavily touristed I had no problem wild camping. I was always able to find a lonely piece of forest where I could tuck myself away. 

Plenty of lakes along the trail

Sörmlandsleden: I am not a big fan of hiking in Scandinavia - too expensive, too cold and no
protection from wind and rain in the big open fjell. But although hiking in Scandinavia is usually associated with trails like Kungsleden in Northern Sweden, there are also several great hiking trails in Southern Sweden where you can enjoy the Everyman's right but are protected from the elements by forests - and a great network of free shelters instead of expensive fjell stations. Best example is the Sörmlandsleden which I chose because it is close to Stockholm and easily accessible. I hiked it in early July for my birthday and had to revise the idea that it is cold in Sweden. It was freaking hot the entire time! Luckily I could jump into several lakes every day! Although not incredibly spectacular I enjoyed this trail a lot - because it provides a nice carefree holiday! Sörmlandsleden is a network of 1000 km inter-connecting trails which means you can choose your own route depending on how much time you have. I hiked around 300 km. There are several towns within reach so resupply was not a problem. There are free open huts at each stage complete with fireplaces (which I did not use because of the heat) and I was usually alone which meant I could go skinny dipping in the nearby lake. 

Shorter hikes: German pilgrimage trails

The following hikes are relatively short and I would not mention them normally but they are such a great choice for winter hiking that I could not resist including them. To start with I want to state that I am not a great fan of pilgrimage trails in general because they follow "easy" routes that have now been transformed into highways and trainlines. No wonder: in mediaveal times people wanted to get to the pilgrimage sites as quickly and as easy as possible. Natural beauty was not their concern! And I downright disliked Spanish caminos and their commercialization, not to mention the overcrowded albergues.

Marienstern monastery

But in winter time when there is less than 10 hours of daylight and freezing temperatures even I am not too enthusiastic about camping - and then pilgrimage trails with their great logistic are a fantastic option. And as I was to discover soon some of the rather unconventional pilgrim accommodations are a great way of getting in contact with people you would otherwise never meet. I heard some very interesting stories this way! In winter 2015/16 I hiked on three different pilgrimage trails that were easily accessible from Berlin.

Berlin - Wilsnack

 

In the Middle Ages Wilsnack was a popular pilgrimage destination that fell into oblivion with reformation. Just some 10 years ago German historians re-discovered and waymarked the 120 km long trail from the outskirts of Berlin to Wilsnack. There is a German guidebook and website - but nothing like a "boom" on this trail. I was totally alone when I hiked it in October 2015 which might have been due to the season and the rather "boring" flat landscape. But I really liked the "monotony" because it gave the hike a contemplative character.

But the best apect of this trail is not the landscape but the accommodation and the people. I stayed with an old Protestant "nun" in a parsonage, slept in the belltower of a fortified church and another parsonage whose keeper was also running a local small museum that displayed information of every single house in the village. She gave me a short course in local history and I ended up talking three hours with her!

Churches along the trail are usually locked but from your guidebook or an display at the building you learn where to get the keys. It feels like a blind date when you go to a house and ask a stranger for the keys. Because not much is going on in these villages the key keepers were usually very talkative and accompanied me to their church to give me a little tour. And although these village churches are no architectural wonders I was always delighted to hear the stories and learn about locals history.

To sum it up: If you speak German and are interested in getting to know about local history and people this little trail is a gem! There are several interesting accommodations (including two in belltowers!) along the trail and nice little villages and towns. People are not very outgoing but when you ask them they are usually more than willing to talk to you. The landscape is not spectacular at all but if you like the great wide open you will find it delightful. For me this trail was pilgrimaging at its best without the commercialisation of the Spanish caminos!

Pilgrimage Trail Loccum - Volkenroda

 

Bursfelde monastery

Because I had liked the Wilsnack Trail so much I decided to try another pilgrimage trail in November 2015: the Protestant trail Loccum - Volkenroda. Both places are old monasteries founded way back in the Middle Ages. The entire trail is around 300 kilometres and I hiked 130 kilometres from Uslar to Mühlhausen. Again I passed many fascinating churches that had mostly been transformed from once Catholic to Prostestant - and that were usually open! Unfortunately not all pilgrimage accommodation was availabe in winter and I had to camp out one night.

Accommodation in Camp Friedland

But on the other two nights I slept under interesting roofs: First in the refugee camp at Friedland which had been founded after WW II for displaced persons but was now overflowing with refugees from the Middle East. The next night I had made reservations to stay in a parsonage. Because it was raining so heavily the pastor's wife came even searching for me in the rain and invited me to share dinner with them! Another "attraction" of this trail is a short walk on the former border strip between East and West Germany.

To sum it up: It was a nice and interesting walk despite the bad weather I encountered in November. Still I would not get out of my way to do this pilgrimage trail: The landscape is nothing special and because most churches are open you do not meet as many people as on other trails where you have to ask for the key. I have not met any other pilgrim on this trail in November and I don't think that is is crowded in any other season either ...

Via Regia or Oecomenical Pilgrimage Trail

 

Marienstern monastery

The Via Regia has been a trade route and pilgrimage trail for centuries and has now been waymarked between Görlitz and Vacha on 470 kilometres. In December 2015 I hiked around 100 kilometres on it between Görlitz and Königsbrück. As was to be expected weather in December was nothing to write home about and I was very happy about the cheap pilgrimage accommodation like here in the monastery Marienstern where I could even attend mass in the rare Sorbian language (not that I understood a word of it ...)

Stasi prison in Bautzen

Because the Via Regia is an old trade route it passes through a lot of  towns which is tedious because I generally do not like to walk on concrete through endless suburbs. But on the Via Regia you are rewarded with wonderful old cities and fascinating sights like the old and beautifully restored Görlitz or Bautzen where I visited the gruesome former prison of the East German Stasi! Unfortunately many pilgrimage accommodations were not available in winter but I could resort to other cheap places listed in the trail guide.

To sum it up: Landscape wise this trail is nothing special and there is a lot of walking on pavement - but this is not unusual on pilgrimage trails. Still I think it is a better idea to cycle the Via Regia than to hike it - and both ways you will rewarded with wonderful old cities and interesting accommodation. I would not mind finishing the entire trail although I would rather cycle the rest.

Shorter hikes: France and Benelux

GR 4 and GTPA

One of my favourites in France is the GR 4. This trail traverses whole France but I like the Southernmost section in the Provence best. It starts in Grasse which you can easily reach by bus from Nice - and it is very easy to get to Nice with low-cost airlines! I therefore hiked three different times (2006, 2007 and 2016) on the GR 4  and some sections even twice!

The GR is ideal for shoulder season because it does not go up very high - but when I returned in 2016 for a third time I had bad luck. I came during Eastern holiday and in higher altitude there was still complete snow cover. But with a blue sky this is quite enjoyable ... My favourite part of the GR 4 stretches from the beginning in Grasse to Pont St. Esprit, a total of 575 kilometres.

This being the Provence you hike a lot along lavender fields but also on high mountain plateaus - or to sum it up: There is a lot of variety and beautiful views. The trail is very well marked and the first two times I even hiked without a GPS and never got lost once. There is an excellent French topoguide that covers both the GR 4 and GTPA and this book is really all you need.

On the GR 4 there are two impressive highlights: the gorges of Verdon in the Eastern part and Mount Ventoux at 1,900 metres in the Western part. The gorges alone make a trip worthwhile! They are already impressive viewed from the road above but even more so when you hike directly in the gorge on rather adventurous trail. Several long steel ladders help you along the way. These two sections of the GR 4 are the most popular and you will encounter plenty of day hikers and trail runners, but other than that you will mostly be hiking on your own.
 

The GTPA is even more spectacular and less touristy than the GR 4. It is called Grand Traverse des Prealpes because this is where its 150 kilometres will take you. Still it is not an alpine trail and technically as easy as the GR 4 but it takes you up to 1,700 metres of altitude. It branches off the GR 4 in Castellane and can therefore easily connected by train with it.

What I really enjoyed about both trails are the many dry stone terraces and the abandoned villages in the middle of nowhere. Most of them would be the perfect setting for a movie! But not only are they pittoresque but they make free camping extremely easy because where there is a terrace there is flat ground! I still want to mention that wild camping is mostly illegal in France but practically I never had a problem - and there is no one else around anyways ...

From me both GR 4 and GTPA get a very high recommendation for a carefree trail that can be hiked in shoulder season. I like it because it has the perfect mixture between fantastic landscape, pittoresque villages and easy hiking. If you do not have time for the whole stretch I would choose the GTPA and/or the Eastern part of the GR 4 from Grasse to Manosque.

GR 70 or Stevenson Trail

A much more famous trail in France is the GR 70 in the Cevennes. It is also called Stevenson Trail because it follows the route Robert Louis Stevenson took in 1878. He later wrote a book about this trip: "Travels with a donkey" which made the trail very popular with foreigners ... Due to its fame there are several guidebooks (even English ones) and excellent waymarking. I hiked its 225 kilometres in spring of 2005 from Alès to Le-Puy-en-Velay.

This was my first longer trail in France but even back then I was not overly impressed with it. Don't get me wrong: The GR 70 is a nice and pleasant trail but I have done much better hiking in France (see above). The Cevennes themselves are very beautiful and when I came back in 2012 for my Western European Traverse I chose a different route other than the GR 70.
To sum it up: You cannot go totally wrong on the GR 70 - it is a pleasant and easy hike. But there are nicer hiking trails in France ....

GR 14 and GR 16 in Belgium: Ardennes

Belgium does not have a great reputation as a hiking destination - and in May 2016 I wanted to find out if this is justified or not. The plan was to hike in the Ardennes, woody mountains in the border region of Belgium, France, Germany and Luxemburg. As this is the area where the Battle of Bulge, the last German offensive in WW II has taken place I wanted to combine hiking with a history trip.

I therefore chose the Belgium GR 14 (Sentier de l'Ardennes) which more or less follows the frontline in WW II and the GR 16 (Sentier de la Semois) which follows the windy river Semois. The GR 14 really turned out to be a history trip and I visited several WW II museums and memorials. This type of "war tourism" is actually widespread in this area and I could see from the cars' license plates that these places draw visitors from all over Europe.

But the Baugnez Historical Centre and the Musee Decembre 1944 which are both close to the trail are not your typical boring museum but had incredibly interesting displays and information. Thus informed it was even more interesting to hike along the original front line. But there was more than the historical aspect to this hike: The landscape was incredibly pretty. Nothing spectacular I admit, but plenty of forest and pittoresque rivers. Consequently wild camping was easy!

On the GR 16 it was the river Semois that fascinated me. It meanders through a lonely wooden landscape where there were no other hikers. I hiked only parts of both GR's on this trip, altogether 250 kilometres and for me this was one of the most fascinating and pleasant trips I have done in Europe. If you are interested in the history of WW II this is a fantastic hike for you! But I would even recommend the Ardennes to "normal" hikers because this is such an overlooked hiking area in Europe that is definitely worth exploring!

Shorter hikes: Iberian Peninsula

Over the years I have not only been doing long tours but in between shorter hiking trips as well. All of these can be done with a normal working person's holiday - and therefore I hope to give you some inspiration for trips of your own:

One of my favourite destinations for shorter - and off-season - trips is the Iberian peninsula. Because Spain and Portugal are such popular holiday destinations you can get cheap flights and the touristic infrastructure is great. Plus Spain has invested a lot of EU money in the development of new trails like my first favourite:

Gran Senda de Malaga or GR 249

When I first came across the trail during my Southern European Traverse I was immediately fascinated. Back then in 2014 the trail was just being finished. Therefore everything was brand new, waymarking excellent and the multilingual website fanastic. There you can find everything you need for a "thruhike" - no need to buy maps or guidebooks. You can even download the whole English topoguide including maps for this trail from the website!

This loop trail basically circles around Malaga with several easy entry or exit points. So in winter 2015/16 I booked a flight for me and a friend to Malaga and off we set on a week-long trip along the trail. Another great advantage of the Gran Senda is its diversity: You traverse so many different landscapes from the coastal region through the mountains and the vast "sea of olives" that is so typical for Andalucia. I chose the sections from Nerja to Fuente de Piedra for our hike because they were easily accesible and would bring us through all three landscape types.

I was not disappointed! The weather in December was still great and during the day I was still hiking in a T-shirt and shorts. Wild camping was easily doable and the trail as diverse and interesting as I had expected. But best of all was that we were basically alone! Despite its fabulous website and lots of marketing activities from the tourist board of Malaga this trail is still relatively unknown. Maybe because Malaga has the reputation of a cheap holiday package destination?

Anyways, from myself this trail gets a very high recommendation for an easily accesible and very diverse off-season destination. I have hiked around 200 kilometres of the total 660 kilometres on this occasion.

Rota Vicentina Historical Trail

In February 2016 I embarked on my first Portuguese hiking trip along the Rota Vicentina. Again I was lured onto the trail through a fantastic website - and the trail's "fame" in the hiking community. Flights were very cheap to Lisbon in off-season, too. The Rota Vicentina has two alternatives: the Historical Way that is completely inland and the Fisherman's Way which follows the coastline.

Unfortunately I chose the inland alternative because I thought that wild camping would be easier here in the forests. But although I sometimes hiked through old oak forest that is harvested for cork most of the time the trail led me through endless eucalyptus plantations. Not only was free camping difficult in this dense forest but it was an eye sore, too. Ugly clear cuts and totally destroyed trails made hiking not so nice ...

I was so disappointed that I changed onto the coastal alternative where things got a lot better. Weather was good in February and despite the wind hiking was a pleasure here. And whereas I had not met anyone on the Historical Way I met several hikers on the Fisherman's Way. I also want to mention that the trail leads you through several pretty villages which makes resupply easy.

But to sum it up: I hiked the entire 230 kilometres of the Historical Way and a short stretch of the Fisherman's Trail - and was not much impressed with the earlier. If you want to hike the Rota Vicentina definitely choose the coastal option which is much shorter with 120 kilometres. The Rota Vicentina has become a "Leading Trail of Europe", but honestly I cannot see why. Although quite nice for the most part I find that there is much better hiking elsewhere in Europe. So if you want to specifically hike in Portugal, the Rota Vicentina is an option but don't expect too much ...

GR 221 or Dry Stone Route on Mallorca

I am not a big fan of Christmas and therefore I decided in December 2017 to spend the holidays hiking - preferably in a warmer climate. Because flights were cheap and the trail incredible popular I decided to try the famous GR 221 on Mallorca. It is also called Dry Stone Route because ist uses the old historical trails through the Serra de Tramuntana on the island. These dry stone walls are a Cultural UNESCO World Heritage - rightly so because even I was more than impressed!

Not only the trails were made with the dry stone technique but also
endless terraces that were once used for agriculture - and now they are perfect for wild camping (although I want to mention that wild camping is legally forbidden on Mallorca ...) The trail takes you through pittoresque villages, passes old characoal and lime kilns and offers breathtaking views over the Serra Tramuntana!

I only have to mention two negative things: Spain in general is a very cheap country for hiking but unfortunately this does not apply to Mallorca! Everything is expensive here: hotels, restaurants and even supermarkets. Luckily you can stay in several refugios along the way if you do not want to illegally free camp - although most refuges were closed in December ...

Secondly the waymarking is really bad considering that this is such a popular trail! I would definitely bring a GPS to avoid frustration especially in fog or rain! But these are all my complaints - and do not worry about mass tourism: In winter not much is going on here and in six days I only met two other "thruhikers" but many day hikers. The masses of tourists are in summer on the beach - and not in the mountains!

From me this trail gets a very high recommendation! Mallorca is easy to reach, public transport is great, the trail is walkable year round. But what is best is that within only 145 kilometres you see one spectacular view after the other. Both landscape and culture are great - this is hiking at its best and ideal for a short week-long break-away!

E3 through Eastern Europe: Conclusion

I have hiked 3,000 kilometres through Eastern Europe - mostly on the E3 route. Mostly, because there is no continuous E3 trail yet! Just one year ago a big gap was closed when Romania's "Siebenbürgischer Karpatenverein" created a route through Romania which I have been "testing". There still is a gap in Serbia between the Danube and the start of the Kom Emine Trail in Bulgaria - and Serbia's hiking association has not been responsive at all in this respect. I ended up roadwalking that section.

Did I like this hike? Yes, definitely - but this hike has not been pure bliss either. Every hike has different aspects - and the E3 could score in many but was problematic in others. In the cultural and historical aspect this has been one of the most interesting hikes I have ever undertaken. On this route you are constantly confronted with different cultures, religions and languages - and you will learn so  much about European history! Francis Tapon called Eastern Europe the "Hidden Europe" - and it is true. As Western Europeans or Americans we do not know much about these countries which is a shame.

Landscape was sometimes really breathtaking especially in the Giant Mountains in Czech Republic or the Stara Planina in Bulgaria but generally speaking there are more spectacular trails in Europe. But on the other hand there were no really ugly or boring sections on the E3 either. Technically the E3 is easy - except for one or two "hairy" sections in Romania. You don't have to be a mountaineer - any halfway fit person can hike the E3!

The fun factor on the E3 extremely high due to various reasons. First of all all Eastern European countries are still much cheaper than the West. That meant for me that I could stay in hotels and eat out much more often than usual. And in all these countries hotel and restaurant quality was high! The route also takes you through very interesting places where I did a lot of sightseeing - again relatively cheaply. Not to mention the fantastic thermal baths in Slovakia and Hungary! This is a trail where you can really pamper yourself if needed and wanted - and I thoroughly enjoyed a little bit of luxury once in a while.

But this "cheap" living standards also has a downside: Romania and Bulgaria are the poorest countries in the EU. It was shocking for me to see in what conditions especially old people are still living in the countryside: no running water in the house, low pensions combined with high prices for food, rural depopulation etc. Not being able to communicate with people due to language problems was an extra mental challenge for me. I was confronted with lots of situations I could not "read": How do I deal with aggressive sheepdog? What do I say to the toothless ragged farmer whose first question is "are you alone?" Every potentially dangerous encounter turned out to be harmless - but I was unsettled. But I have to emphasize that this is only a problem in Romania and Bulgaria. In the Western half of this hike there were no such problems!

So would I recommend this hike to a friend? I can absolutely recommend the Western half to anyone, even to beginners in long-distance hiking. The Eastern half is truly fascinating and I am very glad that I have hiked it - but you need some determination and dedication to enjoy. If you don't have a special liking for Eastern Europe or want to explore something new then you are probably better off in Western Europe. But I myself, I will be back!