7 of the best mountain hiking trails in France

Tour de Mont Blanc

This is probably the most famous mountain hike in Europe if not the world. It typically starts and ends in the french mountain capital of Chamonix. You hike around the highest peak in Europe with stunning views in all directions. You will cross three countries France, Italy and Switzerland experiencing the different cultures, foods, languages and people.

The TMB typically takes 8 to 12 days, where you cover 170 km and climbs and descends about 10.000 meters. It is rated as difficult, so you need to come prepared in good shape. You can do it on your own, with a group or book a self-walking holiday with the route mapped out or a complete package with guide, all bookings done and even transfer of your luggage during your hike.

La Cirque de Gavarnie

Once you see the Cirque de Gavarnie with your own eyes you will never forget it. It is simply so stunning that it has become part of the UNESCO Global Heritage. The whole area is extremely beautiful.

Soon after you leave the village of Gavarnie you will see the Cirque de Gavarnie in front of you. It is an easy 8,5 km out and back walk with the waterfall and the many 3.000 meter peaks around you. You only ascend and descend 200 meters. Most of the way you follow a calm shallow river. No real difficulties, ideal for families. It can be done from May to September. It is extremely popular, so often crowded.

The whole area both on the French and Spanish sides are full of hiking opportunties of all levels. One highlight is the La Brèche de Roland at 2.807 meters, which can be done from Gavarnie at 1.357 meters, which I liked very much, or from the easier start at Col des Tentes at 2.208 meters, which reduces the climb to about 650 meters. La Brèche constitutes the border. The Spanish side is part of the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park, where you can climb Monte Perdido = the lost mountain as you cannot see it from the french side, which is the third highest peak in the Pyrenees at 3.355 meters. More to follow about this beautiful area in a later post.

GR20 La traversée de la Corse

The GR20 is a spectacular 180 km mountain trail that crosses the beautiful island from North to South along the jagged center of the island. Most days you will have the blue sea in the background adding extra colour and spectacular views.

It is renowned as one of the toughest mountain hikes in Europe. Personally I don't think it is harder than some of the long distance hikes in the higher Pyrenees and the Alps, so do not let you scare. If you are prepared, you will have a wonderful time. Many hikers split the tour up in two parts with one week in the North and one week in the South. The latter is by far the easier of the two.

It is mostly done from mid-May to mid-September as many huts and camp sites close outside this period. In the winter the trail is covered in snow.

Vallée des Merveilles

The mountain hike of The Valley of Wonders takes place in my favorite Mercantour National Park. It boasts

• exceptional scenery

• has better weather than the rest of the Alps

• lots of unspoilt protected nature

• it is normally not crowded

• and has snowcapped peaks that you see from the Mediterranean in the winter and early spring.

The Valley of Wonders and Fontanalbe contains tens of thousand of engravings carved out about 5.000 years ago including some symbolic ones combining themes of everyday life and beliefs. The main area is guarded in the summer months. You are only allowed to follow certain trails and not allowed to use hiking poles as they may damage the old engravings. I would recommend to book a guided tour that lasts about two hours.

With more than 40.000 engravings this place was probably a sanctuary, where the agro-pastoral populations in the region worshipped the fertility of the land.

Access via the Roya Valley. Consider an overnight stay at the Refuge des Merveilles. That gives you the opportunity to do a round trip with another stay at Refuge de Valmasque.

GR5 La grande traversée des Alpes

On this fantastic discoverage of the french Alps you traverse 3 National Parks and 8 mountain ranges - one more beautiful than the other - each with its own history, people and features. From Lake Geneva and the Chablais in the north to the Mercantour and the Mediterranean in the south.

You will discover the French Alps in 3-4 weeks walking 620 - 725 km in total depending on which routes you choose. Or you can split it up over 2-4 individual weeks where you do a part each year.... Most people do it from the north to the south and celebrate with a swim when they reach either Nice (GR5) or Menton (GR52). I prefer the Menton one that runs along the Italian border.

The best time to do it is June to early October, but check when the huts are open. Most are from mid-June to mid-September. August is by far the most busy period. And Saturday nights are often sold-out in the summer, so should be booked well in advance. The trek is not difficult. Even if you are not in too good a shape from the start, you will quickly improve your fitness by the daily mountain hikes.

Lac de Gaube and Pont d’Espagne

Visit the stunning lake Gaube with views to Vignemale from Pont d’Espagne and Cauterets in the high Pyrenees.

Hut and Lacs de Vens

The Vens hut with its four lakes in the heart of the Mercantour National Parc will give you an experience that will stay with you for a long time.