Call of the wild
Whether your dream is walking the beautiful Bavarian Alps, exploring heathered moors in England or drifting down a Swedish river on a raft, the great outdoors is closer than you think
words by Suzy Bennett
Germany
Berchtesgaden National Park, Bavarian/Austrian Alps
FLY TO Salzburg
GETTING THERE
a 30-minute drive south-west from Salzburg
MORE INFORMATION
www.germany-tourism.de
www.austria.info
The largest, most accessible wilderness in Europe is the Berchtesgaden National Park in Germany, within a half-an-hour’s drive of Salzburg in neighbouring Austria. There are endless walking opportunities through ancient landscapes here. The 40km walk from Königsee to Wimbachtal straddles the German border and offers towering mountains and crystal-clear lakes. The trail involves staying in what locals refer to as huts but which are actually cosy guesthouses set deep in the mountains. The climbs are long and steep, so make sure you’re in good shape before you go. By early June, when most of the snow has melted, hikers can head up to the high mountain tracks.
France
Mercantour National Park
FLY TO Nice
GETTING THERE
Breil-sur-Roya is a one-hour drive from Nice and lies on the Nice to Cunéo railway line
MORE INFORMATION
www.beyond.fr
www.provenceweb.fr
Love the Alps but hate the crowds? This national park in the heart of the Alpes Maritimes in south-eastern France has comparatively deserted peaks, Alpine meadows and walking trails. It’s a haven for wildlife, with colonies of chamois, ibex, marmots, great spotted woodpeckers, golden eagles and other rare birds of prey. The flora is special, too, with many unique species of lilies and orchids. Gentle paths through forests of chestnut and pine cling to wild hillsides around the southern approaches. Refuge huts provide basic food and bedding for hikers. A good way to do these trails is to take the train through Breil-sur-Roya higher up the valley and walk back down short sections.
Italy
Vigilius Mountain Resort
FLY TO
Venice
GETTING THERE
The cable car station at Lana is a three-hour drive from Venice
MORE INFORMATION
www.vigilius.it
If you don’t fancy spending your wilderness break in a hostel comparing Thermos flasks, the Vigilius Mountain Resort in South Tyrol is a classy wilderness retreat for the style-conscious. It’s also perfect for the lazy: a cable car whisks you up an exhilarating, ear-popping 1.5km climb past dairy farms and onion-domed churches. The hotel has heart-stopping views: the infinity pool is surrounded on three sides by floor-to-ceiling windows, giving you the sensation of swimming into the mountains, and there are plenty of terraces from which to enjoy the scenery. The Dolomites are one of Europe’s most beautiful mountain ranges, their limestone crags sculpted into spires and sheer, vertical drops. Activities include horse riding, mountain biking, climbing, paragliding and skiing as well as a range of tantalising spa treatments, one of which involves bathing in hay.
Sweden
Log-rafting in Värmland
FLY TO
Gothenburg or Stockholm Arlanda
GETTING THERE
Gunnerud is about 350km from both Gothenburg and Stockholm
MORE INFORMATION
www.visitsweden.com
You’re given camping equipment, plans on how to build a raft, 170 spruce logs and 500 yards of rope, but no nails or hammers. Once you’ve built your vessel you spend the rest of the week floating 100km down the Klarälven river at about 1mph, sleeping on the raft or camping on the river bank. Up to four people are allowed onboard, from toddlers upwards, making this an ideal family holiday for Robinson Crusoe-types. Värmland is home to elks, wolves and brown bears and if you’re a good fisherman, there’ll be jumping trout for dinner. Nature Travels offers five- or eight-day timber rafting experiences on the Klarälven river between 6 June and 10 August. See www.naturetravels.co.uk for more information.
Norway
Femundsmarka National Park
FLY TO
Oslo
GETTING THERE
a four-hour drive east from Oslo
MORE INFORMATION
www.visitnorway.com
Tucked in between the Swedish border and Lake Femund, Femundsmarka is as remote as it gets. Even by Norwegian standards the park is empty, attracting only a handful of anglers, canoeists and hikers. It’s an ancient, glacial landscape of rounded sandstone hills, scree slopes, boulder fields and clear mountain lakes, with wolverine, brown bears, musk oxen and wolves the only inhabitants. You could roam around here unnoticed and undiscovered for months. There is no road access, but a minor road leads from Røros to Synnervika, where a passenger boat shuttles visitors around the lake, stopping at remote outposts and jetties. There is a limited network of unstaffed huts and hiking trails across the park.
England
Dartmoor National Park
FLY TO London Gatwick
GETTING THERE
a three-and-a-half-hour drive southeast on the M5
MORE INFORMATION
www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk
www.dartmoor.co.uk
www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk
Wizened oak trees, heather-strewn moorland and barren areas of bog make this great expanse of wilderness a must-see for those in search of solitude. Covering the sweep of country between Exeter and Plymouth, Dartmoor is scattered with remnants of Stone Age settlements and 19th-century quarries and coal mines. Sheep and wild ponies wander at will, while solitary birds – including buzzards and kestrels – wheel overhead. The moors’ most famous chronicler, Arthur Conan Doyle, described the region as “so vast and so mysterious”, while modern guidebooks herald it as the most inspiring wilderness in the UK. Choose from short, simple jaunts to harsh, challenging treks.
Spain
Andalucía by train
FLY TO Málaga
GETTING THERE
Antequera is a one-hour drive from Malaga; it’s a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Almería
MORE INFORMATION
www.spain.info
If you prefer your wilderness without the walking, climb aboard one of the daily rail services from Algericas to Almería. This 481km journey takes you through wild Andalucían countryside, past spectacular gorges, ripe valleys with blossoms blooming, snow-covered slopes, lunar landscapes and Europe’s only true hot desert. The route runs through Antequera, Granada and Guadix, where over 6,000 families live in troglodyte dwellings. Break the journey if you can at the hilltop town of Ronda, but remember that there are only three or four trains day. Advance booking is advisable (www.renfe.es).
Poland
Tatra Mountains, Carpathian ranges
FLY TO
Kraków
GETTING THERE
Zakopane is a two-hour drive from Kraków
MORE INFORMATION
www.visitpoland.org
This is two countries for the price of one. The highest and, some say, most attractive swathe of the Carpathian range straddles Poland and Slovakia and a week’s walking will transport you into a time-warped world of waterfalls and mountain peaks. Wildlife thrives in this national park: the keen-eyed will spot rare species such as lynx, golden eagles and brown bears. Ridge treks are for experienced climbers only, but marked paths give regular walkers the top-of-the-world exhilaration of bagging a peak. Mountain refuges dot the park, but in summer they can get very crowded so be prepared to sleep on the floor. The easiest way up is from the hamlet of Ku[017a]ince, a 3km bus journey south of Zakopane, the main base of the range.
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