‘If you love adventure but not tourists’: readers’ favourite wild places in Europe | Europe holidays

Italy’s lesser known peaks

I’ve been to Sella Nevea many times to see old friends. The Julian Alps range is mostly in Slovenia. The scenery of the white, pointed limestone peaks that rise above mysterious pine-forested deep valleys is stunning. This vast wilderness, which is described romantically in the books by mountaineer Julius Kugy and which I find fascinating because of its obscurity, is described romantically in the books. The nature is abundant in large mammals, birds and flora. You can find it if you like alpine adventures but hate tourists.
Paul

Sweden – Alone amongst sea birds and orchids

Stora Karlsö, off the west coast of Gotland, is one of the oldest nature reserves in the world and is a few hours’ journey by train and ferry from Stockholm. It is a small, rugged island with a plateau of grassy heath and a high cliff. Many sea birds and orchids were to be seen. The air smelled incredible once I was protected from the wind. I enjoyed a nice meal in a simple, rustic cabin. Civilisation, as we know it, was far away and cell service was non-existent.
Linda

Pink marsh, pink flamingos, France

Toulon is located between the Mediterranean and Toulon. Hyères It is spread out over a series headlands, flats of salt and offshore islands. We were based near the Giens Peninsula, where ancient pink salt marshes stretched out to the sea and were dotted with flamingos. The coastal paths wind along rugged cliffs with scattered islands, pine forests, and seabirds.
Steph

Camino de Santiago detours

My wife and I will walk the 805-mile (500km) Camino de Santiago in the spring of 2023. We took advantage of every opportunity to diverge from the beaten path and explore alternative sections. As we walked across the Meseta – the vast, high plateau in central Spain famed as being isolated – along the Via Trajana – the old, cobbled Roman route – from Calzada del Coto towards Mansilla de las Mulas, we detoured. Birdsong, wildflowers, and ghosts of legions surrounded us. Except for when we stopped to have a comfortable overnight and a large breakfast at the Via Trajana hostel In two days of walking and 20 miles, we saw only two other people.
Richard

Bears and wolves roaming the Romanian forests

Romanian Carpathian Forests, flanked with imposing mountains, make for an ideal place to escape and forget about the world for a week. In the woods and valleys I traversed on my hike last summer, I saw brown bears as well as wolves and lynx. I visited medieval villages and towns that were rich in folklore. The Barza valley was a highlight, where I sang songs and sampled local cheeses with the villagers. I was rewarded – or punished – for my musical efforts with a bumpy ride on a horse-drawn cart to the next village. Don’t miss a walk up to Postăvarul peak (1,800 metres) for great views over the area.
Joe

Iceland hikes through its many landscapes

Three nights and 35 miles in the Southern Highlands of Iceland. Laugavegur trail This is a microcosmic view of the incredible landscapes in that country. There are geothermal springs in the high altitudes, rhyolite mountain ranges with multi-coloured snow, black sand dunes, and otherworldly lunarscapes. Finally, the magical valley of Thórsmörk – Thor’s Valley – amid birch woods enclosed by three glaciers. Mountain huts allow you to feel part of an international and multicultural travel community, sharing stories and making memories.
Bill Duncan

Sardinia’s wild west

Between the popular north of Sardinia where super-rich yacht owners anchor and the more populated south where Cagliari is the capital, there are quieter areas where nature flourishes. Most of the west coast remains relatively undeveloped. We watched flamingos in salt marshes and visited ancient Nuragic sites. Then we sunbathed at the beaches on the Sinis peninsula, where there were white sands.
Chris Allen

Croatian island paradise

This remote Croatian Island is a great place to relax and unwind. LastovoWe watched honey buzzards soar above and heard shearwaters call for food at dusk. Lastovo Island is known for its dark skies, and it was amazing to see the Milky Way shine so brightly. The island has a lot of forest and is still undeveloped because it was reserved for the Yugoslav Army until 1988. The island is a natural oasis with pine-scented paths leading to quiet beaches, interesting flora, and fascinating fauna. It can be reached by frequent ferries from Dubrovnik and Korčula.
David Innes-Wilkin

You can win big on the Bieszczady giant beasts

I went on a hiking tour to see large mammals in Bieszczady national park in south-east Poland in 2022 and it was amazing – gorgeous landscapes, wild bison, red deer, wolves, brown bears, lynx and wild boar. After the Second World War, the landscape had been abandoned and the orchards were overgrown. I was a solo traveller and travelled with a tour company called Wild Poland (I did a three-day tour that started and ended in Kraków – but there are lots of different options and prices on their website).
Josie