The Ridgeway Path

The journey begins in Wiltshire and ends in Buckinghamshire, spanning a total of 85.5 miles. it is rated as an easy hike, the average completion time between five and seven days. Along the trail can be found a neolithic tomb built sometime around 2800 BCE. If this may feel a bit too ancient for some, one may also choose to experience the Red Lion, located in Wandover where Oliver Cromwell frequented in the 17th century.

Historic monuments are not all this trail has to offer. The path winds through some of the most idyllic scenery imaginable; verdant green hills rolling gently, every so often punctuated by quaint country houses. When passing through the Chiltern Hills, vast varieties of trees and plants can be found along with a striking plethora of orchids.

Photo by djim

The Thames Path

As the name implies, this walk begins at the source of the river and ends at its estuary. It stretches approximately 180 miles and takes between twelve to fourteen days to complete depending on one´s desire. Some of the main attractions include the Hampton Court Palace and Sutton Courtenay, the site where George Orwell is interred.

In addition to awe-inspiring views of the natural landscape, one also has the privilege to stroll through the heart of Britain´s fascinating capital city. Also keep in mind that the rather dubious reputation of the Thames as being one of the most polluted rivers in the United Kindgom no longer implies. Rather, many species of fish and waterfowl can be seen, including salmon. With finding local accommodations never a problem, this route proves to be one of the most popular for tourists and natives alike.

Hadrian´s Wall

This path is likely one of the most famous due to its historic nature. Built during the times of Roman Occupation, to follow the entire course of this ancient monument takes approximately one week. Numerous forts still stand, including one at Chesters and another at Segendunum which has now been converted into a museum.

Notwithstanding the unforgettable panoramic views of this fortification, this track effectively represents a true journey from east to west across England. Large sections of this wall still exist quite intact though it must be noted that some of the journey can require proper map reading skills and the correct type of walking shoes.

Photo by quisnovus

The Pennine Way

If a separation from civilisation is what one desires, this path is certain to satisfy. The entire length is nearly 300 miles and can prove to be one of the most challenging journeys in all of the United Kingdom.

As this trek is considered to be one of the most technically demanding, its achievement is as equally rewarding to the hearty outdoorsman or woman. Camping equipment is considered mandatory along with a compass and experience in dealing with terrain in which the path may occasionally disappear. Although there are numerous accommodations along the route, there are other stretches at the very beginning and end where none exist, therefore leaving the traveler to rely on wits and experience alone.

These are but a handful examples of the diverse terrain and cultural experiences which the United Kingdom has to offer. Both novice and experienced trekkers can enjoy these options and countless others. With a simple online search and planning, these excursions can be an unforgettable experience.

Whether your a professional ambler or just enjoy a brisk walk in the english country air, you can’t really go wrong with a pair of decent thermal walking socks from Sealskinz, who specialise in waterproof clothing.

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Pieniny is spread in the northern part of the country called Spiš, in the region of Zamagurie. It is about 30 km long and belongs to Beskydy mountain range. In 1932, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk established here the first international natural park in Europe. It was formed by National park of Pieniny in Poland and Nature Reserve of Pieniny in Slovakia. In 1967 was declared a National Park. Most tourists to Slovakia often stop in the High Tatras Mountains only, without knowing how beautiful nature is hidden behind them.

Pieniny National Park is an area with unspoilt nature, where meadows blend with the forest, villages are subtly incorporated into the landscape. It is a country full of rock formations, amazing rivers and high-mountain streams. Although there are not any high rocky peaks, but anyway this park will enchant everyone who come here. It’s a place where you can still see freely grazing herds of sheep and remote villages where time has stopped tens years ago, both in terms of architectural and cultural. It is not unusual to see a wooden horse-drawn carriages carrying hay, as well as a hundred years ago, or old ladies sitting in traditional festive costumes in the front of their homes.

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The mountain range is composed of Jurassic and Cretaceous limestones with younger sandstones, shales and conglomerates, which together creates very impressive character. The rugged relief with deep valleys, gorges and remarkable rock formations was created mainly due to the activities of water, frost, erosion and climate fluctuations. There are also numerous cave systems.

Nature in Pieniny National Park is very diverse, with a number of plant and animal species. From the protected animals you can see here such as Goshawk, Eurasian Eagle-Owl, falcon, raven, crayfish or Eurasian Lynx. There are also rare and endemic species, such as springtails, several species of grasshoppers, centipedes and butterflies. The forests are mostly mixed (firs, pine, spruce, beech, maple, and European yew).

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by DaLee_pl

Pieniny National Park offers relatively dense network of well marked trails with the possibility to choose the optimal route according to your capabilities. Most famous and most visited area in the Pieniny is certainly Breakthrough of Dunajec, located between the towns Szczawnica and Červený Kláštor. Dunajec river created a wonderful valley and you can try rafting on the wooden rafts here, which is the biggest tourist attraction. When sailing, you can see beautiful surrounding scenery. If you do not like water very much, you can go through the Breakthrough of Dunajec on foot or ride a bike.

The highest peak of Pieniny is Vysoké skalky measuring 1050 meters above sea level and lying at the borders with Poland. The top is beautiful, offering panoramic view of the surroundings. Much better known and more significant, however, are dominant Tri Koruny with a height of 982 meters above sea level, located above the Dunajec river. It is formed by rocky towers, whose walls are about 100 meters high and have the form of a crown. The summit offers a magnificent view over the whole area of ​​Pieniny, Spisska Magura, Belianske Tatras and even the High Tatras.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by tokarcik.tomas

Very interesting is also well preserved folk architecture in the villages Osturňa, Havka, Veľká Lesná and Jezersko.

A large part of the Pieniny National Park is still a God forgotten region, which is accessible to the ordinary tourist, mostly in the summer. There are not any large hotel complexes or resorts. It is ideal for hikers, cyclists, lovers of traditional culture or history, climbers, adventurers or simply for people fleeing from everyday bustle of the city.

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The main characteristic feature of the landscape Nebrodi is a great diversity of landforms, rich vegetation and wetlands. The Arabs called Nebrodi as “Island in the Island” and the reason was the richness of forests, green pastures, quiet lakes and bubbling streams – the country so different from the image of dry and sun-scorched Sicily.

Nature Reserve (Parco naturale) Nebrodi was founded in 1993 and covers the most important and largest forested area of Sicily (about 50,000 ha). Despite of the deteriorating conditions of environmental, Nebrodi still offers the greatest wealth of fauna from all over Sicily. Some species have disappeared, unfortunately – the last wolves were killed at the end of twentieth century, the population of vultures extinct during the 60′s due to poisoned baits for foxes. Among the current, often scarce inhabitants of Nebrodi are porcupine, wild cat, pine marten, greenish turtle, mud turtle, frog, and colorful green jumper. Area of Nebrodi includes 150 bird species, many of them are endemic.

The hiking trails lead through the protected area from the west to the east. In the ridge you can find the only wetland in Sicily, which offers also the beautiful natural scenery.

The highest peak of Nebrodi is the Monte Soro (1,817 m).

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The entrance to the gorge is paid and a basic adult ticket costs 4 Eur.

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The combination of geographical location, natural scenery and historical landmarks makes Veliko Tărnovo to be historically and architecturally one of the most important towns in Europe.

The first thing a visitor of Veliko Tărnovo will notice is the dominating feature of the city – a high rocky hill Carevec, surrounded by a massive medieval walls. The area is connected to the outside only by a narrow bridge and hide the ruins of Czar’s palaces and churches.

Steep slopes below the walls are several hundred meters deep. All the impressive scenery is completed with thousands of small houses from the 18th and 19th century, which, from the distance, look like they were built one above the other.

With a beautiful view of the city would be satisfied also the tourists who have no idea how many historical events took place in the context of European history.

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