Beginner Hiking Trails In Europe

4. The Kings Trail

In northern Sweden, the Kungsleden, or King's trail, offers hikers 270 miles of mountains, tundra, lakes, and rivers to explore. In the summer, an amazing variety of wildflowers creates a riot of color on the tundra, and pine and birch forests are green and lush. Hikers experience different seasons when warm summer turns to spring, and then into winter, as altitudes change along the trail. You'll probably see herds of reindeer grazing, too. The Kings Trail traverses through the vast, protected area of the Vindelfjӓlens Nature Reserve, and is separated into four parts. Each section takes about one week of hiking to cover. All along the well-marked trail, every seven and a half to nine miles, there are huts offering comfortable, but rugged, accommodations, and hikers can also pitch their own tent at the lodging sites. The most popular section of the King's trail is from Abisko to Singi, which passes Kebnekaise Mountain. Along the trail, there are swamp areas covered with wooden walkways, bridges for crossing some streams and lakes, and rowboats or locally chartered boat services to cross larger areas of water. Well-equipped, marked, and maintained by the Swedish Tourism Association, the Kings Trail in Sweden is a hiking adventure of a lifetime. Now that you know about the incredible hiking opportunity with King's Trail, head to Austria for an even more incredible chance to explore.