For lovers of adventure and spectacular natural beauty, these are some of the the longest and most attractive hiking trail in the world. These are trails for which you will need full hiking equipment and experience in hiking and long walking, as well as more than a week of annual vacation.
Such adventures are considered life's feats, and an increasing number of people decide to walk hundreds of kilometers in search of themselves and escape from the hectic everyday life. What makes us hike hundreds of kilometers? Are we running away from digital everyday life or do we want to get to know ourselves?
Many countries have their own national, famous walking trails built to encourage people to live more actively, to get to know themselves and to get out of their comfort zone to expand their views and experiences - simply put - to become better people. Most lovers of long hiking routes on theirs "bucket list" has exactly some of these tracks:
Appalachian Trail
This is probably the most famous long distance trail. The AT is America's classic thru-hike, stretching 2185 miles from low old Springer Mountain in Georgia to the grandiose summit of Mount Katahdin in Maine. The route passes through 14 states, 8 national forests, 2 national parks and countless rural supply points.
This ancient mountain range, once the size of the Himalayas, has shrunk over time, but hiking the entire route is like climbing Everest 16 so don't underestimate this sleeping giant.
Pacific Crest Trail, USA
It stretches across North America, from the border with Mexico all the way to Canada, with a total length of 4.265 kilometers. This trail offers a variety of landscapes, from desert areas to mountain peaks.
The PCT is an epic hike that begins in the desert and follows the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges through California, Oregon and Washington. It passes through some of the most spectacular parks and wilderness areas, including Yosemite, John Muir, Crater Lake and Goat Rocks. The lack of water and points to replenish their food supply is a challenge for all walkers who must be well organized for this route.
Camino Frances, Spain
The popular pilgrimage route Camino Frances is long about 800 kilometers and leads to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. It starts in the French Saint Jean Pied De Port and passes through the northern part of Spain through famous cities such as Pamplona, Burgos and León to the famous shrine in the Camino de Santiago where the remains of Saint James are located, which is why the path is called The Way of Saint James and is actually one of the three most important pilgrimages for Catholics.
Camino de Santiago or Way of St. Jacob represents a network of pilgrimage routes, a total of 800 kilometers long, leading to the globally known shrine in Galicia (northwestern Spain) - Santiago de Compostela where the tomb of St. James the Apostle. In 1987, the Council of Europe assigned it to the network the title of Main Street of Europe, so that UNESCO, in 1993, would declare its Spanish and French parts a world cultural heritage. However, the network of Camino routes extends throughout Europe.
The Camina tradition dates back to the 9th century, and today, after Rome and Jerusalem, Santiago can boast the title of one of the most visited Catholic shrines. Namely, shortly after the discovery of the remains of St. Jacob set out to form a pilgrimage route, with the proviso that as early as 1140 the first tourist guide Codex Calixtinus was also published. After 1203, as evidenced by historical sources, organized brotherhoods appeared even in Croatia to help pilgrims on their demanding journey on foot. This initiative developed in Europe until the Reformation, when it almost completely died out, however, in the 80s of the last century, the revitalization of the pilgrimage tradition began, which resulted in the fact that more than 350.000 registered pilgrims walk the Camino route on an annual basis.
Great Himalaya Trail, Asia
The perfect trail for mountain lovers, this route spans the highest mountain peaks in the world, including Mount Everest. The total length of the track reaches as much as 4.500 kilometers.
One of the few officially documented sections of the Great Himalayan Trail, the GHT High Route in Nepal is an approximately 1050-mile trek that climbs the world's highest peaks from the country's eastern edge to the western border with Tibet.
Hiking this trail is a demanding adventure that requires mountaineering experience and approximately five months of time, but the reward of passing through rarely visited villages, reaching some of the highest altitudes on the planet and sleeping under an unfathomably starry sky makes this demanding endeavor an unforgettable experience.
Chinese wall
You didn't expect this, did you? Of course, the Great Wall of China has parts that are packed with khaki-clad tourists, but this celebrated structure also has some very remote and rarely seen parts including deserts, mountains, bamboo forests and many other interesting landscapes.
Numerous state restrictions, extreme weather conditions, and a 5500-mile tour through China make this trek an adventure full of obstacles, but if the Mongols and other nomadic tribes could do it, so can you.
Croatia Long Distance Trail
Croatian Long Distance Trail (abbreviated CLDT) was built to encourage people to stay and live in nature, on the trail, in contact with nature, in slow movement, all for their well-being. Croatian Long Distance Trail was established in 2017 after the first Croatian walked the Pacific Crest Trail. Soon it was founded and Association Long Distance Trail Croatia. It took two full years to complete the route and an additional six months to collect all the data.
Therefore, the Croatian Long Distance Trail is a national, scenic, hiking trail. 2109 km long, which in its essence is guided by the maxim that it avoids asphalt roads and focuses on hiking trails, tractor and macadam roads. The trail starts in Ilok, at the easternmost point of the Republic of Croatia, and then goes towards the northernmost point - Sveti Martin na Mura and the westernmost point - Savudrija, and then towards the southernmost point of the Republic of Croatia - Prevlaka.
These hiking trails are definitely the adventure of a lifetime, they reveal beautiful landscapes and give the opportunity to explore some of the most impressive destinations in the world. Get ready for stunning sights, incredible landscapes and unforgettable experiences to remember.
