Europe’s best destinations for a summer hike, according to data

From the Dolomites to the White Mountains, hiking holidays continue to surge in popularity. A quarter of travellers say walking and hiking routes are among their most significant priorities when booking a holiday [1], and with summer holidays fast approaching, where’s best to visit? 

Live Football Tickets analyzed 171,000 hiking trails across Europe, assessing their popularity, difficulty, specifications and user ratings to determine which European country has the best hiking trails in summer 2025.

Key findings

• Hikes across the Ireland rank 13th best in Europe
• Liechtenstein takes the crown as Europe’s best-rated hiking destination, scoring an impressive 90.8 out of 100
• Underrated destinations rank highly, with countries like Romania (88.8) and Latvia (88.6) outperforming the most popular European hiking spots

Ireland - 84.7 out of 100

From Connemara’s scenic mountains and huge variety of woodlands and grasslands to explore, Ireland has many options on offer for hikers looking to venture abroad. Ranking 13th in Europe for the best hiking routes, Ireland scores 84.7 out of 100. Ireland has heaps of choices for people of all abilities and experiences, with moderate difficulty trails Spinc and Glenealo Valey, Lower and Upper Diamond Hill Loop and Gleandalough Loop highest rated among users.

Which European country has the best-rated hiking trails?

     1. Liechtenstein - 90.8 out of 100

With more than 30 peaks reaching 2000m, this small country, known for its medieval castles and alpine landscapes, ranks as the best European country for hiking trails this summer. 

Despite Liechtenstein reporting the fourth-highest average difficulty (79.2/10), Live Football Tickets discovered that the destination ranks highly due to its large mix of terrain and historical sites. Of the 134 registered hiking routes, Alpspitz Gipfelkreuz Rundweg and Schalun/Vaduz Castle Ruins are among the most loved by hikers.

     2. Bulgaria & Serbia - 89.4 out of 100

Bulgaria and Serbia tie in second place, both achieving a high score of 89.4. From the Seven Rila Lakes in Bulgaria to Stara Planina National Park in Serbia, the two countries offer different opportunities due to their landscapes. Bulgaria’s high mountains offer alpine scenery and challenging scrambles up high, with the third-longest average hiking trail length (56.42 km). Whereas Serbia’s mountains and rivers take centre stage as hikers enjoy the tranquillity and hidden gems.

     3. Estonia - 89.3 out of 100

In third place is Estonia, with the Viru nature trail and loops in Hara being the best rated by hikers. Live Football Tickets found that the trails in Estonia are among the most accessible in Europe, ranking the fifth lowest for average difficulty rating (43.2/10) despite the average trail length being almost 35km! Nicknamed ‘Europe's longest meditation’ by Lonely Planet, the Baltic Coastal Trail’s long-distance hiking route connects Estonia's coastline with the rest of the Baltics.

     4. Switzerland - 89 out of 100

Although Switzerland’s hikes are the fifth hardest in Europe overall, they rank fourth best across the continent, scoring 89 out of 100. With almost 8,000 registered hiking trails, Lake Oeschinen’s 8.9-km loop is the highest-scoring hike. Whether you want to ascend a peak, hike through alpine meadows or explore a forest, Switzerland has it all.

     5. Romania - 88.8 out of 100

From the Carpathian Mountains to Dracula’s Castle, Romania has a vast range of landscapes and terrain for hikers to discover. Following closely behind Switzerland, scoring 88.8 out of 100, hikers enjoy the country’s uncrowded trails, which offer a more peaceful experience, whilst also appreciating its untamed wilderness and rugged terrain.

To round off the top 10 best European countries to hike this summer, Latvia (88.6), Wales (88.1), Poland (87.8), the United Kingdom (87.1), Austria (86.6) and Hungary (86.5) follow.

Please find the full ranking here.

Methodology

1. Live Football Tickets analyzed 171,077 hiking trails across Europe using public, user-added data from the outdoor trail guide website AllTrails.
2. They collected the trail location, length, difficulty ranking, user rating, popularity and number of reviews. From this, the average trail length, difficulty and user rating was calculated to gather an overall picture of the country’s hikes.
3. Countries with fewer than 100 hiking trails were removed due to the low number of overall reviews, in a bid to avoid skewed information. These were Kosovo, Russia, Montenegro, Andorra, San Marina, Belarus, Turkey, Ukraine, Albania, Vatican City, Moldova, North Macedonia and Monaco. Data was collected in April 2025 and is subject to change.

[1] The Outdoor Trends Report

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