Europe is a tourist bucket list destination filled with many things to do and explore. Here are the best European destinations for outdoor lovers.
Lucerne, Switzerland
Lucerne, a beautiful Swiss town in the mountains, is a hiker’s paradise. Plenty of hiking trails of all difficulty level are located in the Pilatus, Reuss, and Rigi areas. These areas are also home to mountain climbing/mountaineering opportunities, sledding, and other adventure sports. Lucerne has very-well preserved the medieval architecture, especially in the Old town area of Altstadt. The Chapel Bridge is very popular with visitors and makes Lucerne one of the most scenic places in Europe.
Lapland, Sweden
Lapland in Sweden is also known as the Swedish Lapland and is located in the Arctic region. In summer, the region is a delight for outdoor lovers because of the continuous daylight and numerous outdoor activities. The sun never goes below the horizon and never sets in Swedish Lapland. The area has many hiking trails and is popular with outdoor adventure lovers. In winter dog-sledding, snowmobiling, skiing are the area’s popular activities. Swedish Lapland is the world’s most popular place to view the Northern Lights, thanks to its exceptionally clear skies.
Olden, Norway
Olden is located in the northernmost province of Norway. It is a small village with wooden huts, waterfalls, glaciers, and pretty lakes. Olden is located along the banks of river Oldeeva and has a very small population. It is popular with Nordfjord cruise tours, and almost all cruise lines have plenty of excursions in Olden. Olden’s popular outdoor activities include hiking, glacier hiking, ice climbing, and sailing.
Bled, Slovenia
Bled, situated on the shores of Lake Bled in Slovenia, is one of the most popular destinations in the country for those who enjoy outdoor activities. As pretty as the pictures, Bled with its charming church and thestorybook castle has a lot of action for outdoor lovers. Many gorges and canyons with beautiful waterfalls surround Bled and these are popular with canyoneers. Grmecica canyon and Bohinj valley are the most popular canyoning destinations. Other outdoor activities in the area include abseiling down the waterfalls, swimming, hiking, mountain climbing, skiing, biking, rafting, and horse riding.
Innsbruck, Austria
Innsbruck in Austria combines the best of the comforts of urban life and living in close proximity to nature and outdoors. The Nordkette mountain range and its alpine meadows are just a short drive away from the beautiful palaces, castles and colorful houses of Innsbruck. The Nordkette (Seegrube) – Innsbruck cable car ride offers beautiful views of the area. Rock climbing the rocky face of Karwendel mountain range, hiking, canyoning the wild gorges, skiing, parasailing,and paragliding are the most popular outdoor activities.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Reykjavik, the Icelandic capital, is located on the southern shore of Faxa Bay. The city has colorful architecture and numerous buildings with historic significance. The capital also has many adventures for those who prefer to be outdoors and breather fresh air. Most outdoor activities in Reykjavik like riding a Viking horse, soaking in minerals rich healing geothermal springs,snowmobiling on the Langjökull glacier, watching the geothermal geyser eruptions, watching puffins and other native species are typically Icelandic. Watching the northern lights is another popular Reykjavik outdoor activity.
