As warmer months and longer days approach, suddenly long walks and hikes start to look far more appealing. Exploring and adventuring through mountain ranges, cliffsides and dramatic vistas are all part of the thrill of hiking. However, deciding where to explore and what views you simply must see can be a hard task.
Fortunately, the talented team at OnBuy Treadmills decided to investigate which of Europe’s hiking trails is in fact the most popular.
Among the findings:
- Italy’s Sentiero Azzurro takes the top spot, with over 2.5 million hashtags!
- Iceland’s waterfalls prove to be hugely attractive to Instagrammers
- The longest hike is Chemin de Saint Jacques de Compostelle at 767 kilometres, spanning the whole top coast of Spain – placing 2nd with 2.2million hashtags
- The UK houses the most hiking hotspots in the top 10 with 6!
Top 20 Hikes
|
Position |
Hike Name |
Country |
Instagram # Quantity |
|
1 |
Sentiero Azzurro: Vernazza – Monterosso |
Italy |
2,500,013 |
|
2 |
GR®65: Chemin de Saint Jacques de Compostelle / Via Podiensis / Voie du Puy |
France |
2,210,441 |
|
3 |
Tre Cime di Lavaredo | Drei Zinnen |
Italy |
483,400 |
|
4 |
Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) |
Norway |
337,444 |
|
5 |
Skógafoss Waterfall |
Iceland |
280,702 |
|
6 |
Gullfoss Waterfall |
Iceland |
275,737 |
|
7 |
Trolltunga |
Norway |
229,921 |
|
8 |
Box Hill, Lodge Hill and Juniper Hill Circular |
United Kingdom |
184,864 |
|
9 |
Seljalandsfoss – Gljufrafoss Waterfalls |
Iceland |
184,241 |
|
10 |
Promenade 57 Cascade des Nutons de Solwaster (Solwaster, Statte, Bilisse, Dolmen) |
Belgium |
127,756 |
|
11 |
Calanques de Port Miou, Port Pin et d’En Vaut |
France |
121,642 |
|
12 |
Castleton, Mam Tor and The Great Ridge Walk |
United Kingdom |
117,479 |
|
13 |
Yorkshire Three Peaks |
United Kingdom |
105,089 |
|
14 |
Janet’s Foss, Gordale Scar and Malham Cove |
United Kingdom |
90,372 |
|
15 |
Kinder Scout and Kinder Downfall Path |
United Kingdom |
81,274 |
|
16 |
Laugavegur Trail |
Iceland |
80,911 |
|
17 |
PR1 – Pico do Arieiro – Pico Ruivo |
Portugal |
75,793 |
|
18 |
Arnarstapi – Gatklettur – Hellnar |
Iceland |
73,783 |
|
19 |
Dovestone Reservoir and Chew Reservoir Circular |
United Kingdom |
73,508 |
|
20 |
Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) |
France |
73,122 |
|
21 |
Sentiero degli Dei: Bomerano – Positano |
Italy |
59,712 |
The top 3 hikes:
Italy heralds the most beautiful hike, as seen via OnBuy Treadmill’s Instagram data. The gorgeous Sentiero Azzurro walk is the first of two in the top 3, which covers part of the Cinque Terre UNESCO National Park, straddling cliffs and scrublands before descending towards the ocean. This remarkable route has a little over 2.5 MILLION hashtags, the most on this list by far! With dramatic inclines and fabulous views of the Mediterranean, it’s not hard to see why this hike is the most beautiful.
The second most Insta-worthy hike to feature is known colloquially as the Camino De Santiago, ‘GR®65: Chemin de Saint Jacques de Compostelle’ is a formidable 767 kilometers long and serves as a historic pilgrimage route across Spain and beyond. With 2,210,441 hashtags on Instagram, this hike serves views of the beautiful Spanish countryside and the Bay of Biscay, surely warranting its position as one of Europe’s most beautiful hikes to visit!
Third place is deservedly awarded to Tre Cime di Lavaredo in Italy – the second hike in Italy to feature in the top 3. With 483,400 hashtags, it’s clear this route is a stunner. A steeply-inclined hike leads you to the staggering Drei Zinnen mountains, three rock formations jutting out over the plateau. Dwarfing its surroundings, the paths to the peaks are served by the Lavaredo fork, leading hikers around the perimeter of these incredible geographical features.
The top countries for hiking trails:
Overall in the top 20, the United Kingdom features a remarkable 6 times. Box Hill, Lodge Hill and Juniper Hill Circular are the highest scorers from the United Kingdom, with 184,864 hashtags scored.
Iceland is the next most prevalent country for hiking trails, with 5 in the top 20.