Having a holiday in the diary adds to the promise and excitement of the new year, with thoughts on grey January days of sinking your toes into warm sand or sipping wine as the sun plunges behind a jagged mountain.
In this spirit, why not make your 2019 getaway a slow one? As well as calming the mind, slowing up means being mesmerized by local food, culture and ways of life that have remained unchanged for centuries. With views of almighty summits, sparkling seas or ancient temples in time-forgotten landscapes, it presents moments of meditation.
And it doesn’t forget adventure, because many of the loveliest places are best discovered on foot or by bike.
However you choose to travel, indulge in a slow break with our pick of the top 10 walking holidays for 2019.
TOP TEN WALKING HOLIDAYS
1. Provence, France
In a land so beloved by Pope John XXII that he bought it, journey on foot through fields of corn, lavender and vines, deep into oak forests famous for their black truffle and past honey-hued, pastel-shuttered farmhouses and medieval fortresses. It was the wine that tempted the Pope back in 1317, so be sure to indulge in a tipple.
2. Serra da Arrabida, Portugal
It sounds too good to be true: a nigh on undiscovered spot where verdant flanks tumble into an emerald sea a stone’s throw from a vibrant city.
But it’s not… In the Arrábida Natural Park close to Lisbon, you’ll find some of Portugal’s most picturesque walking.
Featuring mountains, sheltered coves and vines that produce some of the country’s best wines, it also tempts with medieval castles and dinosaur footprints.
3. Empordà, Spain
Sandy bays, botanical gardens and medieval town centres are just some of the highlights in Catalonia’s Empordà region. Quiet lanes meander the landscape inland, while on the coast the going is spectacular – all coves and whitewashed towns splashed against the turquoise Mediterranean. You might also come across a castle owned by Salvador Dali or Western Europe’s best preserved Jewish quarter.
4. Lakes Maggiore and Lugano, Switzerland
Ticino occupies the southernmost tip of Switzerland, but you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in Italy. Twinkling turquoise lakes with chestnut-wooded shores, Romanesque churches and colourful towns with Italianate squares set the scene, while Italian-speaking locals and delicious regional fare, such as hearty Luganiga sausages, concoct an irresistible ambiance.
5. Stubai Valley, Austria
A stone’s throw from the cosmopolitan capital of Tyrol, Innsbruck, the Stubai Valley is an enchanting realm of tooth-like limestone summits, lush green meadows and onion-domed churches. Getting around on foot is pure pleasure, thanks to the leisurely trails that meander from mountain inn to mountain inn, taking in panoramic viewing platforms on the way.
6. Tuscany, Italy
One of Italy’s most iconic regions, Tuscany still has hidden corners that feel lost in time. There’s one such place tucked into the hills between the great art cities of Florence and Siena. Strike out each day from your golden-stone estate onto routes that traverse tumbling cypress-studded hills with medieval hilltop towns and hold a lingering scent of herbs, olives and vines.
7. Senja and Sommarøy, Norway
Senja, just north of the Lofotens, is dubbed ‘Norway in miniature’ for its dramatic fjords, jagged mountains and fairytale forests. The walking is rugged, slow and spellbinding – and a total contrast to any routes you may do on neighbouring Sommarøy. Known as the ‘Arctic Caribbean’, here an azure sea laps onto coral-sand beaches.
8. Vienna, Graz, Ljubliana and Trieste, Europe
Combine city exploration with great journeys by rail as you follow in the footsteps of Central Europe’s one-time most influential rulers. On the former Habsburg trading route between Vienna, Graz, Ljubliana and Trieste, there are sprawling palaces, dancing horses, UNESCO-listed viaducts and gothic cathedrals. And it goes without saying that the café culture is second to none.
9. South Downs, England
England’s newest national park in West Sussex charms with rousing walks along the ridgeline of the South Downs, where quiet lanes braid lush fields and chalky hills tumble towards wooded valleys. With the country inns that pepper the routes, you have everything you need for a walking getaway in the English countryside.
10. North Wessex Downs, England
One of the top 10 picks for walking holidays is in North Wessex, in Watership Down country, also the setting for Downton Abbey
Here, there is an Area of Outstanding National Beauty, charming villages tangled with thatched cottages and ancient woodland that looks straight from a picture book. Strolling along, you might discover wild orchids, butterflies and watercress-bedded streams.
