Europe's Best Countries For Otherworldly, Vibrant Spring Hikes, According To The Online Hiking Community

Before summer tourists arrive in droves, trails across Europe awaken with vibrant wildflowers and quiet, cooler mornings. Hiking on a spring day is perfect to find fewer crowds and great views, as long as you don't end up in mountain ranges that are still too cold and icy to trek comfortably. As Reddit user nj_legion_ice_tea said, "Late April [to] early May, there still is usually "winter" above 2,000 in the higher mountain ranges (Alps-Tatras-Pyrenees). Quite rainy in the Alps too." To get the most out of the spring season, you'll want to stick to countries where the climate is warmer and less prone to springtime turbulence.

But rather than guessing at any Mediterranean country to get your spring hiking fix, we put together a list of hiking destinations that truly stand out for next-level spring scenery: where wildflowers meet ancient ruins, waterfalls gush from melting mountain peaks, and sheep graze along verdant meadows. The list includes the countries that consistently get the most praise from passionate hikers online, not just for year-round fame but specifically for their beauty around March through June (find our full methodology at the end of this article).

Spring in Portugal has the perfect mix of comfortably warm temperatures and nature at its most extravagant. Trails become blanketed in native wildflowers like flor-de-ouro, sawfly orchids, and mimosas, all while cooled gently by Atlantic Ocean breezes. In Southern Portugal, the Alentejo region is ideal for a hike among blossoms. Rick Steves even said on his website, "Though largely arid most of the year, in spring the Alentejo is positively lush." Here, you'll climb among rolling hills of cork trees and a coastline where cliffs plunge into the Atlantic.

A unique trail network in the region is the Rota Vicentina, which runs along old fishermen's paths. Travel blogger Gallop Around the Globe noted, "From tiny little succulents growing in the sand to avenues of vibrant golden wattle trees in bloom, today's sightings really helped to convince me that springtime is definitely the best season to be hiking the Fishermen's Trail."

Meanwhile, if you head west out to sea, Portugal's island of Madeira is known as "The Pearl of the Atlantic" and is full of incredible spring hikes. Though the island has comfortable temperatures year-round, in spring you get fewer crowds and more splendor. Travel blogger Olá Daniela wrote of Madeira in springtime, "This time should be a little bit quieter than during summer. As for waterfalls, I think the scenery was more lush during my May visit than my October visit." There are hundreds of hiking trails around Madeira, but one of the best, PR1, connects from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, the island's two highest summits.

The wild green growth and flowers are spectacular in the springtime in Greece, before summer heat and drought set in. Around its Mediterranean landscapes, you'll find ancient ruins speckled in olive groves and mountainside paths that smell like thyme and oregano, snugly hovering in the 60s Fahrenheit. "Contrary to the popular opinion, the best time to visit Greece (especially for hiking) is the early spring," wrote Greek travel blogger and avid hiker Helena Maskova for her site Just for One Summer.

Maskova suggests hiking from the ancient city of Delphi (considered one of Greece's best underrated ancient sites by Rick Steves) to the Corycian cave. This trail has everything — starting at the base of Mount Parnassos, it passes through olive orchards, cliffs, springs, and ancient ruins, before ending at the massive cave. "Even if time doesn't permit a full day hike to the cave I recommend climbing at least a few hundred meters above the village," Maskova said. "This way you will get a completely different perspective on this otherwise very touristic place and take away far more spiritual experience."

Another one of Greece's best spring hikes is on the island of Naxos. Here, you can trek up to the island's peak at Mount Zas, on ancient paths graced by wildflowers, pagan temples, and the Cave of Zeus, where mythology says that the god was raised. One of the trails also begins at a natural spring, Aria Spring, which a TripAdvisor reviewer called "a pretty spot, and a great place to chill before and after heading up to the cave or further up."

Italy is famous for its hiking trails in the north, notably in the Dolomites and the Italian Alps. But come springtime, it's Southern Italy's time for the spotlight. Hiker Sima Patel wrote on their online hiking guide Where to Hike When that while the northern trails are "not accessible (or safe!) for the average hiker" in spring, "[h]ead to Southern Italy in April and you will find yourself with the perfect temperatures for hiking to go along with the perfect views."

The Amalfi Coast is loaded with under-the-radar, scenic hikes. Sentiero degli Dei, or "Path of the Gods," is undoubtedly the most renowned hike in the region, where ancient stairways climb above the sea, framed by bougainvillea. Though popular, the trail is less crowded in spring months, before inland residents flock to the coast. But if you're looking for something more unconventional, Patel recommends hiking Monte Faito. The hike starts after you take a cable car from Sorrento, then proceeds up the mountain along the Trail of the Angel, where you get views of the Bay of Naples from the ridgeline.

Off the coast of Italy is the island of Sardinia, which is home to some more spectacular spring hikes. Travel blogger My Adventures Across the World notes that "the best time to go hiking in Sardinia is the fall and the spring, until May — then it starts becoming too hot." Gorropu Canyon, in Central Sardinia, offers incredible hiking trails that range from easy to challenging. The trails wind through the gorge, along natural pools, and through a juniper tree forest.

While the higher altitudes of Switzerland will still be quite snowy and cold in spring, skip the traditional peaks of the Swiss Alps for the country's unsung lower-altitude trails. They're perfect for exploring around this time, particularly towards later spring, in May and June, when melting snow creates roaring waterfalls and glassy lakes. Hikers Alastair and Elke of the blog Stunning Hikes recommend taking a loop trail from Rheinau to the Rheinfälle waterfalls. "It features a beautiful monastery, the stunning Rheinfälle waterfalls, a 200-year-old wooden bridge, but most importantly, a lovely walk along the Rhine," they wrote. During spring, the trail is full of flowers, and the falls are at their most dramatic.

For another trail with waterfalls galore, Alex of the hiking blog Wander We Go endorsed the Weg der drei Wasserfälle in the fairy tale village of Brienz. "The trail might be named for three waterfalls, but this whole area has waterfalls sprouting all over the place," she wrote. "It's magical, and celebrates Swiss spring in all its glory." Moderate in difficulty, the trail bends along the turquoise-colored Lake Brienz, where you'll see the waterfalls crashing down into its tributaries. Plus, one of the benefits of hiking at this lower altitude is that you get to see the snow-covered summits of the Alps towering around you.

Perhaps one of the more overlooked hiking destinations on this list, Croatia's islands offer some of the best hikes in Europe, and spring means open trails but not yet packed ferries. Patel of Where to Hike When wrote that the Croatian islands are "perfect for exploration in the spring months," highlighting the islands of Brač, Krk, Hvar, and Mljet. On Brač, an underrated island getaway with affordable prices, there's a route designed to take you around the whole island over eight days called Via Brattia. It connects through villages, vineyards, and 12 historic landmarks, some dating to Croatia's medieval past.

Meanwhile, Andrea and Mario of the blog Life and Adventures suggest spring as the ideal time for hiking in Croatia's Paklenica National Park. "Mild weather and blooming nature make this one of the best periods for hiking in Paklenica National Park," they wrote. Located within the Velebit Mountains, the park has numerous hiking trails that wind through canyons, rock flora, and streams, which are in full rush during springtime. One popular route is the Velika Paklenica Canyon trail, a nearly seven-mile loop that goes along a canyon with otherworldly karst formations and through a black pine forest.

Though Europe has countless beloved hiking destinations, we chose those that especially transform in the spring, drawing from experiences shared online by hikers who had actually spent time in each destination. We searched posts in the r/hiking Reddit forum, travel and hiking blogs, and review sites like TripAdvisor and AllTrails for places consistently tagged or described as "spring" experiences — countries that appeared frequently across multiple platforms scored higher. Each country had to embody spring awakening in its nature, whether that's flora blooming alongside ruins or waterfalls gushing from melted snow, and a suitable springtime climate for hiking. We also singled out countries that offer a range of trail experiences across different regions.