Mountain walking holidays in France

What better way to take in the breathtaking scenery of French mountains, than to immerse yourself in your surroundings, on a walking holiday. With the Alps, Pyrenees, Massif Centrale, Jura, and the mountain ranges in Morvan, the Vosges and Corsica, France has a lot of mountains to choose from!

All the fascinating features which you find in mountainous areas, such as hot springs, waterfalls and rare wildlife provide an extra element to walking holidays there, and are a source of constant interest and discovery.

The Alps and the Pyrenees are the principal ranges, but they are all spectacular in their own way. The picture postcard Alps are absolutely stunning, and have a long tradition of year-round walking (with snow shoes in the winter!), which means plenty of restaurants, accommodation and other provisions for visitors. The Pyrenees is a little more rugged and slightly less touristy. Those who visit the Pyrenees fall in love with the scenery and individual culture of this special region, which borders Spain and Andorra.

Morvan, the Vosges, the Jura and the Massif Centrale (Auvergne) all benefit from being very unspoilt. The Jura is teeming with wildlife and incredible views. The Massif Centrale’s drama varies from pine tree-covered peaks, to barren hills dotted with cottages and dairy cows, to the volcanic Auvergne ranges made famous by the Volvic water adverts.

Corsica, with it’s diverse landscape, fiercely independent culture, traditions and food, and frequent views of both mountain and sea make it an unforgettable destination. Indeed, it is home to the longest and most difficult Grande Randonnée (official walking route) in Europe, the GR20, and walking holidays are one of Corsica’s main tourist industries. The reliably sunny weather of summer also makes it attractive to may walkers. Much of the unspoilt Island, and some of it’s most interesting sights, are only accessible by foot.

Read more about walking in France here.