Europe’s best activities for active travellers include canoeing in the Dordogne, France. Photo / Getty Images
Europe’s best activities for active travellers include canoeing in the Dordogne, France. Photo / Getty Images
Experiencing Europe is about more than cathedrals, art galleries and a refreshing Aperol Spritz – albeit important. It’s also about getting out and experiencing one of the world’s best places to get active, writes Brett Atkinson
Journey away from busy towns and cities, and explore the continent by venturing down isolated rivers in the former Yugoslavia, and paragliding high above Slovenia’s Julian Alps. Go mountain biking and hiking, paddle a canoe past riverside castles in France, or steer a kayak around the cobalt waters and compact coves of the Maltese island of Gozo. Here are 10 of the best ways to get active in Europe.
Rafting in Bosnia-Herzegovina
With forested mountains and narrow river canyons, the wilderness areas of Bosnia-Herzegovina are very popular for whitewater rafting. Renowned as one of Europe’s coldest rivers – in summer the water temperature can be as low as 8C – the upper reaches of the Nerevta offer exciting experiences before it flows south through Croatia to the Adriatic Sea. Trips on the Nerevta begin in the town of Konjic, about an hour’s drive from both Sarajevo and Mostar, and cover 25km on Grade 2 to 4 waters. Rapids are at their peak from April to June, and trips pass through the narrow confines of the Rakytnica canyon, also a popular location for canyoning. Two rivers forming natural borders with neighbouring countries are also popular. Trips on the Una River bordering Croatia leave from the town of Bihac – look forward to exciting Grade 3 to 4 rapids – while the Tara River marks the southeastern border with Montenegro. The Tara River canyon is one of Europe’s deepest. Contact Rafting River Tara for exciting multi-day adventures including overnight riverside camping.
The wilderness areas of Bosnia-Herzegovina are very popular for whitewater rafting on the Neretva River. Photo / Getty Images
Rafting is also popular in Croatia, especially on the Cetina River east of Split, but the whitewater thrills here are usually a more relaxed Grade 2 to 3 experience. The fastest flows are in April after late winter and early spring rains, but trips are more subdued when most visitors arrive from June to September. For thrills on the Cetina, canyoning is a preferred option for many travellers. Half-day trips departing from Split include negotiating waterfalls, lakes and subterranean tunnels in the Cetina River canyon. Look forward to walking through rivers, sliding down rapids, and being drenched by the 55m-high Gubavica Falls, the highest cascade on the river and Dalmatia’s highest waterfall. For more advanced thrills, sign up for an Extreme Canyoning experience including being lowered by rope down the waterfall from a height of 50m.
Paragliding in Slovenia
Also offering outdoor thrills as part of the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia is one of Europe’s most popular destinations for paragliding. Taking off in the heart of Triglav National Park in the Julian Alps, tandem flights with 3Glav Adventures soar high above Lake Bohinj. Average time in the air is up to 25 minutes, with plenty of opportunity to take in the region’s diverse landscapes of towering mountains, verdant valleys and pristine lakes. On the northeastern horizon, pretty Lake Bled is often sighted, and flights with 3Glav Adventures include shuttle transfers from the popular tourist town. Around Slovenia, there are almost 50 official paragliding launch sites, testament to the consistency of the thermals arising from Slovenia’s combination of alpine and Mediterranean weather conditions. Skydiving and hang gliding are also popular, especially around the Soca Valley near Slovenia’s western border with Italy.
Slovenia is one of Europe’s most popular destinations for paragliding. Photo / Getty Images
Kayaking around Gozo, Malta
Detour from centuries of history and the grand spectacle of Malta’s walled capital of Valletta northwest across the Comino Channel to Gozo, Malta’s smaller, more rugged and less-populated second island. A serrated and rocky coastline punctuated by soaring sea cliffs and sheltered coves make it a great destination for sea kayaking. Guided experiences with Gozo Adventures usually begin in Hondoq Bay on the island’s eastern coast, but dependent on weather and sea conditions, half-day excursions could include kayaking around tiny Comino Island, or venturing into the natural arena of the Inland Sea on Gozo’s northwestern coast. Full-day kayaking trips include the opportunity to stop for swimming and snorkelling, and Gozo Adventures can also arrange hiking, abseiling and rock climbing. Island fun on two wheels includes mountain biking and Segway tours.
Exploring Mt Etna on Sicily
Towering above northeastern Sicily, and providing a spectacular backdrop to life in Sicily’s second city of Catania, Mt Etna is the Italian island’s most famous active volcano. Ride a cable car high above the mountain’s gentle slopes, passing over the scars of recent lava flows, before continuing in one of Funivia dell’Etna’s rugged 4WD shuttles to the edge of Etna’s southeast crater. During spring and summer, there’s usually still snow on the ground, and well-marked hiking trails offer an up close and personal view of one of Europe’s most iconic peaks. On Etna’s lower slopes, relaxed donkey treks from one to four hours leave from the town of Linguaglossa on the mountain’s northeastern side. Overnight treks staying at a rustic mountain shelter are also popular. Treks reach as high as 2000m, and even in summer, temperatures can drop quickly after dark.
Well-marked hiking trails offer an up close and personal view of Mt Etna in Sicily. Photo / Getty Images
Ziplining in Basilicata, Italy
There’s ziplining, and then there’s Il Volo dell’Angelo – the Angel’s Flight – riding securely harnessed in a prone position across a steel cable linking two remote mountain villages in Italy’s Lucanian Dolomites. With rustic trattorias and welcoming family-owned B&Bs, either of the improbably scenic hilltop villages of Castelmezzano and Pietrapertosa would be worth a detour high into Basilicata’s mountains, but viewing both while surging across a forested gorge in Italian sunshine is a singular experience. Two separate cables link the two villages, making it possible to do a round trip from either location. The San Martino line from Pietrapertosa to Castelmezzano covers 1415m with a top speed of 110km/h, while returning to Pietrapertosa from Castelmezzano on the Peschiera line, it’s 1452m and a top speed of 120km/h. Look forward to an intense rush of excitement for a total of 90 seconds on Italy’s most thrilling sky-high experience.
Located around two hours northeast of Prague near the border with Poland, the Adrspach-Teplice Rocks Nature Reserve is the biggest natural rock reserve in the Czech Republic. Visitors from Prague and Poland can make it busy on weekends and public holidays, so schedule a weekday visit to explore a natural labyrinth of sandstone towers, many eroded into fantastical shapes and arranged into natural cloisters shaded by pine trees. The highest of the towers is The Lovers, soaring more than 80m into eastern Bohemian skies, while other quirky formations include the Giant’s Armchair, the Devil’s Bridge and the Sugar Cone. A 3.5km walking trail negotiates a fascinating route through the reserve – allow around three hours – and relaxed boat trips on a compact lake are also on offer. In some parts, the trail squeezes through gaps in the rocks only 50cm wide. Stay overnight in good-value pensions in the nearby villages of Dolni Adrspach and Teplice nad Metuji to explore the reserve in seclusion when it opens at 8am.
The Adrspach-Teplice Rocks Nature Reserve is the biggest natural rock reserve in the Czech Republic. Photo / Getty Images
Hiking in Crete
Meandering through an ancient riverbed to end near the ocean at the coastal village of Agia Roumeli, the 16km adventure of the Samaria Gorge is Crete’s most popular hike. Around 6km after leaving the starting point in hillside Xyloskalo, the gorge narrows considerably near a 14th-century chapel dedicated to St Maria of Egypt. A further 5km on, the famous Sideroportes (Iron Gates) section is even more narrow at just 3.5m and includes a rickety wooden boardwalk above the gorge’s river. Wildlife to be spotted includes rare wild goats and bearded vultures, one of Europe’s biggest raptors with a wingspan of up to 3m. Beat the heat and the crowds by catching an early bus south from Hania and hitting the trail before the tour groups inevitably begin to arrive. After covering 16km along the rocky trail, you’ll have definitely earned a cooling dip in the Med. Count on taking from five to six hours to complete the walk. From Agia Roumeli, coastal ferries link to buses travelling back to Hania. The gorge is open from May to October.
Canoeing in France
Scenic beauty and the thrilling spectacle of historic castles feature along the Dordogne River in southwestern France, a combination that saw the region named a Unesco Biosphere Reserve in 2012. A popular way of exploring the river is by canoe or kayak, leisurely drifting (and occasionally paddling) downstream past rock cliffs, and meandering past castles set high in the soaring natural environment. Local companies offer canoe and kayak hire either on a half or full-day basis, with a popular 18km route beginning in the village of Argentat and ending in Beaulieu sur Dordogne, a riverside town with a beautiful medieval abbey. Scenery and river conditions vary from shaded glades to mini-rapids, and there are plenty of secluded pebbly beaches for une pique-nique en route. Historic structures hugging la rive droite (the right bank) include Château de Beynac, a medieval fortress perched on a limestone cliff, and the Renaissance-style Château de Roque Gageac.
Scenic beauty features all along the Dordogne River, especially if you navigate the region via canoe or kayak. Photo / Getty Images
Mountain biking in Germany
Germany’s Scharzwald (Black Forest) attracts the world’s mountain-biking elite to annual events including the Ultra Bike Marathon and the challenging Vaude Trans Schwarzwald, but the region dotted with villages of half-timbered houses is also popular with casual cyclists. Many Black Forest hotels offer bike rental, and Germany’s excellent public transport system means to usually easy to return to your starting point by train. Beginning near Freudenstadt and finishing in Offenburg, the 90km adventure of the Kinzigtal Radweg (Kinzig Valley Cycle Way) includes forest trails, meadows, castles and a Benedictine monastery. In villages en route, there’s accommodation in hotels, guesthouses and campsites, and more than 40 cafes, beer gardens and restaurants serve up refreshing German lager and plenty of the region’s eponymous Black Forest cake.
Germany's Black Forest region is popular with cyclists. Photo / Getty Images
