Traditional Food and Drink in France

At only a stone's throw from Nice and the Mediterranean coast, you can find a mountain range with the striking name les Alpes-Maritimes. In these mountains, you can find Mercantour National Park, one of the most beautiful national parks France has to offer. With peaks of over 3000m and valleys formed by ancient glacial streams, Mercantour provides the perfect backdrop for your next mountain adventure. It's in Mercantour where hikers of all ages and abilities will be able to find an unparalleled hiking experience. Are you ready to discover one of France's best-kept secrets? Allez! Some of the options in Mercantour National Park even take you across the border to Italy. From other destinations that we like so much, like the Tour du Mont Blanc, the Alta Via 1 or the Alta Via 2, we know it's always great to do a little Italian escape. The food in an Italian rifugio is always fantastic. Before we get carried away by Refuge cuisine, let's take a closer look at our possibilities if you want to go hiking in the Mercantour National Park. What does this area make special? What hiking options are there? What about accommodation in Mercantour? We'll answer all your questions!

The Tour du Mont Thabor, the French Alps' best-kept secret. In Vallée de la Clarée you can find unspoiled Alpine scenery, away from the beaten track, the most hospitable gîtes and refuges, and to top it all off: The option for a family-friendly trek. Forget the Tour du Mont Blanc, the Walker's Haute Route, and the other big names. Around Mont Thabor you can enjoy quality mountain time without having to take too much time off and without breaking the bank. We wanted to keep it all for ourselves, but happiness is only real when shared. So, allez! Let's discover the Tour du Mont Thabor and the trails of Vallée de la Clarée together! Grande Randonnée GR57 is better known as the Tour du Mont Thabor. This is a loop around the lesser known but still very prominent Mont Thabor, in Vallée de la Clarée in the Hautes-Alpes. Vallée de la Clarée is a sheltered, dead-end valley north of the fortified town of Briancon, on the border between France and Italy and forms part of the unspoilt Massif des Cerces. There are no ski slopes or other large-scale tourism, this valley is there only for hikers, cyclists, and other nature lovers. When doing the full circuit, you can expect a total distance of around 85 kilometers and more than 5,000 meters of elevation gain. You don't have to, though. The Tour du Mont Thabor can be easily divided into segments, making it accessible and enjoyable for the entire family.

When it comes to the Walker's Haute Route hiking, is there anything better, more beautiful, and more intense? When it comes to adventure and challenge, the Walker's Haute Route can be ranked alongside Kilimanjaro, the Everest Base Camp Trek, the Alta Via 2, and the Tour du Mont Blanc. More so, the latter is more of a preparation for the Walker's Haute Route than an equal. From Chamonix near Mont Blanc in France all the way to the Matterhorn near Swiss Zermatt, this is the pinnacle of hiking in the Alps. While showcasing amazing mountain passes, glaciers, charming pastoral towns, and magnificent valleys Walker's Haute Route is also known for its fantastic food and wine - promising a thrilling hut-to-hut trekking adventure. Allez, let's do the Haute Route! There are 200 kilometers (125 miles) and 15,200 vertical meters (50,000 ft) between Chamonix and Zermatt. The highest point reached is 2,987 meters or almost 10,000 ft. It doesn't matter whether you use the metric or the imperial system, the numbers for the Walker's Haute Route blow you away. As one of the most iconic examples of hut to hut hiking in France and Switzerland, this tremendous route stands out for its dramatic alpine scenery and rewarding challenge. What makes it so special? How do you hike it self-guided? Where do hikers spend the night? Why choose the Walker's Haute Route over the Tour du Mont Blanc? Let us answer all your questions!

The GR20, also known as Fra li Monti is a GR (Grande Randonnée) footpath that crosses the Mediterranean island of Corsica running approximately from north to south. The entire trail is about 180 km long with 12,000 m of elevation gain. Although it takes about 15 days to complete it, the route can be divided into 2 stages: the northern part, between Calenzana and Vizzavona, and the southern part, between Vizzavona and Conca. This GR route is considered one of the toughest of all GR routes, are you brave enough to give it a try? Below you will find all the information you need about the route, the stages, a map, and a kit list for your GR20 hike in Corsica! For the GR20, some hiking experience in steeper terrain is advisable. The trek requires some scrambling, use of chains, and a ladder (on the Northern section) to tackle the rocky landscape and mountain ridges. As one of the most demanding routes for France hut to hut hiking, this trail is best suited for confident mountain walkers who can read route notes and locate their position on a map when needed. You will find all the information to face this challenge as prepared as possible.

The Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) is Europe’s most iconic long-distance hike. Circling the Mont Blanc massif through France, Italy, and Switzerland, this hut-to-hut trek covers ~170 km, involves ~10,000 meters of total ascent and descent, and usually takes 7–11 days to complete. Expect breathtaking alpine scenery, high mountain passes, and charming villages along the way. In this guide you’ll find everything you need: elevation profiles per stage, recommended itineraries, accommodation options, costs, and tips for planning your own self-guided Tour du Mont Blanc adventure. Key Facts – Tour du Mont Blanc Total distance: ~170 km Total ascent + descent: ~10,000 m Duration: 7–11 days Countries: France, Italy, Switzerland Highest point: around 2,665 m (Fenêtre d’Arpette) Daily stages: 12–22 km, 6–9 hours walking, 500–1,400 m ascent Accommodation: mountain huts (refuges), guesthouses, hotels

France is more than just visiting the Eiffel Tower, walking along the Arc de Triomphe and eating baguettes. Hiking in France is an excellent way to get to know the country thoroughly. Hiking through vineyards, the most beautiful French hut tours in the Alps and Pyrenees and the pilgrim routes to the South. Sounds good, doesn't it? In this blog, we will inform you about France's most beautiful hiking routes, including a trail around Mont Blanc, hut-to-hut tours in the Pyrenees and the famous pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, which can also be started in France. At Bookatrekking.com, we love hiking and when we are not going to Kilimanjaro or Nepal, we like to head out into Europe by ourselves. One of the many Steigs in Germany, endless Alpine pastures in Austria, the beautiful Dolomites or on a hut-to-hut hike in the Alps. If we go for the latter, we can't really avoid France. A hut tour in France is the absolute best so no wonder you will come across some of the best options in this blog. But there's more, as we also like to take you on the Camino Francés, the French way to Santiago de Compostela. Allez!