history – Page 2 – besthike.com

July 1, 2024July 1, 2024

Walking Dubrovnik’s Walled City

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Any tourist that can climb steps, walks Dubrovnik walls.

One of the world’s best and best preserved walled cities

UNESCO World Heritage site

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Game of Thrones scenery

It’s a hot destination right now for cruise ships and Instagram influencers.

Highest priority for me was walking the famed walls. 2kms. I walked it twice in sequence.

Cost is 35 EU !?

For a HIKE !!

So — like almost every tourist — I bought the 35EU Dubrovnik Pass which pays for the wall, the castle, Rector’s Palace, and several more interesting attractions.

You also get a 24 hour bus ticket which costs about 5 EU by itself. … Of course there’s no room on the buses. 😀

Unfairly, the feral cats do not have to pay. 😀

I walked the circuit twice in series in the morning. And returned later in the late afternoon to go again — only to learn that you are only allowed to enter the Walls once on a ticket.

That’s probably a good idea. In the summer Dubrovnik is PACKED shoulder-to-shoulder with tourists. This small area really can’t handle this many visitors in high season.

SONJA NOVAK, Dubrovnik tour guide, put together the Walking Dubrovnik City Walls—2023 Guide.

June 25, 2024June 25, 2024

Hiking the Hahnenkamm, Kitzbühel, Austria

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

You’ve head of Hahnenkamm above Kitzbühel as it hosts one of the top downhill ski races every January.

The Hahnenkammrennen is the classic downhill course, the Streif (streak, or stripe), which many regard as the most demanding on the World Cup circuit.

One section has a slope of 85 degrees!

Like many hikes in the Alp, you can catch a cable car in the summer. Hike near the top of the mountain, and either ride down — or WALK down, as I did.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I generally followed Hahnenkamm – Seidlalm – Ganslernalm on AllTrails. But diverged a number of times if any other trail heading downhill looked more interesting.

The Seidlalm reservoirs were a highlight, slightly off that route.

With good weather I did find it an easy day. Starting at the top of the mountain (2000m) and finishing in Kitzbühel (762m), it IS a lot of downhill. 😀

IF headed for Austria, do some research into tourist passes.

For example, many hostels and hotels can give you a FREE tourist card.

Out of Kitzbühel, that means free train and bus travel.

Free transportation over this area.

With that card, next check for deals on lift tickets. Over 3 days. Over 5 days. Etc.

June 15, 2024June 20, 2024

Marjan Loop, Split, Croatia

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

The best hike in Split, Croatia is the 8km Marjan Loop in the most popular park in town.

Actually, there are many options in this park — and I deviated from the AllTrails version several times, getting scolded by my app for being off trail. 😀

Marjan hill (178 m (584 ft)) is a CLIMB. But there are great vistas in every direction.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

June 6, 2024June 20, 2024

Stirling Castle Circular Walk, Scotland

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

The best hike directly out of Stirling, Scotland is circumambulating the famed castle.

By Stirling Council from Stirling, UK – Stirling Castle, CC BY 2.0

By Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

“Gateway to the Highlands”.

The Circular is short and easy. In fact, I did it twice. Once in the late afternoon. Again early morning next day.

This is the AllTrails Stirling Castle Circular walk.

4.3km
116m elevation
visit the evocative graveyards
stay on the trail as there are a number of local plants that poke and sting

This is a lovely route, visiting Stirling Castle and the surrounding woodland and hill slope, offering a glimpse of Scottish history and wonderful views.

This trail starts from Stirling railway station and leads you through town and into the woodland on the hill slope atop which is Stirling Castle.

Follow this path around the castle, where if you look up, you’ll see the castle towering above atop the cliffs from between the trees.

Eventually, the path opens up and leads you to the Beheading Stone, where executions would take place.

This spot overlooks River Forth and offers great views of the Wallace Monument and the Ochil Hills.

Partly retrace your steps to continue around the hill, heading up to the Ballengeich Cemetery and Stirling Castle.

You’ll pass by the Robert the Bruce statue guarding the castle car park.

That’s the William Wallace National Monument in the distance.

…. Stirling is a wonderful town to explore, with plenty of cute shops, cafes, and pubs around to visit after your walk.

Of course you should also visit the Castle. 😀

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

June 5, 2024June 20, 2024

Walking Arthur’s Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Arthur’s Seat is often listed one of the best urban hikes in the world.

It’s an ancient extinct volcano, which forms most of Holyrood Park.

Only 1 mile (1.6 km) to the east of Edinburgh Castle.

The hill rises above the city to a height of 250.5 m (822 ft), providing excellent panoramic views.

It’s relatively easy to climb, and is popular for hillwalking. Hillwalking being the most popular term for hiking in the U.K.

I walked out my hostel. Down the Royal Mile past the Parliament Buildings. And up to the top.

Added a sidesidetriptrip to St Anthony’s Chapel, a picturesque medieval ruin.

And over to the steepest cliffs — the Salisbury Crags.

On the walk back, passing the Scottish Parliament Buildings, you detour to Calton Hill.

A terrific half day adventure. All on foot.

One highlight I missed is a little known tunnel under the volcanic plug.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

February 5, 2024January 14, 2024

Waqra Pukará (horn fortress) in Peru

Waqrapukara or Waqra Pukara (possibly from Quechua waqra horn, pukara fortress, “horn fortress”) is an archaeological site in Peru located in the Cusco Region …

It was declared a National Cultural Heritage Site by the Ministry of Culture in July 2017. The building is said to be an Inca sanctuary.

At 4,140 m (13,580 ft) you seriously need to be acclimatized to make the 10k trek roundtrip.

BBC posted a trip report.

Check Puyca Expeditions to see how you could be guided to the remote site.

January 15, 2024January 12, 2024

Peru ➙ Choquequirao to Machu Picchu

Update for 2024.

I’ve hiked to and from Choquequirao independently. Excellent.

I’ve hiked Salcantay (or Salkantay) to Aguas Calientes independently. Then made the day hike early morning up to Machu Picchu.

BUT always wished I’d done the BIG adventure:

Trek Choquequirao to Machu Picchu, via Salcantay.

By 2024 organizing that is getting more complicated. And to do it independently, you should bring a tent.

Do your research and book Machu Picchu tickets long in advance.

Start with Meg’s trip report. 80 miles. 9 days.

On my trips I suffered biting ants in my tent on the way to Choquequirao. And terrible biting flies on Salcantay. Be warned.

Choquequirao to Machu Picchu Trek in 9 Days | A Real Expedition & Rewarding Journey

September 13, 2023September 8, 2023

Hike the Malerweg (Painter’s Way) in Germany

I met a young German hiker who had just completed the (approximately) 116 km adventure on the eastern border of Germany near Dresden.

He really enjoyed it.

It’s not well known outside Germany. Within Deutschland, some consider it the most beautiful hike in the nation.

Highlights include:

Bastei Bridge
Königstein Fortress
Schrammsteine Rocks
Pfaffenstein
Elbe River

The official guide spits the trail to 8 stages / days. This is a very easy-going pace which allows for lots of options for side trips or drinking delicious German beer (or both for the ones who dare). I found 4-5 days just enough for a fully-loaded hiker who wants to enjoy hiking, not rush too much but also not sit in pubs for too long either.

Get in

It’s fairly easy to get to the trail or to any of its sections. There are many train connections from Dresden or Prague and public buses or trams operate within the area itself in some sections.

Eating & drinking

Resupplying food is not easy. The trail goes through very touristic places with many pubs and cafes but there aren’t any groceries. … The only food stores we found were a tiny bio bakery in Schmilka (very pricey – but great – pastries and bread) and a small grocery shop in Kroppen …. It’s not hard to make a bus trip to a nearby town to visit a supermarket ….

Navigation

Navigation is easy. Even though the trail is well marked with painted Ms, there were still some crossroads where we weren’t sure which way to go. Not having GPS or printed maps, we used only the mobile app Mapy.cz – it’s free and it has a tourist offline map of Germany with great resolution and precise, visible trails. …
Hiking is Good

Details on the hike.

Click PLAY or watch Lennart Schoors‘ hike on YouTube.

August 29, 2023August 8, 2023

Climbing FANJINGSHAN, China

This would be an experience. 8000 steps.

The Fanjingshan (Chinese: 梵净山; pinyin: Fànjìngshān) or Mount Fanjing, located in Tongren, Guizhou province, is the highest peak of the Wuling Mountains in southeastern China, at an elevation of 2,570 m (8,430 ft). …

Fanjingshan is considered a sacred mountain of Chinese Buddhism, ranking just below the Four Sacred Mountains of Buddhism. …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

August 28, 2023

Hiking Bastei Bridge, Germany

Trip report by BestHike editor Rick McCharles

Click PLAY or get a glimpse on YouTube.

I traveled by train to Dresden and cycled to Saxon Switzerland National Park mainly inspired by the chance to hike Bastei Bridge.

And it’s awesome. 😀

First ➙ let’s clear up the confusion.

Saxon Switzerland National Park is in eastern Germany.

Saxon, Switzerland is a village of about 7000 in Switzerland.

Yeesh. 😀

The Bastei is a rock formation rising 194 metres (636 ft) above the Elbe River …

… situated near Rathen …

The Bastei (“bastion”) has been a tourist attraction for over 200 years. In 1824, a wooden bridge was constructed to link several rocks for the visitors. This bridge was replaced in 1851 by the present Bastei Bridge made of sandstone. …

I took the train one way to Rathen. Cycled the other.

Camped at the very convenient hostel.

My tent is my home away from home. Protection from the elements.

You take a short ferry across the river to reach the Bastei trailheads.

I do love the German country homes. Many are spectacularly colourful and well maintained.

There’s a scenic walk along waterways …

… then several steep ascent trails to get to the bridge.

A medieval catapult and many of the boulders are on display.

Of course the archeology of the eroded sandstone is varied and interesting.

Once up high it’s all good. Most of the trails are free. But to walk across the bridge itself there is a small fee.

The views are just as good from the free trails, in my opinion.

It is high. If you have a fear of heights, this might not be the hike for you.

Don’t miss Bastei if you get to Dresden.

It is busy. If you don’t like crowds on high walkways, come earlier or later in the day.

If you have the time, consider doing more hiking in the area. One popular hike runs from Stadt Wehlen via Bastei to Kurort Rathen (or the other way round).

On this hiking tour, also called the “Golden Triangle”, sights such as the ruins of Wehlen Fort, Bastei Bridge and the Schwedenlöcher (Swede Hole) Trail can be discovered.
saechsische-schweiz