‘We love watching the landscape respond to each season’: why hiking long-distance trails in bite-size chunks is more fun

Tackling a long-distance walk like the Thames Path or South Downs Way in short sections makes it manageable – and more spontaneous, too

‘Spring sings with birdlife and wildflowers’: readers’ favourite UK trips of the season

From best in bloom on the Lizard Peninsula to perky puffins in the Hebrides, our tipsters revel in the return of spring

Rembrandt’s Amsterdam – walking the Amstel River 750 years after the city’s birth

To celebrate this significant milestone, our writer follows the flow of the artist’s inspiration, taking in sights that would have been familiar to the Old Master

The devil waits at every crossroads: a walk between darkness and light on Dartmoor

The new 38-mile Archangel’s Way, a pilgrimage route in a rugged corner of Devon, straddles Christendom and ancient pagan sites

Castaway in Fife: exploring Robinson Crusoe country in east Scotland

The Fife coastal path connects the firths of Forth and Tay and takes in some of the country’s finest seaside villages, seascapes and the home of a famous literary castaway

10 of the best Exmoor experiences: day trips, activities and places to stay

Treks and tearooms, scones and safaris… It’s hard to beat this corner of England in the spring

Hiking in southern Italy: myths, mountains and wild boar in Cilento

South of the Amalfi Coast is a rugged wonderland of quiet paths through chestnut woods and vineyards. It’s all perfect for contemplating ancient yarns, spotting wildlife and enjoying local fare

Far from the madding crowd: my personal pilgrimage on the quiet paths of Thomas Hardy’s Dorset

My mother wrote about the meandering trails from the novelist’s cottage, through countryside loaded with literary references – now I’m following in her footsteps

Giants, saints and dragons on the Llŷn peninsula in north Wales

Three walks along the Wales Coast Path offer a fascinating insight into the legends, culture and industry that shaped this stunning outpost

Pembrokeshire’s wild north by train, bus and bike

Overshadowed by St Davids and Tenby, the Welsh seaside town of Fishguard makes a great off-season base for coastal and country exploration

How I learned to navigate in the Welsh mountains

Learning to read a map and use a compass turns disorientation into discovery in the Eryri national park

A winter’s trail: seasonal UK walks from Somerset to Scotland

The stark landscapes of mid-winter are the best time for enjoying the elements on these routes. Our writers tell us the personal stories behind their favourite hikes

The gentle magic of walking in Somerset’s Mendip Hills

John Harris and family revisit the first halfway serious hill-walk they made in a landscape that’s more comforting than challenging – just what they’re looking for at this time of year

Deserted beaches, wild rivers and seaside chill: four days walking in NSW’s largest coastal park

The Yuraygir coastal walk in northern NSW offers 65km of beachy bliss broken up by tiny towns with food and shelter – ideal for hardcore hikers and ragtag families alike

‘At the top it’s a different world, crisp and pure’: readers’ favourite winter walks

From golden Cornish sands to a Highland trail with beavers, our tipsters choose atmospheric walks to blow away the cobwebs