One Spanish region where tourists are welcome – especially spaghetti western fans

A new walking route around Burgos, in northern Spain, offers film pilgrims a close-up of the iconic locations used in Sergio Leone’s movie The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

In the footsteps of DH Lawrence: across the Alps from Germany to Italy

More than a century on, the route from Konstanz to Como across lakes and Swiss mountains must also contend with traffic, but it still inspires a novel

Leaving the herd behind on a family trip in the peaceful southern French Alps

Rugged scenery, an insight into shepherds’ culture, delicious food and remote mountain stays make for a memorable few days hiking in France

How I found my Dartmoor moment with the gift of wild camping

The freedom to wild camp can make hiking among the majestic tors and ancient forests even more rewarding, but this right is at risk

‘I inched across rock faces, explored sea caves and plummeted off cliffs’: readers’ favourite active holidays in Europe

Island-hopping in Sicily, saving turtles in Cephalonia, coasteering in Pembrokeshire, e-biking in Andalucía and more – courtesy of our readers

Walking the Netherlands’ new long-distance Salt Path

A new hiking route in the far north of the country is helping to connect visitors with rural communities and giving churches a new lease of life as B&Bs and art studios

In search of Monet’s wild landscapes: a glorious art adventure in central France

Rouen, Paris and London are better-known Monet destinations, but rural La Creuse’s rugged gorges, spectacular lake and medieval castle really captivated the artist

An alternative guide to the Cotswolds: beyond the Chipping Norton set

The area is known for coach tours and A-lister escapes, but beyond the honeypots lie delightfully alternative communities, ancient walking trails and brilliant pubs

Scaling the fairytale peaks of Saxon Switzerland in Germany

The dramatic landscape was beloved of Romantic painters and hardcore climbers. But the spa town of Bad Schandau provides a gentler introduction for skinny-calfed explorers

Baltic beauty: exploring Estonia’s northern coast

Mossy marshes, sunny beaches and summer cabins surrounded by flowers recall the childhood idyll of Tove Jansson’s The Summer Book, set in the Gulf of Finland

Seven ways to experience the best of Switzerland

From the turquoise waters of Bernese Oberland to toothsome Ticino and musical Montreux, Switzerland caters for every taste

Three castles, three days, three writers in Wales’ border country

Over an early summer weekend, three writer friends trek through the hills of Monmouthshire, mapping the medieval lordship of Three Castles

A high-wire family adventure in the Swiss Alps

Farmers once used a cable car network to move between mountains in Switzerland’s Engelberg region. Now tourists can use them to follow a new hiking trail

‘Stunning lakes and majestic mountains’: readers’ tips from Europe

Dramatic scenery, gleaming lakes and unspoilt views take the fancy of our adventurous tipsters, from France to Albania

‘Walking away from the world in Scotland’: an easier way to plan long Highlands hikes

A new website aims to give people more confidence on multi-day, self-guided hikes, and sees our writer – who’d previously had to abandon a wild camping trip in the area – return in triumph