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Hiking

Search goes on for body of missing British hiker in France in act of solidarity

Tom Doherty is presumed dead after disappearing on August 6, but search continues in ‘wave of solidarity’

Shepherd defends role of patou dogs after hiker calls for rescue

Wolves are not the problem - tourists need to respect nature, says shepherd Raymond Riera

How to join a hiking club in France

There are hundreds of thousands of hikers and thousands of groups around the country that propose regular excursions

practical

How to act if you see a patou dog while hiking in France

The Great Pyrenees Mountain Dogs are increasingly used to defend sheep against wolves

What do the signs on French hiking paths mean?

Each type of trail has its own distinctive marker

Hundreds of hikers hit by stomach bug on Corsican GR20 trek

Seven people have been hospitalised and the cause is still being investigated

App lets blind hikers explore France

Voice-guided system can lead visually impaired people around adapted footpaths

French towns remember WWI with Western Front hiking trail

Tourist board in northern France has become the first in the country to install signs for visitors following the front line

Volunteers begin clearing rural footpaths around France: can you help?

The national drive to strim undergrowth runs until March 17

Brittany route is voted favourite GR walk of hikers in France 2024

The Cœur de Bretagne footpath in Ille-et-Vilaine beat seven competitors

Fines for walking in private forests must stop, say French MPs

A law introduced in February allows landowners to fine anyone walking through their forests - opponents say it criminalises access to nature

New app aims to keep walkers safe in French hunting season

The smartphone tool can create alert zones around anyone out in the countryside

Watch out for the many French verbs ‘to walk’ - they can trip you up

Walking, hiking and strolling in France can stretch your vocabulary and your legs, explains columnist Annaliza Davis

British man walking from Cheshire to Eiffel Tower for charity

The 21-year-old said: ‘I want to help people who cannot afford Christmas’

Briton dies after falling on ‘difficult’ hiking path in French Alps

He fell around 50 metres while walking near Mont Blanc on Sunday

Marmots at risk from rising temperatures in France

Researchers have noticed a fall in reproduction among marmots – also known as groundhogs – in the Pyrenees

New 3,000km hiking trail takes trekkers across ‘hidden’ France

The mountain route runs from Germany to Spain - its creator explains why people are taking a break from life to walk the trail

National parks in France warn visitors to respect flora and fauna

A surge in visitors and hikers over the summer has prompted authorities to expand a pictorial campaign aimed at promoting good behaviour in the natural spaces

New hiking trail follows historic transhumance routes of Provence

The latest Grande Randonnée path follows the footsteps of shepherds over the centuries as they moved sheep from winter to summer grazing

French hunters and hikers unite to save rural footpaths for wildlife

The unlikely alliance have seen a drop in biodiversity where countryside paths have been destroyed or forgotten - they explain why

Brittany cliff path ruling is win for hikers over ‘rich people’

The fight centres on a 1976 law that says there must be a public path at least three metres wide, from the point of highest water, along the French coast

Shepherd's guard dogs attack hiker on French Alpine route

Trails close to livestock can bring walkers into contact with the enormous dogs used to protect them from wolves. Find out what to do if you come across one

Police call off search for American hiker missing on Mont Blanc

Scott Putnam was reported missing on Tuesday, August 31, and police say that if he is still on the mountain it is ‘almost certain that he is dead’

French mountain rescue search for American man missing on Mont Blanc

Scott Putnam was last seen at the Tête Rousse refuge at 3,165m, where he spent the night from August 28-29

Accidental fall caused death of British hiker in Pyrenees

Post-mortem examination of the body of Esther Dingley shows she died instantly after having fallen, laying to rest theories she may have been kidnapped or attacked by a bear

Body of missing British hiker found by her partner in Pyrenees

The remains of Esther Dingley have been discovered along with items of her equipment in the mountains on the border of France and Spain; part of a skull found last month has also been confirmed to be hers

Next generation of French hikers turns to outdoor micro-adventures

Walking holidays are hugely popular in France but so too are 'randonnée' escapes for city dwellers seeking a little countryside tranquillity

Bones found in Pyrenees near where British hiker went missing

Esther Dingley has been missing since November 2020 after going for a solo hike in the mountains along the French-Spanish border

South of France vineyard trek is most popular hiking route for 2021

Footpath through mountains, vineyards and villages knocks Normandy route off the top spot

Successful Pyrénées mountain rescue of... a St. Bernard dog

“Without our intervention, Beethoven [the dog] would probably have died of exhaustion,” said one of the rescuers

Search for British hiker missing in Pyrenees called off

After an extensive search involving helicopters, dogs and drones, the rescue mission on the French side of the border was forced to stop yesterday afternoon due to bad weather. An inquiry looking into the disappearance has been launched

Search for British hiker missing in Pyrenees

The experienced hiker set out on a solo trip last Sunday and was due to return on Wednesday but has not been seen

Traps on French forest paths endanger bikers and walkers

Cables tied across pathways and hidden planks spiked with nails are causing serious injury and even death for bikers and walkers in the French countryside

Covid-19 recovery: how a simple walk can help, body and soul

Patients recovering from the longer-term after-effects of Covid-19 have discovered that walking is an important part of their rehabilitation.

France national park rewards litter-picking visitors

Anyone found picking up litter or clearing up their mess while out in the Calanques National Park this summer could win a prize, thanks to an initiative to promote good habits.

Hiker, 70, survives five days in French wilderness

The 70-year-old “veteran hiker” spent four nights lost in the Sainte-Baume mountains in Var (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur) after leaving for a one-day hike without a mobile phone.

Woman ‘hiking’ in flip-flops rescued near French peak

A woman who wore flip-flops on a hike to the summit of a Savoie mountain required rescue by helicopter this week, prompting emergency services to warn hikers about using proper equipment.

Wealthy villa owners in France lose coastal path fight

Hikers will soon be able to walk along a pristine stretch of Brittany coastline after a 36-year legal battle with local villa owners.

Hiker legs it, pursued by a bear

Holidaymaker recalls moment he faced adult and three cubs in Pyrénées

French mountain regions seek summer tourism boost

Mountain regions in France are improving their summer facilities in a bid to attract customers all year round, as the summer market is valued at over €5 billion.

Walking in France: Step out on the wild side

Samantha David shrugs on her backpack and laces up her hiking boots

New Côte Bleue hiking trail unveiled for summer

A new 62km coastal hiking route between Marseille and Martigues in Provence-Côte d’Azur has been unveiled by the Bouches-du-Rhône tourist department in time for summer.

Make sense of... French Walking routes

Connexion presents vital information to make the most of walking routes in France