Whisky, Wine & Cheese: Five epicurean walking tours in Europe
Culinary delights in the fresh air.
April 6, 2021
More and more people are lacing up their hiking boots in their free time and discovering impressive landscapes on foot. Hikes can also be enjoyable, combining pure mountain air with culinary delights. In addition to the sporting activity, wine tastings and visits to a cheese dairy or whisky distillery are also on the agenda. All this is combined by the adventure travel specialist Ameropa with its new hiking offers.
Here you will find five of the most beautiful pleasure hikes in Europe.
Roman paths and Moselle wine
In the border triangle between Perl and Trier, two quality hiking trails - the Moselsteig and the Eifelsteig - await active holidaymakers. Hikers follow the old Roman roads on the six-day journey and have the opportunity to be enchanted by small wine villages along the Moselle and Saar rivers. The Moselle is considered to be the oldest German wine region and has many good wines in store for hikers with an affinity for pleasure, which can be sampled immediately during a wine tasting. The easy tour leads on good hiking trails to Trier. There, holidaymakers discover the lively old town with its nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites at the end of the tour. The tour can also be booked as an eight-day hiking tour and then continues from Trier along the Eifelsteig trail through the idyllic Kyll valley to Kordel.
Valais Wine Trail
The tour on the Valais Wine Trail is all about the fine wines. On the six-day journey, holidaymakers pass some of the steepest vineyards in the world and are enchanted by the charm of the typical wine villages. The wine trail runs for around 66 kilometres through the plain between Martigny and Leuk and thus through the home of famous wines such as Fendant, Malvoisie and Heida. Hikers can learn more about the Swiss canton's grape juice during visits to the wine museums in Salgesch and Sierre. On a guided tour of Sion, holidaymakers walk in the footsteps of one of Switzerland's oldest towns. Hikers can then let Swiss cheese melt in their mouths during an original Valais raclette meal.
Pleasure hike in Alsace
Alsace has long since made a name for itself as a stronghold for gourmets. The seven-day hiking tour between the Rhine and the Vosges is as diverse as the specialities of this region. Vast vineyards and dreamy country estates alternate with picturesque villages. From the heights of the Vosges, spectacular panoramas open up to hikers. Ancient castles and fortresses, such as the Haut-Koenigsbourg, probably the most famous castle in Alsace, invite you to look over the stone walls to the surrounding mountains. In addition to exercise, there is also plenty of enjoyment to be had. During a wine tasting, holidaymakers can enjoy selected grape juices from the region. During a visit to a distillery, they will learn how fine spirits are created from low-alcohol ingredients. The pleasure trip to Alsace is rounded off with a tasting in a cheese dairy, where the most popular cheeses of the region, such as Münsterkäse, are put on the plate.
Wine hiking on the Rheinsteig
Moderate climate and many hours of sunshine - the Rheingau offers perfect conditions for many white grape varieties grown along the Rhine. The Romans laid the foundation for today's viticulture with the wine terraces. On a hike along the Rheinsteig, which has been named Germany's most beautiful hiking trail several times, hikers pass extensive vineyards, historic castles and monasteries. The eight-day hiking tour takes holidaymakers on a stage between Rüdesheim and Koblenz through the UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley. Along the way, they will explore charming villages, characterised by half-timbered facades worth seeing and a long history, and hike along idyllic winegrowers' paths. During a wine tasting, two other grape varieties are served alongside the famous Rheingau Riesling.
Whisky Trek in Switzerland
Far from it, if you only think of Scotland, Ireland or the USA when you think of whisky. Around the Säntis, the highest mountain in the Swiss Alpstein, excellent whiskies are waiting to be tasted. In the cellars of 26 mountain inns around the famous peaks of Hoher Kasten, Ebenalp, Kronberg and Säntis, the spirits are stored in unique casks. Each of them is unique, because the barrels are made of oak wood of various origins and were previously filled with the finest wines, sherry, rum, plum brandy or beer. This is how the whisky gets its inimitable aroma. During the four-day hiking tour on the highest whisky trek in the world, holidaymakers also discover the Alpstein mountain range with the densest network of hiking trails in Switzerland. From the 2,502-metre-high Säntis, hikers have a unique panoramic view over six countries and Lake Constance. Those who want to rest their feet for once can enjoy the free ride on the Wasserauen - Ebenalp cable car, which is included in the Ameropa offer.
Picture Credits: Switzerland Tourism / Jan Geerk, Zvardon
