In this car-free hiking and skiing resort in the Jungfrau region of Switzerland, access lifts and trains to the most spectacular hiking in the Bernese Oberland and to the Jungfraujoch, the highest train station in Europe with its ice palace and glacier trekking. Or spend the day walking in the city of Interlaken, just a 30-minute train ride away. In the Lauterbrunnen Valley, there are miles of level trails that take you past 72 waterfalls! Enjoy spectacular walks and hikes right from your hotel room.
Thinkstock
Vancouver, British Columbia
This international city has an awesome combination of culture and nature. Within minutes of downtown restaurants and shops is the spectacular Stanley Park, which includes miles of lush, woodsy trails, a world-class aquarium, a romantic sea wall path and the challenging Grouse mountain climb. (Walkers can take a gondola up to the top for more hikes and views.) Islands near by offer amazing ridge hikes where you can actually look down on eagles flying by.
Thinkstock
New York City
In the Big Apple clean, walking-friendly sidewalks and attractions are the rule. Central Park, once dark and dangerous, has become stunningly beautiful under the care of the Central Park Conservancy; take a guided walk with their volunteer guides. Stroll over the Brooklyn Bridge for a bird’s eye view of the Statue of Liberty and have take-out pizza from Grimaldi’s while you watch the sunset over the Manhattan skyline. Don’t miss the High Line, a one-mile aerial rail park that has transformed the once-blighted Chelsea neighborhood into an upscale, in-demand community.
Christian Lemay
Zell am Ziller, Austria
Lying along a rushing, aquamarine Ziller River, this village makes a great base for alpine hiking. Go in late June for the wildflower displays. Hike to an alpine “gasthaus” and relax with a beer and a hunk of the local cheese and bread. Ride a bike along the river to the village of Mayrhofen and take the gondola up to Penken’s peak for lunch without having to climb there. Tired? Put your bike on the train and ride back to your hotel. We suggest the Sporthotel Theresa, which includes a wonderful spa, delicious food and family-owned hospitality.
The Oregon Coast
Begin with Crater Lake National Park, and hike one of the many awesome trails within the park system. Noteworthy is the 1.7-mile Annie Creek Loop Trail, where the crystal clear springs attract plenty of wildlife. Have at least one meal at Crater Lake Lodge and gasp at the lake at sunrise or sunset. Then head to the Oregon Caves National Park and the 3.3-mile Big Tree Trail, a spectacular trek through some of the tallest trees—and most stunning views—you’ll ever see. Walk on the beaches that sport magnificent rocky outcroppings and gigantic orange and purple starfish–but beware of the blinding fog that can roll in suddenly!
Thinkstock
New Paltz, NY
New Paltz is home to Mohonk Mountain House, a one-of-a-kind destination about 90 minutes north of New York City. Featured in America’s Castles, the hotel sits on a glacial lake in the Shawangunk mountain range. Take a walk around the lake and climb up to the historic Skytop lookout where you can see for miles. Numerous trails surround the property, with wooden gazebos perched at lookouts for resting and taking in the views. A 13-mile walk through the woods takes you to Lake Minnewaska; be sure to pack your lunch for a rocky ledge picnic. Then head into the woods to explore the streams, waterfalls and pristine forest trails.
Thinkstock
Jim Thorpe, Penn.
Dubbed “little Switzerland,” this sweet Victorian town features shops and restaurants, art galleries, an opera house, historic house tours and a steam train ride over its gorge. Don’t miss the historic jail where the infamous Molly Maguires were hung. Walkers and bikers enjoy the scenic 26-mile trail along the Lehigh River Gorge. Outfitters abound to assist you. The trail to waterfalls at Glen Onoko offers a day’s worth of hiking or you can hike up one of the 9-mile switchback railroad trails that once sent cheering tourists on 50-mile-an-hour “gravity” rides down the mountain, rumored to be the precursor of the modern roller coaster.
Thinkstock
Mackinac Island, Mich.
Mackinac Island is well-known as a car-free zone, allowing only bicycles, foot power and horse-drawn carriages for transportation. Venture away from the Main Street crowds to the wonderful outlying walking and hiking trails that are virtually ignored by most visitors. Fly into Pellston airport, take a van to the ferry and stay for several days to immerse yourself in the area’s history and the local trail system, which takes you to some remarkable stone formations, like the iconic Sugar Loaf, a 75-foot landlocked stone tower.
Thinkstock
The English Cotswolds, Great Britain
Walking inn to inn along the 102-mile Cotswold Way from Chipping Camden to the world heritage city of Bath along the Cotswold escarpment, you’ll pass through many picturesque villages and historic sites, including a Neolithic burial mound at Belas Knap, Sudely Castle near Winchcombe, Broadway Tower and the ruins of Hailes Abbey. Walk through fields of flowers, farmland, forests, and gently rolling hills and valleys, stopping to admire thatched roof homes and enchanting English gardens and taking rest and a pint at some ancient pub.
Thinkstock
Philadelphia, Penn.
Between the leafy streets of charming Society Hill to the mansions of Fairmount Park, there are endless venues to explore on foot as well as by bus, train and subway. A walk along the waterfront takes you by tall ships and you can ferry over to the famous Camden aquarium. Have dinner at the colonial City Tavern with 17th century-garbed waiters, or walk to the Japanese House in Fairmount Park. Take the Food Tour at Reading Terminal Market or the Chocolate Walking Tour that will lead you from one artisan chocolatier to the next. Fast becoming the number-one city of murals, Philadelphia boasts artistic delights around almost every corner.
