Let’s talk about hiking in Eastern Europe. First, I want to mention that I absolutely love Eastern Europe for hiking. The main reason is that there is a lot of untouched nature left. Especially when compared to nature in Western Europe. Both hikers who are looking for an impressive mountain range or an ancient forest will not be disappointed.
Why Eastern Europe is amazing for hiking
Untouched nature
One of the main reasons to go hiking in Eastern Europe is to enjoy the untouched nature. Sure, you can find untouched nature all over the world, but most of the time these will be rather small areas.
In Eastern Europe however, there are a lot of big areas with untouched nature. The main reason there is so much pure nature is because this part of the world lagged behind during the industrial revolution.
This is obviously a good thing for hikers. However, most of these countries are still rather poor. Since money is an issue for a lot of Eastern Europeans, corruption becomes a lot more tempting.
Illegal cutting is a huge issue in the poor Eastern European countries. In most forests, cutting trees is illegal except when they are already damaged by a storm. This opens a door for corruption. Claiming that a lot of trees got damaged in the last storm in combination with a small bribe will allow woodcutters to start cutting down huge parts of the forests.
This was very obvious in the Fagaras mountains in the Romanian Carpathians. You can read more about this here: saveparadiseforest.
In a way, this should encourage you even more to explore this area now, before it’s too late.
Budget friendly
As I mentioned before, Eastern Europe is rather poor in comparison with the rest of the world.
This means that a hiking trip to this part of the world might be a budget friendly experience. Even in the touristic areas the prices are always very reasonable. If you would end up in a non touristic town, the prices go even lower.
Especially countries like Ukraine, Romania, Poland, Bulgaria, etc. are good for your wallet.
Hitchhiking
One of the things I also noticed is that attempting to hitchhike is a lot more rewarding in Eastern Europe than in Western Europe. The first time I held up my thumb, the very first car actually pulled over.
It’s almost like it’s part of the culture. Maybe it’s because there are so many people that cannot afford a car in these countries.
Solitude
When you go into the wilderness in this part of the world, you are truly alone. You don’t need to worry about a warden checking up on you. You don’t need to care about other hikers pitching their tent right next to you (unless you go to a very popular place during high season or something like that).
Best places in Eastern Europe for hiking
Poland/Slovakia: Tatra
The Tatra mountains are without a doubt one of the most beautiful places to go on a hiking trip. The Tatra mountains are partially located in Poland and partially in Slovakia.
If you are looking for some challenging mountains to conquer, you should consider going to the High Tatra. If you prefer a greener environment you are probably more interested in the Low Tatra.
Because this is a very big and beautiful area a lot of tourists are attracted to the Tatra mountains. A lot of the more accessible hiking trails are not that optimal for you if you are looking for solitude.
If you are looking for a marked long distance trail you should take a look at the “Tatranska Magistrala”.
The highest mountain in this area is around 8700 feet or 2650 meter.
Want to learn more about hiking in the Tatra mountains? Read this article: A hiker’s guide to the Tatra mountains.
Bulgaria: Rila
The Rila mountains in Bulgaria are another great option for hiking. For those of you who are looking for a marked trail through these mountains, the E4 trail goes through these mountains. The E4 is a long distance trail that starts in Spain and ends in Cyprus. The E8 is another long distance trail that runs through the Rila mountains.
There are also plenty of shorter alternatives. Also, there are is a good network of shelters and mountain huts where you can spend the night.
The highest peak in this mountain range is the Musala with 9600 feet or 2925 meter.
If you are looking for another great hiking area near this one you should take a look at the Pirin mountains as well.
If you are looking for more information about the Rila mountains you should take a look at this article: Rila mountains.
Romania: Fagaras
The Fagaras mountains simply had to be on this list. They are arguably the most impressive mountains in the Romanian Carpathians.
The highest mountain in this area is the Moldoveanu with 8350 feet or 2544 meter.
These mountains are very friendly for hikers. There are plenty of amazing spots where you can pitch your tent. However, if you prefer to sleep indoors there are also plenty of manned trail huts called cabanas.
Additionally there are some unmanned shelters where you could spend the night. These are not really cozy or anything but they will protect you from the elements and get you through the night.
The southern part of the Romanian Carpathians provide plenty of other options. If you are looking for a worthy alternative for the Fagaras mountains I would recommend either Bucegi or Piatra Craiului.
If you want more information about hiking trails in the Fagaras mountains you should read: Fagaras mountains hiking trails.
Slovenia: Triglav
Last but not least, the Triglav in Slovenia. Triglav is the name of the highest mountain in the Julian Alps (8800 feet or 2864 meter). However, it’s also the name of the national park where it’s located.
The area is absolutely beautiful, but it’s also pretty regulated. You are not allowed to wild camp or light a fire anywhere in the national park. Note that theoretically this is almost nowhere allowed. However, in a lot of areas in Eastern Europe (like Fagaras) it’s definitely tolerated. No one would ever check on wild campers as long as you don’t leave a mess and respect nature. But in Triglav, there are rangers who might check up on you and you might even risk a fine. If you really want to wild camp, you might want to consider the Fagaras mountains mountains instead.
Learn more about the trails in Triglav national park in this article: Triglav park trails.
Negatives about hiking in Eastern Europe
It wasn’t that easy to come up with negatives. These are the things I came up with.
Dangerous area
Some people claim Eastern Europe is more dangerous than Western Europe. In my personal experience, this is a myth. In my experiences people were actually a lot more friendly, helpful and selfless than in Western Europe. That said, I might have been lucky.
Personally, I wouldn’t really consider this a negative. I feel like it’s just a prejudice that a lot of people have.
Wild camping
Wild camping is not allowed some of the Eastern European countries (mainly the southeastern countries). Especially in national parks you might want to do your research, whether or not there are rangers who might check up on you.
That said, in a lot of these countries wild camping is officially not legal, but it’s tolerated. As long as you respect nature, leave no trace and find a quiet and remote spot to pitch your tent, it’s not likely that you run into any trouble. You just want to be careful in certain national parks, it’s advisable to do some research before you start wild camping.
Still, it would be a lot more convenient if it was simply legal.
Language
The language can be an annoying barrier if you only speak English. Most people in Eastern Europe do not speak English. However, you can get lucky and find someone who speaks English. Especially in the touristic areas you should be fine.
Once you leave for the mountains however, starting a conversation with people you meet on the trail might be a challenge. Additionally, it might be a struggle to speak with the people in potential trail huts.
Note that language will be an issue in a lot of other European countries as well. Just not as big an issue (probably).
Conclusion
Hiking in Eastern Europe is something I would recommend to every hiker out there. This part of the world has some of the most beautiful places you will ever see. The thing is, it’s kind of undiscovered, so it isn’t swarmed with hikers yet, which is something that I can really appreciate. The fact that a hiking trip in Eastern Europe is very budget friendly is also a big plus.
To be honest there are almost no reasons not to go to Eastern Europe for a hiking trip. The only potential issues might be wild camping (but once again, this is not really an issue – most of the time) and the language. But a language barrier should not stop you from visiting a certain country.
I talked about a couple of great places to go if you want to go hiking in Eastern Europe: Rila mountains, Fagaras mountains, Triglav national park and the Tatra mountains. Obviously, I don’t know everything and I haven’t been everywhere, so I might have missed some great hiking spots. Feel free to let me know if I should add anything to the list.