I'm looking for a European city with a great connection to the outdoors. Help?

Question

I’m in the middle of doing some research for our next destination within Europe and I’m hoping to get some suggestions from some outdoor enthusiasts who’ve spent time on the continent.
My favorite cities are Innsbruck, Austria and Bergen, Norway because you can be downtown having a beer one minute and then… boom… up the mountain in the middle of nowhere 15 minutes later. I’m looking for a similar place to spend a month or two this winter. Places like these are hard to find because “mid-size european cities with great hiking nearby” doesn’t return too many relevant results on Google. Great adventure towns are usually in the middle of nowhere, the kind of places you’ll need to rent a car to get to the grocery store, and places with good public transportation are usually concrete jungles. But places like Innsbruck and Bergen manage to combine the best of both worlds.
Has anyone come across similar places they’d recommend?

mathieu · Accepted Answer

You could try Grenoble in France which is surrounded by 4 mountain range (500 to 2500+ meters).
The city also has the biggest student density of the country and is situated 70kms of Italy and 110 kms of Switzerland.
Closer to the Switzerland border the city of Annecy could also do it. A lot smaller (more like Bergen feeling) but a lot more charming with a mountains surrounding the lake of the city and  still a lot of students and activities

mathieu · Answer

I did study there 18 months and also got involve in the tech / startup ecosystem which is growing years after years there (dozens of high degree schools and labs for a 300 000 inhabitants city).
Nasty, it could be if you go in some suburbs but the city center  even  during night time is all safe.
Dirty not that much on French standards 
Industrial like an Alpine valley not much.
From the city center starts the closest hike to “La Bastille” quite steep and you arrive to a fortress which offers a great and easy vue on all the mountains surrounding the city (most pictures of the city day and night are taken from there)
Hope it helps
Mathieu

gigigriffis · Answer

Interlaken, Switzerland, is a good bet. It’s smaller than the cities you mentioned, but you’ll have plenty of pubs, grocery stores, and stuff in town and the walk to hiking trails can be as little as 5 minutes or you can take a train up a mountain really quickly. If you’re up for something even smaller, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, is my favorite place. It’s a valley of 2k, but 20 minute train ride from Interlaken if you need city stuff, and a gazillion hiking trails out your back door.
Freiburg, Germany, is another good option. You can stay in one of the neighborhoods that bumps up against the Black Forest, which is excellent for hiking.
We haven’t been yet, but currently looking at Grenoble, France, for the same reasons (I need nature; my partner needs city amenities).

gigigriffis · Answer

We head there in October, so no impressions yet.

justinbosco · Answer

Hi Matej, thanks so much for the advice! I think Liberec is more my style, I love the mountains and the city’s easy connection to the outdoors. Looking at Airbnb’s now!

jammingsloth · Answer

I really enjoyed Granada, Spain. A beautiful historic city, great food and people, surrounded by scenic mountains and trails to hike or run on. Also I hear there’s a mountain for skiing pretty close by.
I’m looking for something similar starting in October, so this thread is very helpful! Ljubljana and Maribor sound appealing…Not to hijack, but how is the internet in Slovenia? And Freiburg? Any specific neighborhoods to look at in these places?

jammingsloth · Answer

@justinbosco -  I stayed in two airbnbs in Granada - one was around 10mbps the other was 20mbps. The faster one was right in the middle of the Albayzin, an awesome little house I would highly recommend. If you’re interested you can PM me and I can see if I can find it. I decided to go to Split, Croatia for a month or so, leaving in a couple weeks!

wanderingjoanne · Answer

I see somebody’s beaten me to it, but yes to Ljubljana and Maribor. I spent two months living in Maribor last year. It’s Slovenia’s second city but small, semi-industrial, but surrounded by wonderful green places to walk. Pohorje is a ski resort in the winter, and in summer you can take the ski lift up and wander for hours around the mountain. Plenty of cycle routes nearby too. And did I mention it’s a great wine area!
Ljubljana is slightly bigger as the capital and prices are higher but you can still get out to walk. I loved both places.

justinbosco · Answer

Hey Mathieu, Grenoble has come up a couple of times in searches and I think it looks awesome, but I’ve asked several French friends about it and they’re all hesitant to recommend it or downright tell me not to go. (excuses like it’s nasty or dirty or too industrial) I don’t get it, it looks like a pretty cool place in photos. Do you have personal experience with the city?
Annecy is on the short list, thanks for the recommendation!

matejsimek · Answer

I would say that Brno (Czech Republic) would be also a good fit for you (larger city with a good connection to surrounding nature) or if you prefer more mountains I would say Liberec (smaller, but surrounded by mountains and very close to Krkonoše Mountains National Park). Both cities have a strong population of students so night life, events, english are not much of a problem.

northcoffee · Answer

Tampere in Finland would be a good pick. You’ll find locale hiking/running trails for day trips and long hiking trails for the real stuff.

cityroominc · Answer

May I suggest two of my current favorite cities?  Ljubljana and Maribor, Slovenia.  Maribor is slightly smaller and has a lower cost of living.  Ljubljana is the nation’s capital and has more activities.  Both are university cities.  And, both are great for walking and public transportation.  Hiking and skiing dominate outdoor activities.

justinbosco · Answer

Hey @jammingsloth, the post hijack is a welcome one haha no worries. Speaking of internet, how did you find the connection to be in Grenada? We had our eye on the city last year but avoided it because of the >5mbps averages mentioned here on nomadlist

justinbosco · Answer

Very cool, Tampere looks like a neat city, thanks for the advice!

justinbosco · Answer

Hi @dennis711  and @WanderingJo, both great recommendations. Slovenia definitely has my attention right now, the Alps running through the country look beautiful. I think Maribor looks great, looking at Airbnb’s now! Any recommendations on where to stay in the city would be really appreciated.

cityroominc · Answer

Hi @justinbosco,  I’m in Maribor now and am enjoying the city.  Yes, I can help you with a good AirBnB that is  only 10 minutes walk to the heart of the city center.  But I feel that I should give you this info directly instead of through this forum.  Please contact me at dennis711 at earthlink dot net.  When do you plan to come?  Glad to help with any other info you might need.

wanderingjoanne · Answer

Ah Dennis, I’m slightly jealous (though loving my housesit in Brussels). I stayed about a 20-25 minute walk from the main centre. It was a great flat, excellent for nomads with superfast broadband and a huge desk with a great view. But @dennis711’s place sounds closer.
As well as walking on Pohorje, I did several walks around Pyramida Hill (must visit the wine bar on the top) and there’s a gorgeous old wood behind my flats which I loved. If you’re a foodie, splurge on a meal at MAK. It’s boutique food. David studied food all over the world and brought back loads of ideas and transformed the using Slovenian flavours. I booked a lunch (all I could afford) but it turned out to be amazing value and probably one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten!

gigigriffis · Answer

Ljubljana is a bit far from any real hiking, though. It’s an amazing city (we’re here now), but definitely doesn’t meet the same criteria as an Innsbruck or Interlaken.

jammingsloth · Answer

@gigigriffis  - any neighborhood or area in Ljubljana that you would recommend to look for a place? Thinking maybe right around Park Tivoli but also near the city center…

justinbosco · Answer

Hey @gigigriffis, yes it definitely sounds like we have similar criteria! We love Lauterbrunnen/Interlaken too but feel like it’s just too hard to find housing there since it’s such a popular destination.
Freiburg is a great idea. Have you made it to Grenoble since posting to this thread? I’d be interested to hear your impression of it!

gigigriffis · Answer

I’ve lived on both sides of Tivoli and I love it. But I also have a bicycle. If I didn’t, I might try to live a bit closer to the center.

gigigriffis · Answer

I never had any internet issues in Freiburg or Slovenia.

justinbosco · Answer

Good to know, that’s decent internet speed and much better than we expected. Great call on Split! It’s an awesome little city with lots to do. Make time to hike or bike in Marjan Park and eat at Bokeria, you won’t be disappointed.

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I'm looking for a European city with a great connection to the outdoors. Help?

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