GR footpath
The GR footpaths are a network of long-distance walking trails in Europe, mostly in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain. They go by the following names: French: sentier de grande randonnée, West Flemish: Groteroutepad, Dutch: Langeafstandwandelpad, Spanish: sendero de gran recorrido, Portuguese: percurso pedestre de grande rota – generally meaning "long trail" or more literally "great route". The trails in France alone cover approximately 60,000 kilometres (37,000 mi). Trails are blazed with characteristic marks consisting of a white stripe above a red stripe. These appear regularly along the route, especially at places such as forks or crossroads.
The network is maintained in France by the Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre (French Hiking Federation),[1] and in Spain by the Federación Española de Deportes de Montaña y Escalada (Spanish Mountain Sports Federation).[2] Many GR routes make up part of the longer European walking routes which cross several countries.
Markings
The GR trails are marked using a system of blazes that are visible in both directions:
- France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Spain: red and white bars; 3 subtypes
- Luxembourg: yellow rectangles or circles
- Switzerland: red and white bars or yellow diamonds
Red and white was chosen as the most visible colour combination in natural surroundings. Waymarks are often painted, but may take the form of metal signs in city centers.
- Follow the track
- Change direction
- Wrong direction
GR routes
France: Grande Randonnée
Routes 1 to 25
Routes 26 to 40
# | Route |
---|---|
GR 26 | Paris • Villers-sur-Mer |
GR 30 | Chaîne des Puys • Plomb du Cantal |
GR 34 | Vitré • Mont Saint-Michel • Saint-Brieuc • Morlaix • Brest • Crozon • Douarnenez • Pointe du Raz • Lorient • Quimperlé |
GR 34A | Louannec • Gurunhuel |
GR 35 | Verneuil-sur-Avre • Seiches-sur-le-Loir |
GR 36 | Ouistreham • Caen • Saumur • Angoulême • Albi • Carcassonne • Bourg-Madame |
GR 37 | Vitré • Douarnenez |
GR 38 | Redon • Douarnenez |
GR 39 | Mont Saint-Michel • Guérande |
Routes 41 to 50
# | Route |
---|---|
GR 41 | Tours • Farges-Allichamps • Mont-Dore |
GR 42 | Saint-Étienne • Avignon |
GR 43 | Col des Faïsses • Sainte-Eulalie |
GR 44 | Les Vans • Champerboux |
GR 46 | Tours • Cahuzac-sur-Vère |
GR 48 |
Routes 51 to 75
# | Route |
---|---|
GR 51 | Mediterranean |
GR 52 | Menton • le col du Berceau • le col de Trétore • Sospel • Baisse de Linière • Pointe des Trois Communes • Baisse Cavaline • le refuge des Merveilles • Baisse du Basto • La Balme • Madone de Fenestre • le torrent du Boréon • le col de Salèse • le col du Bam • Saint-Dalmas-Valdeblore Near Nice – Breil-sur-Roya to Gorges de Saorge and Vallon de Zouayne. |
GR 52A | Mercantour |
GR 53 | Massif des Vosges |
GR 54 | Tour of Oisans and the Écrins |
GR 55 | Vanoise |
GR 56 | Ubaye |
GR 57 | Liège • Diekirch |
GR 58 | Queyras |
GR 59 | Massif des Vosges • Jura • Bugey • Revermont |
GR 60 | Montpellier • Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac |
GR 65 | Genève • Le Puy-en-Velay • Nasbinals • Conques • Figeac • Moissac • Aire-sur-l'Adour • Roncevaux |
GR 66 | Mont Aigoual |
GR 68 | Mont Lozère |
GR 70 | Le Puy-en-Velay • Lozère • Ardèche • Saint-Jean-du-Gard |
GR 71 | Espérou • Mazamet |
GR 71C/D | Larzac |
GR 71E | |
GR 72 | Col du Bez • Barre-des-Cévennes |
GR 75 | Urban path around Paris |
Routes 76 to 100
Routes 101 and above
# | Route |
---|---|
GR 223 | Berville-sur-Mer to Mont Saint-Michel via Côte de Grace, Côte Fleurie, Côte de Nacre, Côte de la Déroute, Côte des Havres, Baie du Mont Saint-Michel |
GR 145 | The Via Francigena: (Canterbury) – Wissant – Arras – Laon – Châlons-en-Champagne – Besançon – Geneva – (Rome) |
GR 380 | Monts d'Arrée (Finistère) |
GR 400 | Circular routes in the Volcan du Cantal area of the Massif Central |
GR 2013 | urban and suburban trail around Greater Marseilles and Aix-en-Provence |
Routes with special codes
GR Préféré des Français
Since 2017 the French Hiking Federation has allowed people to vote for the GR Préféré des Français award that goes to peoples favourite trails, for following year.[3]
The winners are:
- 2018 - GR 34 - Destination Baie de Morlaix [4]
- 2019 - GR R1 - Tour du Piton des Neiges (Réunion)[4]
- 2020 - GR 21 - Littoral de Normandie[4]
- 2021 - GR de Pays Grand Pic Saint-Loup[5]
- 2022 - GR de Pays Tour de Belle-Île-en-Mer[6]
- 2023 - GR de Pays Tour de la Suisse Normande[7]
- 2024 - GR 37 - Cœur de Bretagne[3]
Spain: Gran Recorrido
All routes
Andorra
- GRP (Grande Randonee Pays), a circuit of Andorra[8]
- GRT, a route from Spain to Andorra with two variants
- HRP (High Route Pyrenees), combining elements of the GRP and GRT
- GR 7 passes through Spain, France, and Andorra's Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley
- GR 11 (Spain) passes through Spain, France, and Andorra's Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley
Portugal: Percursos Pedestres de Grande Rota
- GR 5 Fojos circular, 35 km (22 mi), Vieira do Minho / Minho
- GR 11-E9 Caminho de Santiago, international, linear
- GR 12-E7 international, linear
- GR 13-E4 Via Algarviana, international, linear, 240 km (150 mi)
- GR 14 Rota dos Vinhos da Europa, international, linear,
- GR 17 Travessia do Alto Coura, circular, 52.3 km (32.5 mi)
- GR 22 Rota das Aldeias Históricas, circular, 540 km (340 mi)
- GR 23 Serra do Caldeirão, circular, 45 km (28 mi)
- GR 26 Terras de Sicó, circular, 9 stages, 200 km (120 mi)
- GR 28 Por Montes e Vales de Arouca, circular, 83 km (52 mi)
- GR 29 Rota dos Veados, circular, 53 km (33 mi)
- GR 30 Grande Rota das Linhas de Torres, circular, 112 km (70 mi), Lisboan and Vale do Tejo
- GR 45 Grande Rota do Côa, linear
- GR 117 Geira Romana, international, linear
- Travessia do Alvão, circular, 54 km (34 mi)
- Travessia da Ribeira Minho, linear, 95.7 km (59.5 mi)
- Soajo Peneda, circular, 77 km (48 mi)
Belgium: Grote Routepaden or Grande Randonnée
Netherlands: Langeafstandswandelpaden
See also
References
- ^ "Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre". www.ffrandonnee.fr.
- ^ "Bienvenidos a la Federación Españala de Deportes de Montaña y Escalada (FEDME)". FEDME.
- ^ a b TISSOT, Par Loïc (September 13, 2022). "En Bretagne, Belle-Île ne veut plus promouvoir son sentier de grande randonnée, voici pourquoi - Edition du soir Ouest-France - 13/09/2022". Ouest-France.fr.
- ^ a b c "Liste des GR® préférés des Français | randonnée en France". www.nature-randonnee.fr.
- ^ "Le GR® de Pays Grand Pic Saint-Loup dans l'Hérault élu GR® préféré des Français 2021 - Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre". www.ffrandonnee.fr.
- ^ "Le GR® 340 élu GR® préféré des Français 2022". www.mongr.fr.
- ^ "Titré depuis un an, le « GR préféré des Français » attire toujours du monde en Suisse normande". www.ouest-france.fr.
- ^ "GRP Andorra: La volta a tot un país".
External links
- (in English) List of grande randonnée hiking trails in France and Belgium
- (in English) List of multi-day GR itineraries in France (mostly in French)
- (in French) Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre
- (in French) Website with Belgian GR routes
- (in Spanish) Federacion espanola de deportes de montaña y escalada FEDME page on GRs in Spain
- (in Catalan) Federació d'Entitats Excursionistes de Catalunya FEEC, page on GRs in Catalonia
- (in Dutch) Grote Routepaden in Belgium
- Map of GR paths in Belgium