E1 European long distance path

On 4 June 2013, Innovasjon Norge and Norwegian Trekking Association marked the Norwegian part of the path officially opened. The path stretches 2,105 kilometres (1,308 mi), and has 60,000 waymarks on either cairns or tree stems all the way, except through Børgefjell National Park; regulations for Børgefjell National Park prohibits waymarks. The Børgefjell section is only marked on maps.[3] This is also valid for the next section; from the southern tip of Børgefjell National Park to Sætertjønnhytta in Steinkjer, there are no waymarks by the desire of the Sami people and other considerations.[3]

Nordkapp → North Cape Tunnel

North Cape Tunnel → Stabbursdalen National Park

Stabbursdalen National Park → Masi

Masi → Kautokeino

Kautokeino → Reisa National Park

Reisa National Park → Käsivarsi Wilderness Area (Finland)

Käsivarsi Wilderness Area (Finland) → Kilpisjärvi (Finland)

Kilpisjärvi (Finland) → Malla Strict Nature Reserve (Finland)

Malla Strict Nature Reserve (Finland) → Goldahytta near Treriksrøysa (Sweden, Finland, Norway)

Goldahytta near Treriksrøysa (Sweden, Finland, Norway) → Øvre Dividal National Park

Øvre Dividal National Park → Altevatnet

Altevatnet → Torneträsk (Sweden)

Torneträsk (Sweden) → Narvikfjellene

Narvikfjellene → Tysfjord

Tysfjord → Stora Sjöfallet National Park (Sweden)

Stora Sjöfallet National Park (Sweden) → Padjelanta National Park (Sweden)

Padjelanta National Park (Sweden) → Junkerdal National Park

Junkerdal National Park → Saltfjellet–Svartisen National Park

Saltfjellet–Svartisen National Park → Okstindan

Okstindan → Børgefjell National Park

The path goes through Børgefjell National Park and then, from the southern tip of Børgefjell National Park in Røyrvik, Trøndelag,[4] continues through Røyrvik, over Steinfjellet in Namsskogan and back into Røyrvik. The path continues along Tunnsjøen to Skorovatn in Namsskogan again, over Gruvefjellet to Midtre Nesåvatnet, and then under Nesåpiggen in Røyrvik again. Then, it continues to Skjelbredtunet in Lierne and through Blåfjella–Skjækerfjella National Park to lake Holderen in Snåsa. It continues near Gaundalen airport over Skjækerfjella to Sætertjønnhytta in Steinkjer by the lake Skæhkerenjaevrie,[4][5] close to the geographical centre of Norway. In these areas, there are no hallmarks by wish of Sami people and other considerations.[3]

The path starts at Grövelsjön (Lake Grövel), which lies near the Norwegian-Swedish border near Idre. It uses a series of connecting established paths down to Halmstad, a city on the coast south of Göteborg, from where the ferry to Denmark sails.

From its start, it follows Vasaloppsleden, Siljansleden, the southern part of the Malingsbo-Kloten Rundan, Bergslagsleden, Västra Vätterleden along the western edge of lake Vättern, a short part of Södra Vätterleden at Ulricehamn and a connecting trail to Sjuhäradsleden, then Knalleleden, Vildmarksleden and Bohusleden to Göteborg and Hallandsleden to Halmstad.[6]

Total length of the path in Sweden: approximately 1,200 kilometres (750 mi).

From the start at Grövelsjön, other established walking paths go further north, for example reaching Hemavan, from which the well-known Kungsleden goes to Abisko in the far north of Sweden.

The route consists mostly of narrow footpaths running through the forested hills of middle Sweden and avoids most population centers. There are not many shops along the route so it may be necessary to plan or go off-route for supplies. The paths are printed on Swedish topographic maps, so special maps or guidebooks are not necessary. Wild camping in Sweden is allowed. Alternatively, there are many vindskydd (a type of lean-to) along the route. These are simple three-sided log cabins with the open side facing a campfire. They are often in idyllic places and are free to use.

The ferry from Halmstad in Sweden arrives in Grenå. The link from Grenå to Vrads Sande on the Hærvej was inaugurated in 2006. The first part of this new stage is the Mols route to Århus. Then it uses the Århus – Silkeborg route via Skanderborg to Virklund and from Virklund to Vrads on the Horsens Silkeborg naturstien. At Vrads, it connects to the historic Hærvej, which continues south to the German border. It connects to the European walking route E6 near Padborg. From Bov a part of the Gendarmstien is used to link the Hærvejen to the German Ochsenweg. The border is crossed between Kruså and Kupfermühle.

The total length in Denmark is 378 kilometres (235 mi).[7]

Camping in the wild is not allowed in Denmark. However, there are primitive campsites (Danish: lejrplads) along the route, which commonly have room to pitch a few tents, a water tap or pump, and a simple toilet, and they are often free to use. The route is considered easy; it also passes through larger towns, so other forms of accommodation and supplies are accessible.

Wanderverband Norddeutschland is the organisation responsible for this section of the route.

This section of the E1 route is the same as for the E6 route. The path crosses the border at Kupfermühle near Flensburg and leads through the towns of Flensburg and Schleswig. It touches the Naturpark Hüttener Berge and runs parallel to the coast of the Baltic Sea until it reaches the city of Kiel. After Kiel, it passes through the towns of Preetz, Plön, Malente, Eutin and Neustadt on its way to Lübeck. It continues via Ratzeburg and Mölln to Güster – here the path of the E1 branches away from the E6. In Hamburg, the route crosses the river Elbe.

The Schlei – Eider – Elbe Wanderweg is known as the west alternative (Westvariant) of the E1 between Flensburg and Hamburg. It runs parallel to the North Sea coast and the Elbe instead of the Baltic.

Detailed route: Kupfermühle – Sankelmark – Schleswig – Ascheffel – Aschau – Strande – Kiel – Preetz – Niederkleveez – Schönwalde am Bungsberg – Klingberg – Kreutzkamp – Krummesee – Mölln – Güster – Witzhave – Hamburg.

Hamburg – Neugraben-Fischbek – Harburg Hills – Buchholz in der Nordheide – Undeloh – Soltau – Müden – Celle – Fuhrberg – Otternhagen – Haste – Springe – Hameln – Bösingfeld

Length of this section: 339 kilometres (211 mi).

Bösingfeld – Lemgo – Horn-Bad Meinberg – Herbrahmwald – Blankerode – Marsberg – Wirminghausen – Schwalefeld – Altastenburg – Bad Berleburg – Bad Laasphe – Lahnhof – Siegen – Herdorf

Length of this section: 275 kilometres (171 mi).

Herdorf – Fuchskaute – Unnau – Selters – Montabaur – Nassau – Balduinstein – Michelbach – Idstein

Length of this section: 169 kilometres (105 mi).

Idstein – Oberursel – Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen – Dreieichenhain – Ober-Ramstadt – Bensheim – Nieder-Liebersbach – Heidelberg

Length of this section: 166.5 kilometres (103.5 mi).

View from Badener Höhe

The E1 in the Black Forest follows pre-existing long-distance paths. It follows the Westweg from the town of Heidelberg on to Schlierbach – Rauenberg – Odenheim – Bretten – Pforzheim – Dobel – Forbach via Kaiser Wilhelm-Turm (a lookout tower) – Badener Höhe – the Mummelsee – Hausach – the Titisee – the peak of the Feldberg – the Schluchsee – Kappel. From there, it follows the Freiburg-Lake Constance Black Forest Trail to Boll, Riedöschingen, Engen, Singen, Langenrain and Konstanz.

Length of this section: 464 kilometres (288 mi).

Switzerland has a dense network of walking path nodes with signposted junctions. The E1 is only rarely separately waymarked on these signposts, but the national routes which the E1 follows are generally marked. The route of the E1 leads from Konstanz to Wattwil, and then follows the Via Jacobi (part of the Way of St. James) to reach Lake Lucerne at Brunnen. From Brunnen, it follows the shore of the lake to Flüelen on the Swiss Path. From Flüelen to the Italian border, the Trans-Swiss Trail is used, waymarked as Fernwanderweg 2. The path then climbs over the St. Gotthard Pass, the highest point of the path at 2,106 metres (6,909 ft). After following the Strada alta Leventina through Ticino, the E1 reaches the border at Porto Ceresio, Italy.

The total length of the route in Switzerland is 348 kilometres (216 mi).