As you will have detected from the preceding article, spending long pandemic days close to home has given us plenty of chance to explore antique Baedeker guides in great detail. But it’s also been a chance to diversify our reading. With the emphasis these days on speculating about possible future journeys, Vertebrate Publishing has launched a series of intriguing books that showcase the best long-distance footpaths in various parts of Europe.

The debut title in the Big Trails series covers Heart of Europe, which in Vertebrate-speak means northern France, the Low Countries, western Germany and a good part of the Alps. It was published on 1 October 2020, with a follow-up title Big Trails: Great Britain and Ireland due out in late October.

The Big Trails: Heart of Europe book fills a perfect niche for pandemic times, inviting the reader to roam over several countries in search of fine long-distance walks.