A guidebook to trekking the northern section of the GR5 trail between Hoek van Holland and Schirmeck. Covering 1,000km (621 miles), this long-distance trek through the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France is ideal for those who don’t want to hike steep mountains.

The route is described from north to south in 49 stages, each between 8 and 30km (5–19 miles) in length. The route is divided into 5 sections with transport options given for those wanting to break the trek into shorter sections.

• 1:100,000 maps included for each stage
• GPX files available to download
• Detailed information about accommodation and facilities along the route
• Advice on planning and preparation
• Part of a 3-volume set, accompanying Cicerone guidebooks The GR5 Trail and The GR5 Trail – Vosges and Jura are also available

Carroll Dorgan is an American who lives in France. He has hiked in the Olympics, Cascades, Sierras and Green Mountains in the United States and the Pyrenees and Auvergne in France but was always drawn back to the GR5. Carroll is keen to introduce people to the northern part of that legendary trail, which crosses the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Lorraine on its way to the Mediterranean.