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Edale -

Assuming you're in England, the traditional starting point of the 431-km (268 mi) Pennine Way is the Old Nag's Head pub in Edale, Derbyshire.

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Peak District National Park -

Edale sits within the Peak District National Park, an upland area in England at the southern end of the Pennines. The scenery here is among the most stunning on the route.

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Jacob's Ladder -

The Pennine Way heads west out of Edale where it joins a bridleway known as Jacob's Ladder. Hikers follow these weatherworn steps to reach Kinder Scout.

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Kinder Scout -

Kinder Scout is a moorland set in Dark Peak, a higher and wider part of the Peak District. The whole region is a protected national nature reserve. From the boggy summit of Bleaklow, it's a sometimes steep descent to Crowden, the first village since the start of the Pennine Way 26 km (16 mi) away.

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Wessenden Valley -

After pausing in Crowden, it's back on the trail and onwards and upwards to Black Hill on the border with Yorkshire. Later you'll enter Wessenden Valley, another stark but beautiful stretch of moorland.

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Standedge -

In time you'll exit the park at Standedge, a small West Yorkshire village worth exploring and famous for the canal tunnel that arrows through the South Pennine Hills.

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Mankinholes -

Continuing, the trail passes the gritstone escarpment known as Blackstone Edge before taking you past the village of Mankinholes. A nearby hill is crowned by a 19th-century obelisk known as "Stoodley Pike," commemorating the end of the Crimean War.

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Calder Valley -

From Stoodley Pike it's a steep descent into the Calder Valley and Hebden Bridge. The River Calder flows past this quaint hamlet, which serves as a useful place to stock up on provisions.

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Top Withens -

After passing through the village of Colden, the trail enters Brontë countryside. The ruins of Top Withens (pictured) is said to have been the inspiration for the location of the Earnshaw family house Wuthering Heights in the 1847 novel of the same name by Emily Brontë. Further along in the valley, Ponden Hall in Stanbury is believed to be the inspiration for Thrushcross Grange, the home of the Linton family mentioned in the same novel.

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Cowling -

From Stanbury it's a relatively short hike across moorland to the villages of Cowling (pictured) and Lothersdale. From here you continue north to follow a short section of the towpath of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at East Marton to reach the village of Gargrave.

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Yorkshire Dales National Park -

Gargrave is the gateway to Yorkshire Dales National Park, which includes most of the dramatic Yorkshire Dales.

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Malham Cove -

One of the park's most impressive natural wonders is Malham Cove, a huge curved limestone formation that can be admired from the trail.

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Fountains Fell -

Continuing, you traverse the limestone pavement at the top of the cove, and head north to Malham Tarn. The trail then crosses a shoulder of Fountains Fell (pictured), which summits at 668 m (2,192 ft).

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Dodd Fell Hill -

At this point the Pennine Way heads skywards, ascending the nose of Pen-y-Ghent in a very steep section. It follows an old packhorse path to reach Dodd Fell Hill, which is the same elevation as Fountains Fell.

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Wensleydale -

The slow descent into Wensleydale, the upper valley of the River Ure on the east side of the Pennines, will be welcomed. Wensleydale is famous for its cheeses, and the next destination is where you can sample this local delicacy.

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Hawes -

Hawes is a delightful market town that exudes traditional character. Rest up at any one of the local hotels before going shopping, perhaps for that cheese? The Dales Countryside Museum is worth exploring, as are the town's collection of pubs.

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Great Shunner Fell -

Refueled and ready to go? Head for the hamlet of Hardraw to begin the ascent of Great Shunner Fell. Up and over will bring you to another gem of a destination: Thwaite.

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Thwaite -

The picture-perfect village of Thwaite is the hub of no less than three great long-distance footpaths: Pennine Way, the Coast to Coast Walk, and the Herriot Way, named in honor of vet and author James Herriot (1916–1995) whose books inspired a popular British television series and a well-received film.

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North Pennines -

By the time you reach Tan Hill, you've arrived at the northern boundary of the park. A few more steps and you are walking in the North Pennines. After Teesdale the trail passes the waterfalls of Low Force and High Force. A third waterfall, Cauldron Snout (pictured), announces the gentle ascent to High Cup Nick.

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High Cup Nick -

The wonderfully named High Cup Nick is an almost geometrically perfect U-shaped chasm, probably glacial in origin. It's one of the most photographed sections of the entire Pennine Way.

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Cross Fell -

Other natural wonders found along this section of the trail include Cross Fell, at 893 m (2,930 ft) the highest point on the entire path. The weather here can be capricious at best, and hikers need to beware of a blustery phenomenon known as the Helm Wind, which blows down the south-west slope of the Cross Fell escarpment.

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Lambley -

A far calmer experience is the saunter into Lambley, a village in Northumberland known for its railway viaduct, completed in 1852 and in use until 1976. The village lies adjacent to the River South Tyne.

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Northumberland National Park -

One of the most famous Roman sites in the world greets walkers as they step into Northumberland National Park: Hadrian's Wall.

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Thirlwall Castle -

For the next 18 km (11 mil) the route coincides with the Hadrian's Wall Path, which brings hikers to a number of historic ruins including Thirlwall Castle, which dates back to the 12th century.

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Housesteads Roman Fort -

Another outstanding attraction is Housesteads Roman Fort, the preserved foundations of an auxiliary fort on Hadrian's Wall that was built around 124 CE when the area was part of the Roman province of Britannia.

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Bellingham -

From the wall the trail snakes through Wark Forest. From here it follows field paths to Shitlington Crags and descends to the large village of Bellingham, another popular stopping point on the Pennine Way.

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Cheviot Hills -

The Cheviot Hills, a range of uplands straddling the Anglo-Scottish border between Northumberland and the Scottish Borders, marks the final stage of the Pennine Way.

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Ogre Hill -

Beyond the small village of Byrness is a remote section of the trail, with little or no habitation en route. At Ogre Hill the path meanders into Scotland and for the rest of the stage continues to switch between the two nations.

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The Cheviot -

The northernmost reaches of the Pennine Way include the Cheviot, an extinct volcano and the highest summit in the Cheviot Hills, at 815 m (2,674 ft).

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College Valley -

From the Cheviot, the trail descends into College Valley, one of the most picturesque landscapes in the region.

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Kirk Yetholm -

The trail, by now a gentle footpath, descends into Scotland to end at the village of Kirk Yethlom, which is twinned with the southern trailhead village of Edale. 

Sources: (Britannica) (The New York Times)

See also: Breathtaking hikes to try all over the world

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