Walking in old pine forest

Old heath pine forest is one of the easiest landscapes to walk in. The ground is sandy and dry, the undergrowth is low, and you can see a long way between the trunks.

Trail markers

Most marked trails use painted stripes on trunks: one colour per loop, with a double stripe before a turn. Forest roads are numbered on the maps but rarely on the ground.

Mushrooms

August brings chanterelles and the first boletes. I stopped picking anything with a ring on the stem years ago, and I recommend the same caution to everyone without a local expert at hand.

Ticks

Check yourself in the evening, every time. Long trousers tucked into socks look silly and work well.