Managing authority
Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre / relevant regional authorities
Trail associationGR5 completion certificate
GR5 North Sea to Mediterranean Completion Certificate
GR5 is a trans-European long-distance route from the North Sea at Hook of Holland to the Mediterranean at Nice, crossing the Ardennes, Vosges, Jura and French Alps.
GR5Registry route
Image source and licence
Holiday on a wet beach (Unsplash) by Callum Galloway callumgalloway, CC0; cropped and colour-treated.
Verification application
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Authentication protects your application, payment status, and private evidence. You will return to this trail after signing in or creating an account.
Trail context
A certificate grounded in the journey.
A considered completion record for GR5 North Sea to Mediterranean, built around private evidence review and a permanent public verification layer.
Completed GR5 North Sea to Mediterranean? Submit route-appropriate GPS tracks, activity links, dated photos, stamps, permits, guide confirmation, club confirmation, or a clear completion narrative. Route variants are assessed from the evidence provided.
Structured trail record
Authority, season and access
Official route status
Official GR or established French long-distance route
Long-distance trailNormal endpoints
Hook of Holland to Nice
Catalogue references: 51.977, 4.128 to 43.710, 7.262Elevation range
0 m to 2,763 m
Rounded catalogue elevationsRecommended months
May-October
Snow, wildfire, storms, refuge closures and local path works may affect stages; consult current GR and protected-area notices.Access requirements
No trail-wide guide requirement unless stated. Refuge bookings, protected-area rules and seasonal transport may apply.
Permit/booking · Seasonal constraintsCollection and characteristics
Long-distance trail
FranceGr RouteWaymarkedMulti Day
Coordinates and elevations are rounded catalogue references for discovery only. They are not navigation-grade or emergency waypoints. Always use current official route information and an appropriate map.
Reviewed route data
Route, stages and elevation
Interactive map of GR5 North Sea to Mediterranean
2080-2290 km, depending on route variant
2,340.51 km
17,707 m on mapped route
-5–2,404 m
90-120 walking days
StartHook of HollandFinishNice
- 1Hook of Holland
- 2Bergen op Zoom
- 3Maastricht
- 4Spa
- 5Luxembourg
- 6Schengen
- 7Vosges
- 8Jura
- 9Lake Geneva
- 10Chamonix
- 11Briançon
- 12Mercantour
- 13Nice
Planning summary only. Check current closures, permits, weather, transport, and official navigation sources before travel.
Why get this certificate?
GR5 is a trans-European long-distance route from the North Sea at Hook of Holland to the Mediterranean at Nice, crossing the Ardennes, Vosges, Jura and French Alps.
Your certificate includes a premium PDF, a permanent QR verification page, registry-signed metadata, and privacy-aware public display settings.
Accepted evidence
Route-matched proof examples
- Continuous dated GPX, FIT, TCX, or equivalent activity record covering the recognised route
- Route checkpoints: Hook of Holland; Maastricht; Spa; Schengen; Jura; Chamonix; Briançon; Nice
- Dated endpoint and checkpoint photographs plus stage history where track coverage has material gaps
- Evidence of required permits, bookings, guide arrangements, or access compliance where applicable
Before payment
Prepare proof that tells the whole route story.
Best evidence: GPX, FIT, or TCX files, trusted activity links, dated trail photos, stamps, permits, or guide confirmation. Photos alone may need supporting context.
Expected review level: Evidence Reviewed. Most reviews target 2–3 working days after payment and private proof upload.
Trail proof checklist
- Continuous dated GPX, FIT, TCX, or equivalent activity record covering the recognised route
- Route checkpoints: Hook of Holland; Maastricht; Spa; Schengen; Jura; Chamonix; Briançon; Nice
- Dated endpoint and checkpoint photographs plus stage history where track coverage has material gaps
- Evidence of required permits, bookings, guide arrangements, or access compliance where applicable
Distance and route variants are reviewed conservatively. Public pages never publish raw GPS points or private proof files.
Private review layer
Your proof is not your public profile.
Reviewers may see
GPS and activity files, uploaded photos, permits, stamps, guide confirmations, completion narrative, and clarification replies.
The public may see
Certificate status, trail, privacy-controlled display name, dates, verification level, issue date, fingerprint, and registry signature state.
Supported route variants
The full catalogue route runs from Hook of Holland to Nice. The widely walked Schengen–Nice section is a shorter recognised subset and does not qualify as the complete full route.
Key route sequence: Hook of Holland - Bergen op Zoom - Maastricht - Spa - Luxembourg - Schengen - Vosges - Jura - Lake Geneva - Chamonix - Briançon - Mercantour - Nice.
Prepare your proofVerification levels
Evidence ReviewedPrivate completion evidence was assessed by a Verified Hikes reviewer.
GPS Evidence ReviewedA GPS file or trusted activity record formed part of the evidence review.
Photo + GPS ReviewedPhotographic context and GPS or activity evidence both supported the review.
Partner ConfirmedAn approved partner confirmed completion through a defined workflow.
Authority ConfirmedA trail authority explicitly confirmed the record through an approved workflow.
How the process works
Start verification
Create a paid application for this trail.
Upload proof
Add GPS, activity links, photos, stamps, permits, or confirmation documents privately.
Registry review
A reviewer checks evidence, dates, privacy, and verification level.
Certificate issued
Receive your premium PDF and QR-verifiable public record.
FAQ
What does the QR code prove?
It opens a safe registry page showing certificate metadata, signature status, evidence summary, and PDF fingerprint.
Request correction
See outdated trail facts? Send a correction request so the registry team can review the route record before publication changes.
Request correction/update