Where are the most beautiful mountains,lakes,fall s ,rivers ?

I was careful not to use the word "countryside" when describing the US above. Does anyone else feel this has the connotation of a grassy place with sheep, cottages with roses round the door and little churches? It hardly fits the wide expanses of forest and mountains around the Canada/US border.

Scotland - but I would say that wouldn't I? Closely followed by New Zealand.

Switzerland is an amazon country - and as you probably expect from me - so are its railways.

The mountains in the background of this image are the Eiger Monch and Jungfrau - and the railway to the roof of Europe is pretty spectacular!

Well I meant to say "amazing" - but it came out as "amazon" - is that a conspiracy?

Wales of course. A bit bleak in places but beautiful for all that.

There is a difference. Nature is lovely in the UK no doubt about that but what is so pleasing about Bavaria or Switzerland is that the man made parts are also beautiful.
The Alps are a cultural monument and are quite different to mountains like in New Zealand where there is nobody.

I'm always pleased when driving through Switzerland that the main central Alps are in the hands of the Swiss who will take care of them for us and not ruin them completely with ski slopes. They work the land there and do a lot of quarrying but it is all controlled, and they invest money in it which you feel with your purse should you take a holiday there.

Having just driven back through Wales then definitely the Cambrian Mountains, breathtaking scenery.
The Dolomites in Italy are also incredibly beautiful ?

We will be taking that route this year, loopylou, from Shrewsbury down to Llandeilo and then on to West Wales. DH fancies a change from the motorway. His grandmother used to live in Llanwrtydd Wells, so we know the area and I agree with you, the scenery is wonderful.

Snowdonia
Cumbria
The Dolomites

Scotland, The Lake District, Lake Annecy. Pic of Finnich Glen, Loch Lomond.

The most amazing country is Iceland .We made the mistake of going there before we went to Norway . Norway would have been impressive but we kept thinking that Iceland was better . The people all speak good English as well though eating and drinking out are so expensive. I would love to go back again.

Love reading about all these spectacular places. Makes me envious but then I remember my parents generation and am grateful. As a child I'd never expected to fly in an airplane. The nearest my family got was the isle of Mann. I've experienced a few of the places mentioned. The Amalfi coast made me want to cry at the beauty. The Greek mountains, coast and villages are very beautiful. We followed the Rhine down to Boppart (sorry if I spelt it wrong, it's early) and that was lovely. Kerry in Ireland can take your breath away. Lots of the British Isles I've seen can be equally as beautiful. I'd love to go to the Italian lakes and New England in the autumn but money is running low as we move towards retirement so I'm grateful for what I've seen so far. Lucky generation aren't we?

The state of Utah has the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen in all my travels. Millions of years of our archaeological history laid bare in towering cliffs and canyons.
To me, Snow Canyon near St George is one of the most wonderful magical place I have visited - and I have seen the Grand Canyon too!

Spectacular in my book is not the same as beautiful.

Yes Britain is very beautiful, we cannot compete in terms of high snowcapped mountains but our landscape is lovely.

I also go for the Peak District and the lovely Yorkshire Dales. In my view these are more attractive that the Lake District.
Our mountain areas tend to have a barreness about the landcape which is a result of their geological past. Less trees etc. I like them but prefer the softer landscapes.

I think it's a lot of the greeness of Britain that for me makes Britain so lovely. So many of the Mediterrean countries are too dry in the summer and look it.

Having said this we are all probably so used to the landscape of where we were bought up it's deep in our psyche.

Fairydoll The Grand Canyon is about 2 million years old. that is quite young in geological terms.

In Britain the Lewisian gneiss of the Pre-Cambrian era, dates from at least about 3 billion years old – close to two-thirds of the age of the planet – and can be found at the surface in the far north-west of mainland Scotland and on the Hebridean islands.

We did once have spectacular landscape it has just had many more years to be eroded down to what we have left now.
Then you have to consider the age of the mountains which had to be eroded to provide the sediments that filled the space which became the Grand Canyon. This process goes on recyling rocks all the time. It's all very mind boggling.

Maggiemay
Oh wow, I want to go there...... now !!

Railman
That's the area we went for my 60th which was in January last year. Plenty of snow about, beautiful. We went on several trains including the Glacier Express and a couple of cog railways

Before looking at this thread I posted on the Gransnet are paying thread.
I said I wanted to go to the Grand Canyon and all the other spectacular open spaces the US offers.
Seems I made a good choice

I was wondering where my next trip could be - now I have too many choices !
If you are looking for High Force you need to be looking in Teesdale which is in the southern part of County Durham and not Northumberland. (Sorry Teetime)Please don't try swimming there though. A boy drowned at the Falls last week and the river Tees is dangerous along it's whole glorious length.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201606/medium-19241-image.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201606/medium-277276-image.jpeg

The West Coast of Scotland and the outer Hebrides have the most stunning beaches I have ever seen. We were there 2 weeks ago and had fab sunny weather( not guaranteed!) . If I want a bit of heat I love Lake Garda.

The pictures are from Scotland!

Canada is a wonderful place to go for scenery, wide open spaces. I have been on walking holidays there. People are wonderful to. I trip on the Rocky Mountaineer is to die for. I saw this on TV when I was young and was determined to go. It is fantastic.

Just remembered Northumberland where we visited last year - beautiful.

Have visited many mountain ranges.....Killarney and Switzerald are amazing most breathtaking is Banff in Canada . Have had the pleasure of seeing it in winter and high summer...looking forward to my next visit for the turning of the leaves in September
this year.......and seeing my precious grandaughter who will visit us there.

The Cheviots and the Pennines, both within my reach and lovely at any time of the year. Im not a traveller so I watch on tv and I know there are wonderful places abroad and in the uk (Cumbria is my second favourite place)but give me Humbledon hill (wooler) or the top of cheviot anytime