Editing Trail (section)

===Europe===
[[File:Refuge Bel-Lachat gr5 Chamonix.jpg|thumb|alt= A walker silhouetted by a cabin on mountain slope |A walker preparing to leave the Refuge de Bel Lachat, [[Chamonix]], in the [[French Alps]], on the long-distance path [[GR5]]]]
A group of public and private organisations from the eight Alpine countries in Europe created the [[Via Alpina]] in 2000, receiving EU funding from 2001 until 2008. It was initiated by the Association [[Grande Traversée des Alpes]] in [[Grenoble]], which hosted the Via Alpina international secretariat until January 2014, when it was transferred to the [[International Commission for the Protection of the Alps]] CIPRA, in Liechtenstein. There are national secretariats (hosted by public administrations or hiking associations) in each country. Its aim is to support sustainable development in remote mountain areas and promote the Alpine cultures and cultural exchanges.<ref>{{Cite web |title=International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA) |url=http://www.fao.org/mountain-partnership/members/members-detail/en/c/43135/ |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=fao.org |archive-date=23 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723072243/http://www.fao.org/mountain-partnership/members/members-detail/en/c/43135/ }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=And first, a bit of history… |url=http://www.via-alpina.org/en/page/33/and-first-a-bit-of-history |url-status=live |access-date=7 February 2021 |website=via.alpina.org |archive-date=21 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121072414/http://www.via-alpina.org/en/page/33/and-first-a-bit-of-history }}</ref>

The [[Grande Randonnée]] (French), ''Grote Routepaden'' or ''Lange-afstand-wandelpaden'' (Dutch), ''Grande Rota'' (Portuguese) or ''Gran Recorrido'' (Spanish) is a network of [[long-distance footpaths]] in Europe, mostly in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain. Many GR routes make up part of the longer [[European walking routes]] which cross several countries. In France alone, the trails cover approximately {{cvt|60000|km}}. In France, the network is maintained by the ''Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre'' (French Hiking Federation),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ffrandonnee.fr/|title=Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre|website=www.ffrandonnee.fr|access-date=6 June 2020|archive-date=13 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100913090152/http://www.ffrandonnee.fr/|url-status=live}}</ref> and in Spain by the Spanish Mountain Sports Federation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fedme.es/?action=seccion.seccion&subseccion=89|title=FEDME – Federación Española de Deportes de Montaña y Escalada|website=www.fedme.es|access-date=6 June 2020|archive-date=9 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809155941/http://www.fedme.es/?action=seccion.seccion&subseccion=89|url-status=live}}</ref>