Simon

The Blankeberge walk that Ian mentioned is part of the International Marching League series of events. I've attached the link below

http://www.imlwalking.org/#/home

This organisation promotes several walks organised in different European countries such as Denmark, Belgium, Holland (Nijmegen 4 Days walks next week with 50,000 taking part). The smaller European events attract between 3-6,000 entrants and they are very pleasant non competitive walks with a carnival atmosphere to them. Well worth doing.

Enjoy and if you want any more information please ask....:-)

I did the Blankenburg 2 day walks in Belgium this year. The way I did it was to book on a National Holidays coach trip to Ostend. I picked up the coach at 4pm at Hull Docks (with pickup points all over the north) for the ferry to Zeebrugge.

On the Friday I walked from the ferry to Blankenburg to enter (10 Euros) for the walk. and then walked to Ostend by 3-30pm, around 20 miles in total. Getting to the hotel before the coach so you can take your bag off the coach. The coach went to Gent for the day.

Saturday, had breakfast at 7am and out by 7-20 to catch the tram to Blankenburg 3 Euro's each way. The stop is just 50 yards from the start.. You pay the tram driver. I did the 42k walk and got the tram back to Ostend by 5-30pm. Evening meals where at 7-00pm.

Sunday, asked the driver to load my bag onto the coach. Left it in the hotel near the entrance doors with a NH label on it. Had breakfast and out again by 7-20am to catch the tram to Blankenburg. I did the 25k walk and was back in Blankenburg with 3 pub stops by 1-30pm. Had an hour in Ostend before walking back to the Ferry at Zeebrugge by 3-30am. You must be there to meet the coach that was in Brugge on a day trip, to get your bag off the coach.

Monday, docked in Hull at 8-30. You can book this trip with National Holidays with pickup points all over the north at a very good rate. I plan to do it again next year and I believe a few others will be joining me. I think my wife is going and will be going on the trips out instead of walking.

Our Kent Group website has a page of many links in various categories. The International section is here and may be of interest.

Visis the IVV the International Federation of Popular Sports website http://www.ivv-web.org. This has links to country organisations and in some cases to event programmes

For Ireland try www.w walking and biking Ireland.com (sorry for lack of proper formatting due to being on a tablet with auto-correct)

Are there any organisations like the LDWA in other countries? Or LDWA-style challenge events?

Particularly in Europe.

Mainly just curiosity.