Paragliding and hang-gliding is possible almost anywhere in the world. If there's a mountain you can fly off it. If there's a cliff with some wind you can soar along it. Even if it's flat, you can winch up to altitude and then catch a thermal for a cross-country flight.
But where are the top sites in the world to fly? Here's a run-down of the most well known sites in the world in no particular order.
When it comes to paragliding the French are a dedicated bunch. With the most flying sites of any country in the world, it's no surprise that many of the top flying sites are in France.
The is the highest peak in Europe, located close to the border between France, Switzerland and Italy. There is some amazing flying in the entire surrounding region, and pilots launching from the peak can either glide down to the valley or do some cross-country. Hard-core acro pilots can often be seen throwing their wings around here.
If you have ever wanted to fly like Peter Pan past a fairy tale castle, then you've come to the right place. This was his inspiration when creating his fairy tale castle, but this one's real and you can fly right over it.
There are multiple launch options, but the best one is a bit further up the mountain. Just watch out for fog and other weather conditions which can roll in very fast.
Very commonly used for SIV courses because there are multiple launches within easy proximity of the large lake, which makes for reasonably soft landings providing the pilot manages to avoid drowning. Pilots doing the SIV course generally take off and position themselves over the lake before practising full collapses, spiral dives, wing-overs, asymmetric collapses, and other death-defying safety-related exercises.
A very beautiful place, with large mountains and a scenic lake to fly over. Sometimes it's a bit crowded, but it's worth it.
This site is so beloved of Germans that at least half the pilots on any given day can be heard speaking German, and the locals also speak German and French bi-lingually. There are plenty of cheap places to stay here, including chalets or tent sites at the local motor camps.
The mountain is very thermic in summer, allowing pilots to fly long distances. The landing zone at the bottom of the mountain is in front of the local school, which also has a paragliding shop and very friendly staff. This is also where pilots can wait for the shuttle van to drive them back up to the top.
Pilots flying from here can fly over the lagoon before landing on one of the top 5 beaches in the world. The weather is never below 25oC (77oF), and 80% of days are flyable making it a popular holiday destination for pilots.
The Air Games are held here each year, and include paragliding, skydiving, base-jumping, hangliding, paramotor flights, remote controlled plane shows, microlites, hard core acrobatic competitions and accuracy landing competitions. If you're intending to attend the Air Games as a pilot or spectator, make sure you sort out your accomodation well in advance, because it's very popular.
The largest sand dune in Europe - 500m (1,640ft) wide, 3km (1.86mi) long and just over 100m (329ft) high. It is also growing. So far, it has eaten a hotel and a major intersection, and it is steadily encroaching on the local motor-camp by a couple of metres per year.
Although this sand-dune is disliked by hoteliers and roading engineers, it is well liked by paraglider pilots for it's relaxing, easy flying. The people there are friendly, especially the local "Wagas" school. I forgot my helmet when I went, and they lent me one and simply asked me to return it at the end of the day!
There is a short piece of cliff to fly along, or you can practise your Wagas moves on the dune. This is a must-see location for pilots unfamiliar with beach flying. Just don't do what I did and go to the wrong end, because 3km is a long way to walk along the sand with a glider!
And that concludes the list, although there are many more amazing places in the world to fly, of course! If you think a site should be added to this page, let me know. For example, I know there are a bunch of great places to fly in the United States and India, but I know nothing about them.