looking for small town destinations around Europe

Both Snowdonia and Lake District National Parks in the UK offer plenty of hiking/walking and bike riding. Still touristy but the nice places usually are, but easy to find out of the way quiet places!

Both reasonably accesible by bus or train from most major cities/airports.

Last summer I went to Luxembourg, and I loved it. Beautiful hiking country in the north; the south is heavily industrialised, but that's also interesting.
Public transport is very frequent and cheap. You can buy an all-day ticket valid for all the buses and trains in the entire country for five euros. (To give you an idea, a train crossing the entire country from north to south takes about one hour!)
Lots of small towns and villages, all easily accessible; nice hostels that are never full so you don't need to book in advance (except Luxembourg city), superb hiking maps - better than any I've seen in any other country.

go to Rospua Vally http://www.panoramio.com/user/259419/tags/Dolina%20Rospudy because it might be last chance to see it as Polish government want to build highway there

There are 1000s (10000s ?) of good hiking areas all over Europe. All of Scandinavia and Finland! first of all if you do not want many other tourists.
More or less every -even the tiniest - villages in Europa can be reached by bus.

How long is your trip for?

Thank you for all the suggestions.

I don't really have any time deadlines. I'm going on a one way ticket and plan to stay until my money runs out or I wish to return home - I'm hoping that I'll have my dual (Canadian-German) passport by the time I go).

I like to take my time wandering around.

I should also mention that I have boldnobold interest going places where there are bears and other such wildlife that can eat me! If I want to go hiking with the bears and cougars, I live right on the doorstep of the Canadian Rockies! I don't need to go to Europe to see what I can do for free at home!

Thanks!

The wildlife in Europe won't pose any dangers apart from English football hooligans who emerge from hibernation in mid-August.

Do you mean quite literally anywhere in Europe? See what Bjoern says.

While I was walking through the woods in Luxembourg I saw two or three (too far away to count) largish animals rushing across the path. They were almost certainly wild boar. I don't think they would have any interest in eating me... and the feeling is mutual !

You would never think of Luxembourg as a holiday destination, and I was surprised when a friend suggested it, based on her own experience. She was right.

Here are a couple for you far_trotter.

Google for Atholl Arms hotel in Scotland. They have a great 5 nights for the price of 3 deal in spring and fall. The bus and train both stop RIGHT at the door, even though it is out in the middle of nowhere practially. It is a traditional highland hotel with hiking right from the door that could easily occupy you for a week.

Google for the Hotel Glescherblick in the Hassliberg, Switzerland. Again bus RIGHT at the door and unlimited hiking. Their half board plan is a bargain. You would take a train to Meiringen, walk up the street to the gondola going up the mountain and bus 5 minutes from the gondola to the hotel.