Walking in Germany

The German word “Wanderlust” best sums up the nation’s absolute love of hiking and wandering the natural world. Germany’s long tradition of long distance walking has led to the creation of over 150 multi-day walks known collectively as the Fernwanderwege.

The trail network is well maintained and way-marking is is of a very high standard. This is largely attributable to the network being carefully and comprehensively overseen by the German Hiking Association (Deutscher Wanderverband) which is a collective of over 70 hiking and mountaineering associations, many of which have large memberships.

The German trails offer a wide range of landscape, from alpine mountains and tranquil lakes to deep forests and river valleys. Traditional villages and historic castles provide added highlights along the way. The sheer diversity of landscape in Germany also means that all standards of walking are available.

Stand-out walking regions include:

• the Black Forest - a densely forested mountain range that lies in south-west Germany, towards the French border. It is divided into two main nature parks. The Central/North Black Forest Nature Park is heavily wooded in the north whilst the central valleys are used for agriculture. The South Black Forest Nature Park is also known as the High Black Forest due to its distinctive highlands landscape including scenic lakes, rivers, valleys and gorges;

• the Saxon Switzerland National Park - this fascinating national park is located in the Elbe Valley in eastern Germany, near the Czech Republic border. Set amongst the northern part of the Elbe Sandstone mountain range, the national park is home to a myriad of towering rock formations which have inspired the works of many artists and writers;

• southern Bavaria - Bavaria is located in south-east Germany. The hiking trails of southern Bavaria celebrate the range of Bavarian scenery including picturesque lakes, mountain panoramas, lush forests, attractive villages and fairytale castles;

• the Middle Rhine Valley - this region, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers breathtaking landscape plus lively village hospitality. The Middle Rhine Valley is located in central Germany and is considered to be one of Europe’s most picturesque areas. Scenic trails lead walkers alongside the Rhine River which is framed by an abundance of historic castles, fortresses and vineyards.

The main walking season for the bulk of Germany’s walking regions runs between April and October. Germany’s extensive rail network provides excellent accessibility to the long distance trails.

Interested in a multi-day walk in Germany?

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• For further information on Germany’s stand-out walking regions, click on the region below.