Looking for your next hike in Germany? Then look no further than these 5 amazing hikes for your next trip or adventure in Germany in 2025. From the Alps to the Polish border, there are gorges, castles, mountain huts, and expansive panoramas to explore. And where better to get ideas than from the people on the ground?These bloggers have hiked hundreds of kilometers this year (I know, I can see their Komoot profiles) and are sharing their favorites with you! (For all of the best hikes in Germany, check out this compilation)
Winter Wonderland to the Staufner Haus in the Allgäu
I love hiking to mountain huts in the summer. This year, however, I really wanted to try it out in winter and decided on hiking to the Staufner Haus in the Allgäu. The tour is special because it offers a perfect mix of nature experiences and winter challenge. We started at the valley station of the Hochgratbahn cable car and hiked through snow-covered forests and over part of the Nagelfluh mountain range to the cozy mountain hut. One of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen awaited us there. The ascent is about 10 kilometers long, with a moderate level of difficulty, especially if you are prepared for the winter weather. Depending on the snow and avalanche conditions, you should bring the right equipment (snowshoes and/or crampons, avalanche equipment).
The special thing about this hike is the winter tranquility you experience along the way – far away from the hustle and bustle that you might find on the hiking trails in the summer months. The view of the snow-covered Allgäu Alps is simply breathtaking. In terms of convenience, the hike is easily accessible by public transport: there is a bus from the nearby Oberstaufen train station that will take you to the starting point.
For me, this hike in winter was an absolute highlight and a great way to experience hut hiking from a new perspective. Anyone who wants to enjoy the magic of winter in the mountains should definitely put this tour on their list.
Janna is an outdoorswoman & outdoor blogger. She loves mountaineering, via ferrata, bikepacking and hut-to-hut hikes. Whether it’s summer or winter, whenever possible she jumps into a mountain lake on her tours. When she’s not out in the mountains, she writes about her experiences on her blog Bergeaktiv.de or shares tips on Instagram.
‘Sarah´s Walk to Afryka’: German-Polish Loop around Łęknica with Muskauer Park & Dawna Kopalnia Babina
I will have completed over 100 hikes in Brandenburg/Berlin and beyond again in 2024. Rarely, however, do I have the impression that I have found a uniquely attractive combination of tours.
This hike, which I completed in the middle of the year, begins with a wide arc through the famous Muskauer Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is regarded as a masterpiece by Prince Pückler in his role as a formative landscape architect. The special thing about this park is that it lies partly in the German state of Saxony and partly in Poland. The lesser-known, wooded and slightly wild Polish section with some idyllic paths, interesting sightlines and three viaducts contrasts with the well-kept German park with its ornate watercourses, lush greenery and fairytale castle.
The second half of the tour leads to the former lignite mine ‘Babina’ in the Muskauer Bogen Geopark and then along the branching promenade paths with many viewpoints through the extensive terrain with numerous pit lakes, which cover incredible, sometimes unreal color spectra. Of course, there are similar projects in Lusatia in Germany, but it would certainly be impossible to implement such a large-scale ‘hands-on’ exhibition there for reasons of nature conservation and general site safety.
How to Hike Safely in Germany
At the end, you cross the small town of Łęknica on the former route of the mine railroad and, after crossing the border river Neisse, the hike ends back in the German town of Bad Muskau.
The title of the tour: ‘Sarah’s Walk’ is an idyllic path in Muskauer Park on the Polish slope, which Pückler’s English translator Sarah Austin liked to walk along during her visits. ‘Afryka’ is the name of the largest of the ponds. Here you can find the documentation with many photos at komoot.
A prolific hiker of the Mark Brandenburg and beyond, Frank is the man behind Wandern-Berlin-Brandenburg, which is a treasure trove for Berlin-based wanderers. Besides his solo hiking activities, he’s also a certified hiking guide and organizes various forms of guided walks and hiking events.
Höllenklamm Gorge in Grainau
The best hike in Germany is, without a doubt, the Höllentalklamm in Grainau, Germany. This hike follows a beautiful, icy, blue river up through a gorge where the water has been rushing through for hundreds of years.
If you have hiked the Partnachklamm in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, this is similar but better! The gorge is more dramatic, the water is more blue, and more intense. You will get wet on this hike, so bring your waterproof gear. You will need to hike 3.5 km from the start of the trailhead to the entrance of the klamm. Entrance is 7€ per adult, cash only!
The trail in the actual gorge is 2.4 km long. At the end you can either turn around and go back through to the start of the trail, or continue up to the Kreuzeck peak (much longer hike). The Höllentalklamm is only open from May-October and can close if there is too much rain. Personally, I would not feel comfortable having a child 6 or younger on this trail.
To get here via public transportation you can take a bus from the Garmisch Train Station and get off at the Hammersbach Bus Stop (about a 17 minute ride).
If you are traveling to Garmisch-Partenkirchen area, I highly recommend adding this hike to your itinerary. The beauty and power of nature will truly impress you on this hike!
Lindsey is an American mom of 3 who lived in Garmisch-Partenkirchen for 3 years, but now lives in Turkey. She writes about family travel in Europe and how to make travel with kids more enjoyable for everyone.
Leisurely panoramic hike to the Werdenfels castle ruins and the Zugspitz village of Grainau
Shortly after the start in Farchant this hike already begins with a wow moment: the magnificent massif of the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain at almost 3000 meters, rises in the distance above the bluish clear water of the Loisach. But today I don’t want to go quite that high!
After following the mountain river for a while, a short climb takes me up to the medieval Werdenfels castle ruins. From now on, a beautiful panoramic trail meanders for a few kilometers without many ups and downs through forests and over alpine pastures to further viewpoints of the impressive mountain world around Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Finally, after a descent, I even encounter the Loisach a second time. My destination for today is the Zugspitz village of Grainau with its typical Bavarian houses and a church with an onion dome in front of the towering walls of the Zugspitze massif. There really is no shortage of wow moments on this tour in the very south of Germany!
Dangers of Hiking in Germany: Animals
With a length of 15.6 km and an ascent of 240 meters, this panoramic hike through the Bavarian Alps is also suitable for hikers with little mountain experience. Apart from a small, quite steep section at the Werdenfels castle ruins, all paths are easy to walk on. Refreshment stops include the Werdenfelser Hütte and the Berggasthof Pflegersee. The starting point in Farchant can be reached by train with hourly trains from Munich or Garmisch-Partenkirchen. From Grainau station, the Zugspitzbahn trains or buses run hourly to Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Further impressions of this hike and the GPX track for download are available at wanderfeeling.de or Komoot.
As a keen hiker and photographer, Steffen is often on the move between the Baltic coast in the north and the Alps in the south. On his hiking and photography blog wanderfeeling.de, he presents almost 300 tours, including many hikes in his home city of Berlin and the surrounding area.
Chris’s Favorite Hike in Germany for 2025
Choosing a favorite this year was hard! I hiked as far north in Germany as Helgoland, to Saxon Switzerland in the east, and the Hunsrück in the West. There were several new favorite Berlin/Brandenburg hikes and we hiked the rest of the Saar-Hunsrück-Steig (my favorite long-distance hike in Germany) in an 8-day sprint to the finish.
In the end, my favorite hike of the year ended up being one of the last hikes of the year. After wanting to visit the Wartburg castle in Eisenach for years, we finally planned a weekend to visit it during the Christmas market season. After a very rainy day exploring the castle and eating potato pancakes at the market, we hiked up to the Wartburg a second time to begin the best hike of the year.
Hike the Malerweg in Germany’s Saxon Switzerland
You can start this hike from the main train station in Eisenach and pass through the beautiful old town on your way up to the historic Wartburg castle. The trail then follows and crosses several long distance trails, like the Lutherweg and Internationaler Bergenweg. Walking away from the Wartburg castle there are several good viewpoints from various angles.
Hiking down in to the valley, you pass the Elfengrotte (the elf grotto) which is a pattering waterfall coming out of the rocks. I thought this was a pretty exciting highlight, but it was nothing compared to what was coming!
Soon you are along the Marienbach creek which leads you to the Drachenschlucht, or Dragon Gorge. A metal grate over the rushing creek water allows you to walk between the narrow rocks which have been carved out by the creek. Since 1832 this trail has provided tourists with the same fascination it does today. The water rushes below your feet as water droplets patter your head and shoulders from above. The rocks are covered in a green moss. At their narrowest point, there’s just 68 centimeters across. In total, the gorge is 2.6 km long, but our route covers just a few hundred meters.
Follow Chris on Komoot!
The hike continues to the Landgrafsenchlucht, the landgrave’s gorge, where you hike above the canyon instead of through it. At the top, there is a great view before hiking down to Eisenach. Our tour was 17 km, though you should add 1.5 km if you plan to start and end at the train station. It is possible to take a bus up to the castle as well, which would save about 3 km. Here are the details on Komoot.
This trail of the “best hikes in Germany for 2025” is by me, Chris. I am in love with traveling, hiking, and biking all over Deutschland and Europe. As a US American in Germany for over 10 years, I want to help you explore Germany actively, authentically, and adventurously!
Best Hikes in Germany for 2025
I don’t know about you, but I think I need to book a trip to Grainau for the coming year! I also know that I’ll be on the lookout for Frank’s list of best hikes in Brandenburg on Komoot. There is so much inspiration for hiking in Germany in 2025, I can’t wait to see the places I’ll go. Tell us where you’re headed in the comments 😊
To see more hiking ideas in Germany, check out our past collaborations from 2020, 2021, and 2024. To view all of the best hikes in Germany in one place, have a look at this collection.
Dankeschön!
Herzlichen Dank an alle Blogger-innen, die uns ihre Lieblingswanderwege in Deutschland von 2024 geteilt haben. Thank you to the bloggers for sharing their Best Hikes in Germany with us! Happy Hiking to all in 2025!
All pictures are from the bloggers themselves. Cover photo by Frank Meyer from Wandern-Berlin-Brandenburg.