Whether breathing fresh air or seeing breathtaking views, enjoying peaceful moments alone in nature or having special experiences with loved ones on the trail, for being present or getting away, time outside has been a much needed way to care for our health, physical and mental, during the pandemic. If we needed anything more in 2020 and 2021, it’s the great outdoors. What better way to unwind and reenergize than on a spectacular hike? Over the last year or so, we’ve gone on multiday treks and day trips, to sunny and foggy viewpoints, on top of mountains and through gorges on some unforgettable trails. For your wander-inspiration for this new year, here are the best hikes in Germany from 2021 brought to you by several avid outdoor fanatics.
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To the Three Sources of the Spree in the Lausitzer Bergland
Just like last year, I also hiked more than 100 tours in 2021, the majority of which were in Brandenburg, but also in the neighboring regions. This year there was a special, larger project: I myself live directly on the Spree and it’s just a few kilometers to the mouth of the river into the Havel. In 2018, I hiked the Havel River completely from source to mouth. Now in 2021 the goal was the Spree River, as the most important tributary with its nearly 400 kilometers.
Since I hiked the Spree in reverse direction in single sections which were strewn about the year, the final section to the three sources of the Spree in the Lausitzer Bergland took place in golden October at the time of the always fascinating colorful fall foliage. The springs are spread about a radius of a few kilometers, with two of them arising in the urban area of Ebersbach-Neugersdorf and one in Kottmar’s mountainside.
The entirety of the tour is along creek-like waters, mostly through idyllic villages, which often have many variations of the region’s typical Umgebindehäuser, a style of half-timbered house. In between there are also short, pretty white water sections, like in the Spreepark Neusalza-Spremberg, where the Spree rushes through its stony riverbed. At the beginning of the section by Fukov, the trail crosses briefly into the Czech Republic, since the river is the border in between the two countries in this area, and flows for a few hundred meters through Germany’s easterly neighbor.
Chris’s favorite hikes in Berlin-Brandenburg
This tour, a good 27 kilometers, is very varied in a steady mix of nature and culture. The start and destination are best reached with the “Drei-Länder-Bahn” from Dresden. Here you can find my detailed photographic documentation of the tour on Komoot. Here are a collection of all sections of the project.
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.
Murgleiter in the Black Forest
If you have a week to go hiking in the Black Forest, you’d be in good hands on the Murgleiter. The 110 km trail is quite challenging with its 4600 meters of altitude. For this effort, you get wonderful views of the Black Forest and all its facets.
Bloggers’ Best Hikes in Germany in 2020
The first half of the trail impresses above all with magnificent views. You hike mostly on cliffs, from which you have a view wide and far of the mountains and valleys. The second half is wilder. You travel through the Black Forest National Park, where no two spots look alike. Heather grows everywhere, the fallen trees are overgrown in moss, and ferns decorate the boulders. In the middle lies the Huzenbacher See, a lake where you can enjoy peaceful moments.
We traveled with sleeping bags and slept almost every night in trail huts. You can read about our journey and find out more about the Murgleiter here. I hiked the Murgleiter with another hiker I met through Instagram. On my blog, I wrote about how you can find hiking partners online.
At wanderspirit.de Patrick writes about his experiences by foot. You can find hiking articles, outdoor tips, sustainable gear, and thoughts about walking.
Kesselrunde in the Ammergau Alps
Nearby Füssen lies a wonderfully beautiful nature preserve: the Ammergau Alps. The raw beauty of these mountains in the South of Germany is perfectly discovered by hiking. One of the most beautiful trails during my hiking trip to the Allgäu was the Kesselrunde. I started by the Kenzenhütte and after several meters of climb I stood at the edge of the Kessel. The Kessel is a deep crater, which is surrounded by mountains. For many years there was a huge cave here. When the ceiling fell in, a deep hole was left over. So impressive! As I reached the highest point, I was really impressed: what a spectacular view! On one side is the Kessel and on the other side a deep valley with further summits behind it. It’s possible to do a brief hike along the ridge to Hasentalkopf (caution: surefootedness required!). Afterwards the trail heads downhill through meadows and forests back to the Kenzenhütte. The terrace of the hut with a view of the mountains invites you to a cool drink or Kaiserschmarrn.
Janna Kamphof is an outdoor blogger and content creater. Hiking, camping, biking, climbing: she loves everything you can do outside. On her dual language blog Alpen Actief she writes about active vacationing and sustainable travel in the Alpine countries.
The Schluchtensteig in the Black Forest
The Schluchtensteig has been on our bucket list for many years. In July 2021 the time has come: in five sections we’ll hike the approximately 120 km through the Southern Black Forest Nature Park. At the start low-pressure area “Bernd” was already raging. Fortunately, the devastating storm only gives us foggy views and wet feet. In the Lower Wutach Gorge (Wutachflühen), we opt for the bad-weather plan for safety’s sake. The putative “Chicken-Route” is adventurous enough in these conditions.
After massive rainfalls in the past weeks, the trails are muddy, slippery and partially only passable with hiking poles. But the rain also has advantages: the cascades of the “Schleifenbachklamm” are just as plumply filled as the waterfalls of the spectacular Wutach Gorge (Wutachschlucht). In the “Grand Canyon of the Black Forest”, which is up to 170 m deep, the Tannegger Waterfall in particular enchants us on the second day. The long-exposure photo of the cascade reminds us a little bit of Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings. A magical place!
Tip: We extended the Schluchtensteig route and started our hike in Donaueschingen. On the “Wasserweltensteig” our route went from the Kirnberg Lake through the wildly romantic Gauchach Valley (Gauchachschlucht) and then along the Way of St. James to the starting point in Stühlingen. On the final day, we hiked from the destination in Wehr to Bad Säckingen, in order to see the longest covered wooden bridge in Europe.
Stefan from HappyHiker.de is no stranger to long distance thru-hikes, having completed several in Germany, Scandinavia, Spain, the US, and Australia. He has also written two books for the ultralight outdoorsman, Trekking ultraleicht and Kochen ultraleicht.
Traufgänge in the Schwäbische Alb
My favorite hike in the past two years (last year I was pregnant so I didn’t get to hike as much as I wanted to) is not only one hike but a series of hikes called the “Traufgänge” on the Schwäbische Alb, a mid-range mountain area in Baden-Württemberg. The Traufgänge are 10 premium hiking trails between 4 and 17 km along the Albtrauf, the edge of the Schwäbische Alb. What I like about the trails is that they lead through a diverse scenery with spectacular karst landscapes, cool birch woods, blooming meadows and characteristic juniper fields. Fantastic panoramic views, historical highlights and places to stop for a bite or rather full meal (you gotta try the Swabian cuisine!) to eat are guaranteed on all the trails. As there are two winter hiking trails and one dedicated family hiking trail amongst the Traufgänge, all seasons and hiking parties are covered.
Why Premium Hikes are so great!
My favorite hikes are the “Traufgang Zollernburg-Panorama” with unique views of the fairytale castle Burg Hohenzollern, the “Traufgang Felsenmeersteig” with its bizarre rock formations and caves and the “Traufgang Hossinger Leiter” which follows a historic shortcut the villagers from Hossingen took to Lautlingen where they were working or catching a train. This shortcut led them through the woods, with a 250 m altitude climb and over two wooden ladders which are nowadays replaced by iron stairs. You’ll find more info about the Traufgänge on my blog.
Paradise Found is a German travel blog by Kerstin that focuses on nature and culture. Unique experiences, the outdoors and destinations off the beaten track, are central topics of the blog.
The Malerweg in Saxon Switzerland
Not only was the Malerweg my best hike in Germany in 2021 but possibly the very best hike that I have ever been on. The 116 km trail left me breathless (and not just because of all the stairs you climb along the way!). On a long distance hike, having a fantastic highlight per day is a luxury. The Malerweg is a 116 km long highlight. If you’re not hiking through an enchanting jungle-green gorge, you’re enjoying a beautiful waterfall or wandering through a quaint village. You’re either climbing in and around cool rock formations, standing on top of them, or viewing their impressiveness from afar. I basically hiked with my mouth open all the time because my jaw was constantly dropping. I loved every minute of it, even the day in blistering heat and the other two days in the pouring rain with poor visibility. It’s that good!
It is most certainly the incredible landscapes which brought the many painters (the trail’s namesake: Painters’ Way) to the region. Major sights include rock formations like the Bastei, Schrammsteine, and Lilienstein and castles like Hohnstein (which you can sleep in!) and the mind-blowingly impressive Festung Königstein, as well as adorable villages like Stadt Wehlen, Schmilka, and Thürmsdorf.
Tip: Hit this region in the off season: Saxon Switzerland is hugely popular and the Malerweg is no secret! Certain trails are often crowded and well-loved sites are overrun on weekends and school holidays. More Malerweg tips here
This trail of the “bests hikes in Germany in 2021” is by me, Chris. I am in love with traveling, hiking, and biking all over Deutschland and Europe. I was lucky enough to be on sabbatical for most of 2021 and hiked my heart out.
What will you hike next?
I don’t know about you, but I’m drooling with hiking envy over here and can’t wait to try out some of these fantastic trails. Did we inspire you to go on one of the Best Hikes in Germany in 2021? Do you have a best hike of 2021 to share with us? Let us know in the comments 🙂
In need of even more hiking inspiration? Check out what these great bloggers hiked last year: Best Hikes in Germany in 2020.
Dankeschön!
Herzlichen Dank an alle Blogger-innen, die uns ihre Lieblingswanderwege in Deutschland von 2021 geteilt haben. Thank you to the bloggers for sharing their Best Hikes in Germany in 2021 with us! Happy Hiking in 2022!
All pictures are from the bloggers themselves. Cover photo by Kerstin from Paradise Found.