Long Distance Walking in Bavaria : 16 Popular Hiking Trails

Walk through the Allgäu in 54 stages. On a network of trails with three long routes. The “Wiesengänger” (Meadow Walkers) route passes through hilly landscape in the west and terraced scenery in the east and in the Unterallgäu region. You walk along easy paths and enjoy lovely views of the Alps: 438 kilometres and 22 stages.

The “Wasserläufer” (Water Seekers) route is full of streams and rivers, small waterfalls and lots of lakes. Its paths are slightly more challenging: 406 kilometres and 26 stages. The “Himmelsstürmer” (Sky Stormers) route is ambitious. It requires fitness and stamina in the mountain landscape and goes through the Alpine peaks: 358 kilometres and 24 stages. The “Himmelsstürmer” route is suitable for experienced hikers with average endurance.
allgaeu.de (only in German)

An attractive mixture: nature, culture and cuisine between Neustadt an der Donau and Passau. 220 kilometres of variety and diversity: romantic river landscapes, charming towns and delicious specialities such as Agnes Bernauer Torte in Straubing or hearty Deggendorfer dumplings. The route can be divided into ten stages, which can be shortened or extended as necessary.

River trips on boats or ferries offer a particularly special experience. Along the way there are plenty of options for refreshments and accommodation. Walkers can quench their thirst with regional beer specialities or even Regensburger Landwein in Kruckenberg! Package deals with luggage transport are available.
donaupanoramaweg.de (only in German)

Explore the Bavarian part of the Spessart: beautiful views, castle ruins, pristine landscapes, palaces and abbeys. Aschaffenburg is the best place to start. From there, Spessartweg 1 (63 kilometres) goes through beech woods past Rothenbuch and on to Lohr, with its old town and the Spessart Museum. Then on to the pilgrimage church of Mariabuchen and to Gemünden, the town of three rivers (Main, Sinn and Saale). This can be done in three or four stages.

Spessartweg 2 (58 kilometres) leads in three stages from the climatic spa of Heigenbrücken to Mespelbrunn, with its famous moated castle and the pilgrimage church of Hessenthal featuring the “Beweinungsgruppe” by Tilmann Riemenschneider. After the Geißhöhe with its panoramic views and the ruins of Henneburg, the route enters Stadtprozelten am Main. Both routes have the distinction of being a “Wanderbares Deutschland” quality walking trail.
spessartweg.de (only in German)

In the heart of Franconia, discover the Steigerwald Forest on a 160 kilometre trail. This is one of Germany’s most valuable deciduous woodland areas. The “Wanderbares Deutschland” quality walking trail begins in Bad Windsheim, heads over the Kehrenberg, Hohen Landsberg and Scheinberg mountains in the south, and through extensive deciduous woodland in the north. It comes to an end on the Michaelsberg, above Bamberg.

The route is divided into nine stages. The trail has 3,360 metres of ascent and 3,653 metres of descent. Along the way there are some charming historic towns (such as the wine town of Iphofen, boasting one of the loveliest market places in all Franconia, or Ebrach with its remarkable abbey church), castles and ruins (including the Stollburg, where Walther von der Vogelweide is said to have been born). The Panoramaweg leads through remote forests and offers wonderful viewpoints along the way with distant vistas.
steigerwaldtourismus.com (only in German)

660 kilometres of walking pleasure. Feeder paths and linking routes extend this to 2,000 kilometres. The Goldsteig (a “Wanderbares Deutschland” quality walking trail) traverses the harsh yet beautiful low mountain landscape of the Oberpfälzer Wald (Upper Palatinate Forest) and the Bayerischer Wald (Bavarian Forest). From Marktredwitz to Passau. The southern route is moderate and leads from Thanstein over the hills of the Anterior Bavarian Forest with views to the Gäuboden region.

The northern route is more challenging and heads from Thanstein over the thousand-metre peaks of the Bavarian Forest and through the Bavarian Forest National Park. On the way are fascinating places such as castles and palaces, churches, abbeys and museums as well as culinary specialities. Walking package deals and guided walks are available.
goldsteig-wandern.de

Follow in the footsteps of King Ludwig II through the foothills of the Alps. Over 127 kilometres and six exciting stages, there is plenty of culture and fantastic scenery to enjoy, complete with lakes and panoramic views. From Starnberg, the route goes past Andechs Monastery to the Marienmünster in Dießen am Ammersee. It then goes on to Wessobrunn Abbey and through the Ammerschlucht (Ammer Gorge) to Rottenbuch.

The closing highlights include Wieskirche, the Welfenmünster in Steingaden and the royal castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. The main route crosses Lake Ammersee by ship, or there is an alternative overland route. The highest point on the trail is the Hohe Peißenberg, at almost a thousand metres. Package deals with luggage transport are available.
pfaffen-winkel.de (only in German)

A real long-distance trail. From Lindau on Lake Constance to Berchtesgaden. Around 360 kilometres. Over mountain ridges and cols, peaks and passes. Past the three royal castles of Hohenschwangau, Neuschwanstein and Linderhof as well as charming mountain villages.

The trail is named after King Maximilian. The son of Ludwig I and father of Ludwig II travelled this route by carriage in 1858, covering some stretches on foot. The Maximiliansweg is almost identical to the European Long Distance Walking Trail E4. Most of it is along Alpine paths. Inaccessible in winter. A total of 22 day stages. The highest point is the Hochplatte in the Ammergau Alps, at over 2,000 metres. The route includes around 20,000 metres of elevation gain.
wildganz.com (only in German)