These beautiful winter hikes in Germany are our hot insider tips for the cold season

Hiking - or in modern German: hiking - is an incredibly beautiful affair: you move, you are in nature and you also get a lot of fresh air “along the way”. Hiking is also an activity that you can do at any time of year if you know where to go. We have a fewhot tips for great hikes in the cold season.

However, it is important that you always keep an eye on the weather conditions and be prepared accordingly, i.e. take enough provisions with you, dress warmly and for the weather, and check the hiking conditions. But then absolutely nothing stands in the way of a great hike.

The Harz National Park is a perfect hiking area, especially since many hiking trails are cleared even during heavy snowfall. No matter whether you want to hike in and around Sankt Andreasberg,schulenberg, Wildemann, Altenau or Clausthal-Zellerfeld - it's possible everywhere, even in winter. One of the most popular hiking trails in the Harz is undoubtedly the Goetheweg from Torfhaus to Brocken, which is said to have been hiked by the famous German poet on December 10, 1777. It's less than eight kilometers from Torfhaus to Brocken, which is easily manageable even for inexperienced hikers - if you want to hike twice as long, you can simply start in Altenau. In any case, Goethe managed it at the time - you can probably do it too, right?

Saxon Switzerland and its fantastic Elbe Sandstone Mountains could also be the setting for oneHighlander-films. It's hard to believe that this fairytale area is really in Germany. But she does. And it's also a wonderful place to hike through in winter - especially since it's much more relaxed there in winter than in summer, when sometimes there are really crowds heading towards the Bastei. A fantastic route is the one from Königstein to Pfaffenstein, from where you can enjoy a wonderful view of the surrounding area.

Winter hikes don't always have to go up mountains, you can also hike between them - like in the case of the Breitachklamm, the deepest rocky gorge in Central Europe. And it really has a lot to offer, especially in winter: snow-covered rock faces, frozen waterfalls, icicles that act like winter curtains and create impressive patterns, caves - an absolute fairytale landscape. It is particularly fascinating if you do the hike in the dark on a torchlight hike. The firelight then makes the snow crystals sparkle and the ice formations cast mysterious shadows.

The area in the municipality of Masserberg in the Thuringian Forest is also a great place for winter hiking. It is at an altitude of 800 meters, which ensures a little more snow security. From here there are more than twenty different hikes, including one to the Langertfelsen or to the Werraquelle and the Rennsteig. The path, which is shared with cross-country skiers, leads in gentle curves through the forest to the Werraquelle, where you can also stop off at the Werraquell Hut. Once strengthened, you can then continue hiking to the Rennsteig and the Rennsteigwarte, a 38 m high observation tower that you can climb up. A nice, easy hike that is very pleasant to walk.

The health resort of Bad Kohlgrub is an excellent hiking area all year round - even in winter. The municipality's local mountain is the Hörnle at the "entrance" to the Ammergau Alps, which has not just one, but three peaks - the highest of which is 1,548 meters high. Locals can make it up within 45 minutes, but most will It will probably take at least twice as long. But it's worth it, because not only is there a great view waiting for you, but the landlord of the Hörnlehütte also scores points with Kaiserschmarren & Co.

Berchtesgaden is beautiful at any time of the year, but as soon as it snows, the entire region is transformed into an unreal winter wonderland. And you can hike through it wonderfully, because it is usually ensured that the most beautiful hiking trails are also accessible - including the hiking route around Lake Abtsdorf, through the Klausbachtal or simply through the Berchtesgaden National Park. This also includes the highly recommended circular hiking trail to the Malerwinkel am Königssee. It is just four kilometers long and can easily be done by beginners. Once you arrive at the Malerwinkel viewpoint on the north bank of the lake, you have a great view of the pilgrimage church of St. Bartolomä and the Schönfeldspitze in the Steinernes Meer. Because this view has inspired various artists, the place was once called Malerwinkel.

The Allgäu is always worth a trip, and of course also in winter. The first port of call for many is the village of Schwangau, which in winter when it snows really looks like something out of a fairy tale. Because then you can see the snow-covered Neuschwanstein Castle and the smaller Hohenschwangau Castle next to it and enjoy a wonderful winter hike through the area on the more than fifty winter hiking trails. The approximately one-hour hiking trail around the Alpine lake with fantastic panoramas is easy and beautiful.

The forest sculpture trail in Sauerland is 23 kilometers long. Why is it called that? Because there are a total of eleven works of art along the way, which appear particularly impressive in winter and make this winter hike particularly exciting. The hiking route leads from Bad Berleburg to Schmallenberg and is really fun - especially since it's easy to walk even in winter. In addition to the works of art, there is also a lot of untouched nature and scenic beauty on offer - just as it should be on a winter hike.

Another beautiful hike in winter is the one that leads from Kelheim along the Danube to the Weltenburg Monastery. You also wander through the Altmühltal Nature Park, which attracts thousands of visitors, especially in summer, but also has a lot to offer in winter. It's worth it!