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Best Forest Hikes in Bavaria

332 routes in Bavaria qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 11.9 km and 263 m (863 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 176 km.

That is 4 percent of the 8,694 routes we map in Bavaria.

Forest trails are the dependable choice: shade when it is hot, shelter when it is not, and a completely different character once the leaves turn. The mix is broad: 164 are rated easy and 47 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day.

Trails

Moderate

Goldsteig N17: Rachel - Lusen

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
14.0 km
/ 8.7 mi
Elevation gain
309 m
Typical duration
3 hr 23 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Goldsteig N18: Lusen - Mauth

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
11.2 km
/ 6.9 mi
Elevation gain
245 m
Typical duration
2 hr 41 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Goldsteig Alternative Nr.19

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
62.3 km
/ 38.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,371 m
Typical duration
16 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Rhön-Rennsteig-Weg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
100 km
/ 62.2 mi
Elevation gain
2,203 m
Typical duration
26 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Ahorn

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
18.7 km
/ 11.6 mi
Elevation gain
411 m
Typical duration
4 hr 37 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Ameise

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
67 m
Typical duration
44 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Auerhahn

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
10.8 km
/ 6.7 mi
Elevation gain
238 m
Typical duration
2 hr 37 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Birkhuhn

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
3.5 km
/ 2.2 mi
Elevation gain
77 m
Typical duration
51 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bockkäfer

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
3.2 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
70 m
Typical duration
46 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Borstgras

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
10.0 km
/ 6.2 mi
Elevation gain
221 m
Typical duration
2 hr 25 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Buntspecht

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
7.1 km
/ 4.4 mi
Elevation gain
156 m
Typical duration
1 hr 42 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Bussard

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
7.9 km
/ 4.9 mi
Elevation gain
173 m
Typical duration
1 hr 54 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Bärlapp

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
12.5 km
/ 7.8 mi
Elevation gain
276 m
Typical duration
3 hr 1 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Dachs

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
4.5 km
/ 2.8 mi
Elevation gain
98 m
Typical duration
1 hr 5 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Eberesche

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
3.8 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
84 m
Typical duration
55 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Eibe

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
4.2 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
92 m
Typical duration
1 hr 1 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Einbeere

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
49 m
Typical duration
32 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Eisvogel

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
8.3 km
/ 5.1 mi
Elevation gain
182 m
Typical duration
2 hr
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Esche

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
10.3 km
/ 6.4 mi
Elevation gain
226 m
Typical duration
2 hr 28 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Falke

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
3.8 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
83 m
Typical duration
54 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Feldhase

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
6.3 km
/ 3.9 mi
Elevation gain
139 m
Typical duration
1 hr 31 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Fichte

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
8.3 km
/ 5.1 mi
Elevation gain
182 m
Typical duration
2 hr
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Flusskrebs

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
51 m
Typical duration
34 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Forelle

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
7.1 km
/ 4.4 mi
Elevation gain
155 m
Typical duration
1 hr 42 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Fuchs

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
8.3 km
/ 5.2 mi
Elevation gain
183 m
Typical duration
2 hr
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Gehegerundweg

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
7.0 km
/ 4.4 mi
Elevation gain
154 m
Typical duration
1 hr 42 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Glockenblume

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
4.3 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
94 m
Typical duration
1 hr 2 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Habicht

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
3.6 km
/ 2.2 mi
Elevation gain
79 m
Typical duration
52 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Haselhuhn

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
3.3 km
/ 2.1 mi
Elevation gain
73 m
Typical duration
48 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Haus zur Wildnis (direkter Weg)

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
17 m
Typical duration
11 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Heidelbeere

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
8.2 km
/ 5.1 mi
Elevation gain
181 m
Typical duration
1 hr 59 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Hirschgeweih

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
3.2 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
71 m
Typical duration
47 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Kolkrabe

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
2.1 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
47 m
Typical duration
31 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Kreuzotter

Großer Filz und Klosterfilz · Bavaria

Distance
11.4 km
/ 7.1 mi
Elevation gain
251 m
Typical duration
2 hr 45 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Kreuzspinne

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
6.7 km
/ 4.2 mi
Elevation gain
148 m
Typical duration
1 hr 37 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Laubbaum

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
6.5 km
/ 4.0 mi
Elevation gain
143 m
Typical duration
1 hr 34 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Libelle

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
23 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
European long distance path E6, Germany, Alternative Bavarian ForestBavarian Forest National Park40.6 km894 m10 hrExpertApril to October
Goldsteig N15: Bayerisch Eisenstein - Großer FalkensteinBavarian Forest National Park12.8 km281 m3 hr 5 minModerateApril to October
Goldsteig N16: Großer Falkenstein - RachelBavarian Forest National Park27.0 km595 m6 hr 53 minHardApril to October
Goldsteig N17: Rachel - LusenBavarian Forest National Park14.0 km309 m3 hr 23 minModerateApril to October
Goldsteig N18: Lusen - MauthBavarian Forest National Park11.2 km245 m2 hr 41 minModerateApril to October
Goldsteig Alternative Nr.19Bavarian Forest National Park62.3 km1,371 m16 hrExpertApril to October
European long distance path E6, Germany, OberpfalzBavaria130 km2,862 m34 hrExpertApril to October
Hauptwanderweg (Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald)Bavarian Forest National Park41.9 km922 m10 hrExpertApril to October
Main-Donau-Weg (Ostlinie) Teil_2Bavaria132 km2,898 m35 hrExpertApril to October
Rhön-Rennsteig-WegBavaria100 km2,203 m26 hrExpertApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with European long distance path E6, Germany, Alternative Bavarian Forest, Goldsteig N18: Lusen - Mauth, Goldsteig N16: Großer Falkenstein - Rachel. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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