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Best Lake Hikes in North Rhine-Westphalia

14 routes in North Rhine-Westphalia qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 14.7 km and 315 m (1,033 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 111 km.

That is 0 percent of the 3,418 routes we map in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Lake routes give you a natural halfway point, somewhere to swim in summer, and the calmest reflections of the whole week if you get there before the wind picks up. The mix is broad: 6 are rated easy and 1 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day. A good share of them are loops, so you can park once and finish where you started.

Trails

Expert

X1 Arnheim - Lippstadt

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
257 km
/ 160 mi
Elevation gain
5,651 m
Typical duration
69 hr
  • Lake
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Nordic Walking Land schafft

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
46.9 km
/ 29.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,031 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Lake
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Expert

X17 Dorsten-Deuten - Dülmen

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
33.2 km
/ 20.6 mi
Elevation gain
730 m
Typical duration
8 hr 33 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Expert

X6 Recklinghausen <=> Maria-Veen

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
37.7 km
/ 23.4 mi
Elevation gain
830 m
Typical duration
9 hr 47 min
  • Lake
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Easy

TeutoSchleifchen Canyon Tour

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
5.3 km
/ 3.3 mi
Elevation gain
117 m
Typical duration
1 hr 17 min
  • Lake
  • Canyon and gorge
  • Forest
Easy

Naturlehrpfad Meroder Wald

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
62 m
Typical duration
41 min
  • Lake
  • Forest
  • Wildlife watching
Expert

(W) Rund um Witten

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
57.3 km
/ 35.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,260 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • Lake
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Naturlehrpfad Geilenkirchen-Beeck

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
26 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Lake
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Teutoschleife Heiliges Meer

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
9.2 km
/ 5.7 mi
Elevation gain
202 m
Typical duration
2 hr 13 min
  • Lake
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

A1 Rundweg Emscherbruch

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

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

A2 Kasterer See

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
8.2 km
/ 5.1 mi
Elevation gain
180 m
Typical duration
1 hr 58 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

A2 Rundweg Emscherbruch

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

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

A3 Rundweg Emscherbruch

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
6.1 km
/ 3.8 mi
Elevation gain
134 m
Typical duration
1 hr 28 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

A5 Wisseler See

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
4.4 km
/ 2.7 mi
Elevation gain
96 m
Typical duration
1 hr 3 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Ardeygebirge Rundweg A3

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

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

Bergbauwanderweg Bochum

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
5.5 km
/ 3.4 mi
Elevation gain
121 m
Typical duration
1 hr 20 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Bergbauwanderweg Ruhr-Uni

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
11.6 km
/ 7.2 mi
Elevation gain
256 m
Typical duration
2 hr 49 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Bismarck Rundweg Dreieck

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
9.2 km
/ 5.7 mi
Elevation gain
203 m
Typical duration
2 hr 13 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bittermark Rundweg B1

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
69 m
Typical duration
45 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bittermark Rundweg B2

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

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

Bo2 - Schloesser-Route Dortmund

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
5.7 km
/ 3.6 mi
Elevation gain
126 m
Typical duration
1 hr 23 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bommerholz Rundweg B1

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

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

Borbachtal Rundweg A1

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
6.5 km
/ 4.1 mi
Elevation gain
144 m
Typical duration
1 hr 35 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Buer Rundweg A1

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
40 m
Typical duration
26 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Buer Rundweg A2

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
51 m
Typical duration
34 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Buer Rundweg A3

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
7.3 km
/ 4.5 mi
Elevation gain
161 m
Typical duration
1 hr 46 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Butendorf Rundweg A3

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
10.6 km
/ 6.6 mi
Elevation gain
234 m
Typical duration
2 hr 34 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Dreieck Altenbochum - Heveney

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
33 m
Typical duration
22 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

EifelSchleife Freilinger See

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
9.9 km
/ 6.1 mi
Elevation gain
140 m
Typical duration
2 hr 16 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Eyller See Rundweg A1

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
11.8 km
/ 7.3 mi
Elevation gain
259 m
Typical duration
2 hr 50 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Eyller See Rundweg A2

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

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

Eyller See Rundweg A3

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
7.6 km
/ 4.7 mi
Elevation gain
167 m
Typical duration
1 hr 50 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Gladbeck Rundweg A5

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
15.2 km
/ 9.4 mi
Elevation gain
334 m
Typical duration
3 hr 40 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Grutholz Rundweg A1

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
5.3 km
/ 3.3 mi
Elevation gain
117 m
Typical duration
1 hr 17 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Grüner See Rundweg A10

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
2.2 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
48 m
Typical duration
32 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

H Witten Hbf - Steigerhaus

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

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

Heidhofsee Rundweg A8

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
4.9 km
/ 3.0 mi
Elevation gain
107 m
Typical duration
1 hr 11 min
  • Lake
  • 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
X1 Arnheim - LippstadtNorth Rhine-Westphalia257 km5,651 m69 hrExpertApril to October
Nordic Walking Land schafftNorth Rhine-Westphalia46.9 km1,031 m12 hrExpertApril to October
X17 Dorsten-Deuten - DülmenNorth Rhine-Westphalia33.2 km730 m8 hr 33 minExpertApril to October
X5 Recklinghausen Hbf - Dülmen BfNorth Rhine-Westphalia35.4 km779 m9 hr 9 minExpertApril to October
X6 Recklinghausen <=> Maria-VeenNorth Rhine-Westphalia37.7 km830 m9 hr 47 minExpertApril to October
TeutoSchleifchen Canyon TourNorth Rhine-Westphalia5.3 km117 m1 hr 17 minEasyApril to October
Naturlehrpfad Meroder WaldNorth Rhine-Westphalia2.8 km62 m41 minEasyApril to October
Ahrsteig Etappe 1: Blankenheim - Freilinger SeeNorth Rhine-Westphalia11.2 km246 m2 hr 42 minModerateApril to October
Ahrsteig Etappe 2: Freilinger See - ArembergNorth Rhine-Westphalia11.5 km254 m2 hr 47 minModerateApril to October
Haltern-Lippramsdorf - Sythen X20North Rhine-Westphalia19.5 km429 m4 hr 50 minHardApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with X3 Rhein-Netteseen-Weg, Ahrsteig Etappe 2: Freilinger See - Aremberg, Ahrsteig Etappe 1: Blankenheim - Freilinger See. 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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