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Best Pilgrimage Hikes in Bavaria

We track 63 routes that match this search in Bavaria. They average 63.7 km and 1,401 m (4,596 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 508 km.

That is 2 percent of the 3,807 routes we map in Bavaria. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 63.7 km against 17.0 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 1,401 m (4,596 ft) on average versus 372 m (1,220 ft) across the wider area.

Historic pilgrim ways come with waymarking, infrastructure and a rhythm built up over centuries of use. The mix is broad: 5 are rated easy and 47 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day.

Trails

Expert

Via Romea - Deutschland - Bayern

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
508 km
/ 316 mi
Elevation gain
11,181 m
Typical duration
137 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Ansbacher Jakobsweg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
177 km
/ 110 mi
Elevation gain
3,900 m
Typical duration
47 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobsweg Erfurt - Coburg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
147 km
/ 91.1 mi
Elevation gain
3,226 m
Typical duration
39 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobsweg Hof-Hiltpoltstein

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
135 km
/ 84.2 mi
Elevation gain
2,980 m
Typical duration
36 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobsweg Neresheim - Ulm

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
67.6 km
/ 42.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,487 m
Typical duration
17 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobsweg Nürnberg-Eichstätt

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
88.8 km
/ 55.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,953 m
Typical duration
23 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobsweg Rothenburg - Bargau

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
115 km
/ 71.3 mi
Elevation gain
2,524 m
Typical duration
30 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobsweg Schwabach-Oettingen

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
77.2 km
/ 47.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,697 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Mittelfränkischer Jakobsweg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
89.0 km
/ 55.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,958 m
Typical duration
23 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Wanderweg Steigerwälder Jakobsweg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
82.0 km
/ 50.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,804 m
Typical duration
21 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Hard

Jakobsweg Coburg-Lichtenfels

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
22.2 km
/ 13.8 mi
Elevation gain
489 m
Typical duration
5 hr 35 min
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Jakobsweg Fränkische Schweiz

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
37.0 km
/ 23.0 mi
Elevation gain
814 m
Typical duration
9 hr 35 min
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Jakobsweg Hof-Weißenstadt

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
33.9 km
/ 21.1 mi
Elevation gain
746 m
Typical duration
8 hr 45 min
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Jakobsweg Lindau - Nonnenhorn

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
9.1 km
/ 5.6 mi
Elevation gain
200 m
Typical duration
2 hr 12 min
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Jakobsweg Münchberg-Hof

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
26.8 km
/ 16.6 mi
Elevation gain
589 m
Typical duration
6 hr 49 min
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Jakobsweg Nürnberg-Rothsee V2

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
13.7 km
/ 8.5 mi
Elevation gain
301 m
Typical duration
3 hr 18 min
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Jakobsweg Nürnberg-Schwabach

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
12.8 km
/ 7.9 mi
Elevation gain
281 m
Typical duration
3 hr 5 min
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Jakobsweg V

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
6.5 km
/ 4.1 mi
Elevation gain
144 m
Typical duration
1 hr 35 min
  • Pilgrimage route
  • 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
Via Romea - Deutschland - BayernBavaria508 km11,181 m137 hrExpertApril to October
Via Romea - Deutschland - ThüringenBavaria186 km4,091 m50 hrExpertApril to October
Ostbayerischer Jakobsweg (Eschlkam > Donauwörth)Bavaria277 km6,089 m74 hrExpertApril to October
Ostbayerischer Jakobsweg: nördliche Variante (Eschlkam > Donauwörth)Bavaria38.1 km839 m9 hr 54 minExpertApril to October
Ansbacher JakobswegBavaria177 km3,900 m47 hrExpertApril to October
Bayerisch-Schwäbischer Jakobsweg A-MMBavaria115 km2,538 m30 hrExpertApril to October
Bayerisch-Schwäbischer Jakobsweg A-MM VarBavaria106 km2,333 m28 hrExpertApril to October
Bayerisch-Schwäbischer Jakobsweg MM-LIBavaria99.0 km2,178 m26 hrExpertApril to October
Bayerisch-Schwäbischer Jakobsweg Ner-DONBavaria107 km2,352 m28 hrExpertApril to October
Jakobsweg (Weltenburg - Scheyern - Dachau)Bavaria101 km2,222 m26 hrExpertApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Via Romea - Deutschland - Bayern, Via Romea - Deutschland - Thüringen, Ostbayerischer Jakobsweg (Eschlkam > Donauwörth). 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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