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Best Pilgrimage Hikes in Germany

208 routes in Germany qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 63.3 km and 1,392 m (4,567 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 508 km.

That is 1 percent of the 24,726 routes we map in Germany. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 63.3 km against 10.9 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 1,392 m (4,567 ft) on average versus 240 m (787 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: 13 are rated easy and 172 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day.

Trails

Expert

Jakobsweg Hegau

Baden-Württemberg · Germany

Distance
68.2 km
/ 42.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,500 m
Typical duration
18 hr
  • Forest
  • Castle and ruins
  • Pilgrimage route
Expert

Eifel-Camino

Rhineland-Palatinate · Germany

Distance
148 km
/ 92.2 mi
Elevation gain
3,266 m
Typical duration
39 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobsweg Via Regia 2

Saxony · Germany

Distance
79.7 km
/ 49.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,753 m
Typical duration
21 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobsweg Via Regia 3

Saxony · Germany

Distance
96.3 km
/ 59.9 mi
Elevation gain
2,119 m
Typical duration
25 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobsweg Via Regia 4

Saxony-Anhalt · Germany

Distance
70.2 km
/ 43.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,545 m
Typical duration
18 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobsweg Via Regia 5

Saxony-Anhalt · Germany

Distance
71.8 km
/ 44.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,579 m
Typical duration
19 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobsweg Via Regia 6

Hesse · Germany

Distance
97.5 km
/ 60.6 mi
Elevation gain
2,145 m
Typical duration
26 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobsweg: Mainz - Bingen - Trier

Rhineland-Palatinate · Germany

Distance
162 km
/ 100 mi
Elevation gain
3,555 m
Typical duration
43 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Mosel-Camino

Rhineland-Palatinate · Germany

Distance
157 km
/ 97.5 mi
Elevation gain
3,454 m
Typical duration
42 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
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

Jakobsweg Via Regia 1

Saxony · Germany

Distance
54.7 km
/ 34.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,203 m
Typical duration
14 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
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

Habsthaler Jakobsweg

Baden-Württemberg · Germany

Distance
95.5 km
/ 59.3 mi
Elevation gain
2,101 m
Typical duration
25 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Hohenzollerischer Jakobsweg

Baden-Württemberg · Germany

Distance
72.2 km
/ 44.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,588 m
Typical duration
19 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobs-Pilgerweg Köln - Aachen

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
99.1 km
/ 61.6 mi
Elevation gain
2,180 m
Typical duration
26 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobsweg Bargau - Ulm

Baden-Württemberg · Germany

Distance
75.5 km
/ 46.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,660 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobsweg Brandenburg Südroute

Berlin · Germany

Distance
108 km
/ 67.2 mi
Elevation gain
2,380 m
Typical duration
28 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 Frankfurt/Oder - Leipzig

Brandenburg · Germany

Distance
190 km
/ 118 mi
Elevation gain
4,190 m
Typical duration
51 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 Linzgau

Baden-Württemberg · Germany

Distance
63.5 km
/ 39.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,396 m
Typical duration
16 hr
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobsweg Neresheim - Bodelshofen

Baden-Württemberg · Germany

Distance
109 km
/ 67.5 mi
Elevation gain
2,390 m
Typical duration
29 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

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
Jakobsweg HegauBaden-Württemberg68.2 km1,500 m18 hrExpertApril to October
Eifel-CaminoRhineland-Palatinate148 km3,266 m39 hrExpertApril to October
European Walking Route E3, Saxonia (East)Saxony116 km2,561 m31 hrExpertApril to October
European Walking Route E3, Saxonia (central)Saxony105 km2,305 m27 hrExpertApril to October
Jakobsweg Via Regia 2Saxony79.7 km1,753 m21 hrExpertApril to October
Jakobsweg Via Regia 3Saxony96.3 km2,119 m25 hrExpertApril to October
Jakobsweg Via Regia 4Saxony-Anhalt70.2 km1,545 m18 hrExpertApril to October
Jakobsweg Via Regia 5Saxony-Anhalt71.8 km1,579 m19 hrExpertApril to October
Jakobsweg Via Regia 6Hesse97.5 km2,145 m26 hrExpertApril to October
Jakobsweg: Mainz - Bingen - TrierRhineland-Palatinate162 km3,555 m43 hrExpertApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Jakobsweg Via Regia 6, Via Romea - Deutschland - Niedersachsen, Jakobsweg: Mainz - Bingen - Trier. 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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