Skip to content

Hard Hiking Trails in Netherlands

We track 593 routes that match this search in Netherlands. They average 21.3 km and 469 m (1,539 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 178 km.

That is 27 percent of the 2,162 routes we map in Netherlands. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 21.3 km against 10.8 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 469 m (1,539 ft) on average versus 238 m (781 ft) across the wider area.

Hard routes mean sustained ascent, long descents and a real need to watch the clock and the forecast. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

Trails

Hard

Dwars door Brabant - 15

De Groote Peel · Limburg

Distance
22.6 km
/ 14.0 mi
Elevation gain
497 m
Typical duration
5 hr 41 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Dwars door Brabant - 7

Van Gogh · North Brabant

Distance
17.6 km
/ 10.9 mi
Elevation gain
387 m
Typical duration
4 hr 19 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Maarten van Rossumpad - 12

Veluwezoom · Gelderland

Distance
19.4 km
/ 12.0 mi
Elevation gain
426 m
Typical duration
4 hr 48 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Nederlands Kustpad deel 2 - 06

Zuid-Kennemerland · North Holland

Distance
17.7 km
/ 11.0 mi
Elevation gain
389 m
Typical duration
4 hr 21 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Pelgrimspad 1 - 11

Van Gogh · North Brabant

Distance
17.1 km
/ 10.6 mi
Elevation gain
376 m
Typical duration
4 hr 11 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Pelgrimspad 2 - 02

Van Gogh · North Brabant

Distance
20.1 km
/ 12.5 mi
Elevation gain
443 m
Typical duration
5 hr 1 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Pieterpad deel 1 - 03

Drentsche Aa · Drenthe

Distance
21.3 km
/ 13.2 mi
Elevation gain
469 m
Typical duration
5 hr 20 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Pieterpad deel 1 - 04

Drentsche Aa · Drenthe

Distance
17.2 km
/ 10.7 mi
Elevation gain
379 m
Typical duration
4 hr 13 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Pieterpad deel 1 - 05

Drentsche Aa · Drenthe

Distance
18.3 km
/ 11.4 mi
Elevation gain
403 m
Typical duration
4 hr 31 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Trekvogelpad - 11

Utrechtse Heuvelrug · Utrecht

Distance
17.9 km
/ 11.1 mi
Elevation gain
393 m
Typical duration
4 hr 24 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Zuiderzeepad - 18

Weerribben-Wieden · Flevoland

Distance
20.2 km
/ 12.5 mi
Elevation gain
444 m
Typical duration
5 hr 1 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Brabants Vennenpad - 01

Van Gogh · North Brabant

Distance
21.9 km
/ 13.6 mi
Elevation gain
483 m
Typical duration
5 hr 30 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Brabants Vennenpad - 02

Van Gogh · North Brabant

Distance
24.7 km
/ 15.3 mi
Elevation gain
543 m
Typical duration
6 hr 15 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Brabants Vennenpad - 03

Van Gogh · North Brabant

Distance
17.1 km
/ 10.6 mi
Elevation gain
377 m
Typical duration
4 hr 12 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Brabants Vennenpad - 04

Van Gogh · North Brabant

Distance
18.0 km
/ 11.2 mi
Elevation gain
395 m
Typical duration
4 hr 26 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Drenthepad - 01

Dwingelderveld · Drenthe

Distance
21.6 km
/ 13.4 mi
Elevation gain
475 m
Typical duration
5 hr 24 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Drenthepad - 04

Drents-Friese Wold · Drenthe

Distance
23.3 km
/ 14.5 mi
Elevation gain
512 m
Typical duration
5 hr 52 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Drenthepad - 09

Drentsche Aa · Drenthe

Distance
17.1 km
/ 10.6 mi
Elevation gain
377 m
Typical duration
4 hr 12 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Drenthepad - 10

Drentsche Aa · Drenthe

Distance
16.0 km
/ 10.0 mi
Elevation gain
353 m
Typical duration
3 hr 54 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Drenthepad - 11

Drentsche Aa · Drenthe

Distance
21.1 km
/ 13.1 mi
Elevation gain
464 m
Typical duration
5 hr 17 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Drenthepad - 12

Drentsche Aa · Drenthe

Distance
16.7 km
/ 10.4 mi
Elevation gain
368 m
Typical duration
4 hr 5 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Drenthepad - 19

Drentsche Aa · Drenthe

Distance
17.3 km
/ 10.8 mi
Elevation gain
381 m
Typical duration
4 hr 15 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Hünenweg - 16

Drentsche Aa · Drenthe

Distance
16.7 km
/ 10.4 mi
Elevation gain
367 m
Typical duration
4 hr 4 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Hünenweg - 17

Drentsche Aa · Drenthe

Distance
17.6 km
/ 10.9 mi
Elevation gain
387 m
Typical duration
4 hr 19 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Hünenweg - 18

Drentsche Aa · Drenthe

Distance
17.6 km
/ 10.9 mi
Elevation gain
387 m
Typical duration
4 hr 20 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Ons Kloosterpad - 09

Van Gogh · North Brabant

Distance
28.9 km
/ 17.9 mi
Elevation gain
635 m
Typical duration
7 hr 23 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Ons Kloosterpad - 12

Van Gogh · North Brabant

Distance
24.3 km
/ 15.1 mi
Elevation gain
534 m
Typical duration
6 hr 8 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Ons Kloosterpad - 13

Van Gogh · North Brabant

Distance
20.6 km
/ 12.8 mi
Elevation gain
454 m
Typical duration
5 hr 9 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Ons Kloosterpad - 14

Van Gogh · North Brabant

Distance
23.6 km
/ 14.6 mi
Elevation gain
518 m
Typical duration
5 hr 56 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Ons Kloosterpad - 15

Van Gogh · North Brabant

Distance
15.7 km
/ 9.7 mi
Elevation gain
345 m
Typical duration
3 hr 48 min
  • 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
GR 5 NL - 6 - Herkingen-Nieuw VossemeerOosterschelde23.8 km523 m6 hrHardApril to October
Dwars door Brabant - 15De Groote Peel22.6 km497 m5 hr 41 minHardApril to October
Dwars door Brabant - 7Van Gogh17.6 km387 m4 hr 19 minHardApril to October
Maarten van Rossumpad - 12Veluwezoom19.4 km426 m4 hr 48 minHardApril to October
Nederlands Kustpad deel 2 - 06Zuid-Kennemerland17.7 km389 m4 hr 21 minHardApril to October
Pelgrimspad 1 - 11Van Gogh17.1 km376 m4 hr 11 minHardApril to October
Pelgrimspad 2 - 02Van Gogh20.1 km443 m5 hr 1 minHardApril to October
Pieterpad deel 1 - 03Drentsche Aa21.3 km469 m5 hr 20 minHardApril to October
Pieterpad deel 1 - 04Drentsche Aa17.2 km379 m4 hr 13 minHardApril to October
Pieterpad deel 1 - 05Drentsche Aa18.3 km403 m4 hr 31 minHardApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with GR 5 NL - 6 - Herkingen-Nieuw Vossemeer, Zuiderzeepad - 18, Pelgrimspad 1 - 11. 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

Related guides

Other shortlists covering the same area or the same kind of terrain.

People also search for