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Hard Hiking Trails near Essen

97 routes near Essen qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 79.5 km and 1,741 m (5,712 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 414 km.

That is 64 percent of the 151 routes we map near Essen. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 79.5 km against 53.4 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 1,741 m (5,712 ft) on average versus 1,170 m (3,839 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

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

Bergischer Weg

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
263 km
/ 164 mi
Elevation gain
5,794 m
Typical duration
71 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Emscherparkweg XE

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
131 km
/ 81.5 mi
Elevation gain
2,884 m
Typical duration
35 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

GeoRoute Ruhr

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
131 km
/ 81.6 mi
Elevation gain
2,889 m
Typical duration
35 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobs-Pilgerweg Dortmund - Aachen

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
186 km
/ 116 mi
Elevation gain
4,097 m
Typical duration
50 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobs-Pilgerweg Essen - Düsseldorf

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
61.5 km
/ 38.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,352 m
Typical duration
16 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobs-Pilgerweg Nijmegen-Köln

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
243 km
/ 151 mi
Elevation gain
5,337 m
Typical duration
65 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Klompenweg

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
142 km
/ 88.3 mi
Elevation gain
3,125 m
Typical duration
38 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Ruhrhöhenweg (Duisburg-Essen)

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
63.5 km
/ 39.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,397 m
Typical duration
16 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Ruhrhöhenweg (Hattingen - Menden)

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
70.3 km
/ 43.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,548 m
Typical duration
18 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Jakobs-Pilgerweg Beyenburg-Köln

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
58.8 km
/ 36.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,294 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Jakobs-Pilgerweg Hagen - Lennep

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
38.2 km
/ 23.7 mi
Elevation gain
841 m
Typical duration
9 hr 55 min
  • 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
Expert

Duisburg - Raesfeld X11

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
62.9 km
/ 39.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,384 m
Typical duration
16 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Hohe Mark Steig (Wesel - Olfen)

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
135 km
/ 83.7 mi
Elevation gain
2,964 m
Typical duration
36 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Kölnpfad

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
159 km
/ 99.0 mi
Elevation gain
3,504 m
Typical duration
42 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Mein Grüngürtel Rundweg G1

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
64.0 km
/ 39.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,407 m
Typical duration
16 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Niederrheinweg

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
134 km
/ 83.2 mi
Elevation gain
2,945 m
Typical duration
35 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Pilgerweg Meinerzhagen-E

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
106 km
/ 65.8 mi
Elevation gain
2,328 m
Typical duration
28 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Rhein-Ruhr-Emscherweg

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
90.3 km
/ 56.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,986 m
Typical duration
24 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Rhein-Schwalm-Weg

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
60.9 km
/ 37.8 mi
Elevation gain
1,340 m
Typical duration
16 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Rheinauenweg

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
99.7 km
/ 61.9 mi
Elevation gain
2,193 m
Typical duration
26 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Rund um Dortmund D

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
102 km
/ 63.4 mi
Elevation gain
2,246 m
Typical duration
27 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Wupperweg

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
126 km
/ 78.3 mi
Elevation gain
2,772 m
Typical duration
33 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

X10 Gronau - Raesfeld

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
81.2 km
/ 50.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,787 m
Typical duration
21 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

X12 Steinkohleweg Orsoy-Hinsbeck

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
73.6 km
/ 45.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,619 m
Typical duration
19 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

X13 Nord-Niederrhein-Weg

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
171 km
/ 107 mi
Elevation gain
3,772 m
Typical duration
46 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

X13 Sterkrade - Rees

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
68.7 km
/ 42.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,511 m
Typical duration
18 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

X14 Hermann-Kusch-Weg

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
75.9 km
/ 47.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,670 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

X15 Brünen - Dülmen

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
61.5 km
/ 38.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,353 m
Typical duration
16 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

X17 Harkortweg [Velbert-Werdohl]

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
109 km
/ 67.7 mi
Elevation gain
2,397 m
Typical duration
29 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

X2 Arnold-Mock-Weg

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
219 km
/ 136 mi
Elevation gain
4,808 m
Typical duration
58 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

X2 Wesel - Gütersloh-Isselhorst

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
203 km
/ 126 mi
Elevation gain
4,471 m
Typical duration
54 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

X20 Volme-Höhen-Weg

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
99.3 km
/ 61.7 mi
Elevation gain
2,184 m
Typical duration
26 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

X28 Graf-Engelbert-Weg

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
71.5 km
/ 44.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,573 m
Typical duration
18 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

X3 Bocholt - Rheda-Wiedenbrück

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
180 km
/ 112 mi
Elevation gain
3,958 m
Typical duration
48 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

X3 Rhein-Netteseen-Weg

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
111 km
/ 69.1 mi
Elevation gain
2,447 m
Typical duration
29 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

X4 Höhlenweg

North Rhine-Westphalia · Germany

Distance
76.4 km
/ 47.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,681 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Mountain
  • 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
European long distance path E8, North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia414 km9,116 m111 hrExpertApril to October
Maas-Niederrheinpad etappe 02De Maasduinen17.4 km384 m4 hr 17 minHardApril to October
X1 Arnheim - LippstadtNorth Rhine-Westphalia257 km5,651 m69 hrExpertApril to October
Bergischer WegNorth Rhine-Westphalia263 km5,794 m71 hrExpertApril to October
Emscherparkweg XENorth Rhine-Westphalia131 km2,884 m35 hrExpertApril to October
GeoRoute RuhrNorth Rhine-Westphalia131 km2,889 m35 hrExpertApril to October
Jakobs-Pilgerweg Dortmund - AachenNorth Rhine-Westphalia186 km4,097 m50 hrExpertApril to October
Jakobs-Pilgerweg Essen - DüsseldorfNorth Rhine-Westphalia61.5 km1,352 m16 hrExpertApril to October
Jakobs-Pilgerweg Nijmegen-KölnNorth Rhine-Westphalia243 km5,337 m65 hrExpertApril to October
Jakobs-Pilgerweg Osnabrück-BeyenburgLower Saxony207 km4,548 m55 hrExpertApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with European long distance path E8, North Rhine-Westphalia, Maas-Niederrheinpad etappe 02, X1 Arnheim - Lippstadt. 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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