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Hard Hiking Trails near Hamburg

49 routes near Hamburg qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 53.0 km and 1,167 m (3,829 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 265 km.

That is 29 percent of the 169 routes we map near Hamburg. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 53.0 km against 20.0 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 1,167 m (3,829 ft) on average versus 441 m (1,447 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

Jakobsweg via Baltica, Hamburg

Hamburg · Germany

Distance
52.3 km
/ 32.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,151 m
Typical duration
13 hr
  • Mountain
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Freudenthalweg

Hamburg · Germany

Distance
154 km
/ 95.7 mi
Elevation gain
3,389 m
Typical duration
41 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Hermann-Billung-Wanderweg

Lower Saxony · Germany

Distance
145 km
/ 90.3 mi
Elevation gain
3,198 m
Typical duration
39 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Stormarnweg

Schleswig-Holstein · Germany

Distance
112 km
/ 69.6 mi
Elevation gain
2,466 m
Typical duration
29 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Heidepuzzle Wanderweg

Lower Saxony · Germany

Distance
77.1 km
/ 47.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,696 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Kultur-Findlinge

Lower Saxony · Germany

Distance
86.5 km
/ 53.8 mi
Elevation gain
1,904 m
Typical duration
23 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Naturparkweg

Schleswig-Holstein · Germany

Distance
71.0 km
/ 44.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,562 m
Typical duration
18 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Lila Krönung

Lower Saxony · Germany

Distance
46.6 km
/ 28.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,024 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Pastor-Bode-Weg

Lower Saxony · Germany

Distance
44.0 km
/ 27.3 mi
Elevation gain
968 m
Typical duration
11 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Wandertour Orangener Till-Schuh

Schleswig-Holstein · Germany

Distance
19.1 km
/ 11.9 mi
Elevation gain
420 m
Typical duration
4 hr 44 min
  • Lake
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Großensee -Mölln

Schleswig-Holstein · Germany

Distance
35.7 km
/ 22.2 mi
Elevation gain
785 m
Typical duration
9 hr 14 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Heideschleife Schwarze Berge

Hamburg · Germany

Distance
16.5 km
/ 10.2 mi
Elevation gain
363 m
Typical duration
4 hr 1 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Wander-Tour Schwarze Berge

Hamburg · Germany

Distance
17.6 km
/ 11.0 mi
Elevation gain
388 m
Typical duration
4 hr 20 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Este-Wanderweg

Lower Saxony · Germany

Distance
24.5 km
/ 15.2 mi
Elevation gain
540 m
Typical duration
6 hr 12 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Heideschleife Radenbachtal

Lower Saxony · Germany

Distance
20.6 km
/ 12.8 mi
Elevation gain
452 m
Typical duration
5 hr 8 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Luhe Wanderweg

Lower Saxony · Germany

Distance
22.1 km
/ 13.7 mi
Elevation gain
486 m
Typical duration
5 hr 32 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Nordpfad 'Börde Sittensen'

Lower Saxony · Germany

Distance
15.8 km
/ 9.8 mi
Elevation gain
349 m
Typical duration
3 hr 51 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Nordpfad Zevener Geest

Lower Saxony · Germany

Distance
23.1 km
/ 14.3 mi
Elevation gain
508 m
Typical duration
5 hr 49 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Strecke Nr. 9

Lower Saxony · Germany

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

Wander-Tour Buchholz

Lower Saxony · Germany

Distance
22.4 km
/ 13.9 mi
Elevation gain
493 m
Typical duration
5 hr 38 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Wanderweg 1 Buchholz

Lower Saxony · Germany

Distance
21.2 km
/ 13.2 mi
Elevation gain
466 m
Typical duration
5 hr 18 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Wanderweg 2 Buchholz

Lower Saxony · Germany

Distance
18.2 km
/ 11.3 mi
Elevation gain
401 m
Typical duration
4 hr 30 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
European long distance path E9 / International coastal route, Germany, HamburgHamburg47.8 km1,052 m12 hrExpertApril to October
European Long distance path E1 - part Germany, HamburgHamburg57.5 km1,266 m15 hrExpertApril to October
Europäischer Fernwanderweg E9, Deutschland, Schleswig-Holstein (Ost)Schleswig-Holstein133 km2,932 m35 hrExpertApril to October
Europäischer Fernwanderweg E9, Deutschland, Schleswig-Holstein (West)Hamburg86.9 km1,912 m23 hrExpertApril to October
North South Trail, Section Kücknitz - BergedorfSchleswig-Holstein131 km2,885 m35 hrExpertApril to October
Wanderweg Schlei-Eider-Elbe / Fernwanderweg E1, Schleswig-Holstein, WestvarianteHamburg265 km5,835 m71 hrExpertApril to October
North South Trail, Section Bergedorf - FischbekHamburg49.0 km1,079 m12 hrExpertApril to October
Jakobsweg - Via Jutlandica - Schleswig-Holstein (via Glücksstadt) SüdSchleswig-Holstein76.9 km1,691 m20 hrExpertApril to October
Jakobsweg via Baltica, Niedersachsen (Nord)Lower Saxony92.5 km2,036 m24 hrExpertApril to October
Jakobsweg - Via Jutlandica - NiedersachsenLower Saxony57.6 km1,267 m15 hrExpertApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with European long distance path E9 / International coastal route, Germany, Hamburg, North South Trail, Section Kücknitz - Bergedorf, European Long distance path E1 - part Germany, Hamburg. 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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