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Hard Hiking Trails near Nuremberg

139 routes near Nuremberg qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 71.7 km and 1,578 m (5,177 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 581 km.

That is 79 percent of the 175 routes we map near Nuremberg.

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 Nürnberg-Eichstätt

Bavaria · Germany

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

Jakobsweg Schwabach-Oettingen

Bavaria · Germany

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

Mittelfränkischer Jakobsweg

Bavaria · Germany

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

Frankenweg Teil 4

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
63.0 km
/ 39.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,387 m
Typical duration
16 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Frankenweg Teil 5

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
65.1 km
/ 40.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,432 m
Typical duration
17 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Frankenweg Teil 6

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
61.9 km
/ 38.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,362 m
Typical duration
16 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Frankenweg Teil 7

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
67.5 km
/ 41.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,485 m
Typical duration
17 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Fränkischer Gebirgsweg Teil 5

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
68.1 km
/ 42.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,498 m
Typical duration
18 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Limesweg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
40.8 km
/ 25.4 mi
Elevation gain
898 m
Typical duration
10 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Altmühltal-Panoramaweg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
203 km
/ 126 mi
Elevation gain
4,465 m
Typical duration
54 hr
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Steigerwald Panoramaweg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
162 km
/ 101 mi
Elevation gain
3,570 m
Typical duration
43 hr
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Burgen und Schlösser

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
103 km
/ 64.0 mi
Elevation gain
2,266 m
Typical duration
27 hr
  • Mountain
  • Castle and ruins
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Frankenalb-Panoramaweg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
51.3 km
/ 31.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,128 m
Typical duration
13 hr
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Wanderweg Jakobsweg III

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
30.4 km
/ 18.9 mi
Elevation gain
670 m
Typical duration
7 hr 49 min
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Hiltpoltstein-Thurnau

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
64.3 km
/ 40.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,415 m
Typical duration
17 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Oberjägermarter

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
41.7 km
/ 25.9 mi
Elevation gain
918 m
Typical duration
10 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Expert

7-Flüsse-Wanderweg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
207 km
/ 129 mi
Elevation gain
4,552 m
Typical duration
55 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Anton-Leidinger-Weg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
69.7 km
/ 43.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,533 m
Typical duration
18 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Aurach-Weg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
67.4 km
/ 41.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,483 m
Typical duration
17 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Bethang

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
131 km
/ 81.6 mi
Elevation gain
2,890 m
Typical duration
35 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Der Seenländer

Bavaria · Germany

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

Deutschherrenweg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
77.5 km
/ 48.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,704 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Dr.-Fritz-Linnert-Weg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
137 km
/ 84.8 mi
Elevation gain
3,003 m
Typical duration
36 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Eppeleinsweg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
90.4 km
/ 56.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,989 m
Typical duration
24 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Europäischer Wasserscheideweg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
95.8 km
/ 59.6 mi
Elevation gain
2,108 m
Typical duration
25 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Fränkischer Dünenweg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
86.0 km
/ 53.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,891 m
Typical duration
22 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Goldene Straße Teil 1

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
62.8 km
/ 39.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,382 m
Typical duration
16 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Gottfried-Stammler-Weg

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
62.4 km
/ 38.8 mi
Elevation gain
1,373 m
Typical duration
16 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Grünes Schlüsselloch

Bavaria · Germany

Distance
75.0 km
/ 46.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,650 m
Typical duration
19 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, Fränkischer AlbvereinBavaria183 km4,019 m49 hrExpertApril to October
Jakobsweg Nürnberg-EichstättBavaria88.8 km1,953 m23 hrExpertApril to October
Jakobsweg Schwabach-OettingenBavaria77.2 km1,697 m20 hrExpertApril to October
Mittelfränkischer JakobswegBavaria89.0 km1,958 m23 hrExpertApril to October
Wanderweg Jakobsweg Tillyschanz > Nürnberg, Abschnitt Ensdorf - SteinBavaria97.5 km2,146 m26 hrExpertApril to October
Wanderweg Steigerwälder JakobswegBavaria82.0 km1,804 m21 hrExpertApril to October
Jakobsweg Fränkische SchweizBavaria37.0 km814 m9 hr 35 minExpertApril to October
Wanderweg Fränkischer Jakobsweg (West) Bamberg-DomitzBavaria57.0 km1,254 m15 hrExpertApril to October
Frankenweg Teil 4Bavaria63.0 km1,387 m16 hrExpertApril to October
Frankenweg Teil 5Bavaria65.1 km1,432 m17 hrExpertApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with European long distance path E8, Fränkischer Albverein, Wanderweg Steigerwälder Jakobsweg, Jakobsweg Nürnberg-Eichstätt. 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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