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Hiking Trails Under 5 km in Germany

13,590 routes in Germany qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 1.9 km and 42 m (138 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 5.0 km.

That is 55 percent of the 24,726 routes we map in Germany. They are shorter than the local average, 1.9 km against 10.9 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 42 m (138 ft) against 240 m (787 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Short routes for a spare couple of hours, an evening walk, or a day when the weather only gives you a window. Most of these are on the gentler end, which makes the list a good starting point if you are new to the area.

Trails

Easy

Harzklub-Weg 11G

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
66 m
Typical duration
43 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 11K

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
35 m
Typical duration
23 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 12C

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
62 m
Typical duration
41 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 14F

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
3.3 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
72 m
Typical duration
48 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 14O

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
33 m
Typical duration
21 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 16B

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
4.1 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
89 m
Typical duration
59 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 17J

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
2.3 km
/ 1.4 mi
Elevation gain
51 m
Typical duration
34 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 18H

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
66 m
Typical duration
44 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 19B

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
2.4 km
/ 1.5 mi
Elevation gain
52 m
Typical duration
34 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 19C

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
33 m
Typical duration
22 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 19D

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
62 m
Typical duration
41 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 19J

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
15 m
Typical duration
10 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 19K

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
17 m
Typical duration
11 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 20A

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
32 m
Typical duration
21 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 20B

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
37 m
Typical duration
24 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 20C

Nationalpark Harz · Saxony-Anhalt

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
42 m
Typical duration
28 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 21C

Nationalpark Harz · Saxony-Anhalt

Distance
4.6 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
101 m
Typical duration
1 hr 7 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 25C

Nationalpark Harz · Saxony-Anhalt

Distance
3.7 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
82 m
Typical duration
54 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 25F

Nationalpark Harz · Saxony-Anhalt

Distance
2.8 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
62 m
Typical duration
41 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 28H

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
4.0 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
88 m
Typical duration
58 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 30B

Nationalpark Harz · Saxony-Anhalt

Distance
1.8 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
39 m
Typical duration
26 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 30C

Nationalpark Harz · Saxony-Anhalt

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
63 m
Typical duration
41 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 30D

Nationalpark Harz · Saxony-Anhalt

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
66 m
Typical duration
43 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 31G

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
38 m
Typical duration
25 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 31H

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
4.1 km
/ 2.5 mi
Elevation gain
89 m
Typical duration
59 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 31O

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
3.5 km
/ 2.2 mi
Elevation gain
78 m
Typical duration
51 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 35M

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
3.6 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
80 m
Typical duration
53 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 50D

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
102 m
Typical duration
1 hr 7 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 50E

Nationalpark Harz · Saxony-Anhalt

Distance
3.6 km
/ 2.3 mi
Elevation gain
80 m
Typical duration
53 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 55D

Nationalpark Harz · Saxony-Anhalt

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
67 m
Typical duration
44 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Harzklub-Weg 9C

Nationalpark Harz · Lower Saxony

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
104 m
Typical duration
1 hr 9 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Mehlplätzle - Überzwercher Berg

Nationalpark Schwarzwald · Baden-Württemberg

Distance
3.0 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
66 m
Typical duration
44 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Am Vogelskopf - Schöne Aussicht

Nationalpark Schwarzwald · Baden-Württemberg

Distance
1.4 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
30 m
Typical duration
20 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Auerhahnweg - Schöne Aussicht

Nationalpark Schwarzwald · Baden-Württemberg

Distance
0.9 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
19 m
Typical duration
13 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Große Tanne - Huzenbacher See

Nationalpark Schwarzwald · Baden-Württemberg

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
17 m
Typical duration
11 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Huzenbacher See - Dachsbau

Nationalpark Schwarzwald · Baden-Württemberg

Distance
0.7 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
16 m
Typical duration
10 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Eibe

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
4.2 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
92 m
Typical duration
1 hr 1 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Haselhuhn

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
3.3 km
/ 2.1 mi
Elevation gain
73 m
Typical duration
48 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Luchs

Bavarian Forest National Park · Bavaria

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
103 m
Typical duration
1 hr 8 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Lila Pilz Userin

Müritz-Nationalpark · Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Distance
3.1 km
/ 2.0 mi
Elevation gain
69 m
Typical duration
46 min
  • Lake
  • Forest
Easy

AV Weg 423

Nationalpark Berchtesgaden · Bavaria

Distance
2.0 km
/ 1.3 mi
Elevation gain
45 m
Typical duration
30 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

AV Weg 446 (Eiskapelle)

Nationalpark Berchtesgaden · Bavaria

Distance
2.7 km
/ 1.7 mi
Elevation gain
59 m
Typical duration
39 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
Harzklub-Weg 11GNationalpark Harz3.0 km66 m43 minEasyApril to October
Harzklub-Weg 11KNationalpark Harz1.6 km35 m23 minEasyApril to October
Harzklub-Weg 12CNationalpark Harz2.8 km62 m41 minEasyApril to October
Harzklub-Weg 14FNationalpark Harz3.3 km72 m48 minEasyApril to October
Harzklub-Weg 14ONationalpark Harz1.5 km33 m21 minEasyApril to October
Harzklub-Weg 16BNationalpark Harz4.1 km89 m59 minEasyApril to October
Harzklub-Weg 17JNationalpark Harz2.3 km51 m34 minEasyApril to October
Harzklub-Weg 18HNationalpark Harz3.0 km66 m44 minEasyApril to October
Harzklub-Weg 19BNationalpark Harz2.4 km52 m34 minEasyApril to October
Harzklub-Weg 19CNationalpark Harz1.5 km33 m22 minEasyApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Harzklub-Weg 55D, Harzklub-Weg 17J, Harzklub-Weg 25C. 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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