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Moderate Hiking Trails in Hesse

715 routes in Hesse qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 10.1 km and 223 m (732 ft) of ascent.

That is 36 percent of the 1,972 routes we map in Hesse. They are shorter than the local average, 10.1 km against 16.5 km, which is what makes this a practical shortlist for a half day. They also climb less than the area average, 223 m (732 ft) against 367 m (1,204 ft), so they suit a recovery day or a group with mixed fitness.

Moderate routes are the sweet spot for most regular walkers: enough climbing to feel like a proper day out, never enough to turn into an ordeal. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit. A good share of them are loops, so you can park once and finish where you started.

Trails

Moderate

Dicker Kopf-Route

Nationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee · Hesse

Distance
10.0 km
/ 6.2 mi
Elevation gain
220 m
Typical duration
2 hr 25 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Klippen-Rundweg

Nationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee · Hesse

Distance
7.3 km
/ 4.5 mi
Elevation gain
161 m
Typical duration
1 hr 46 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Waldeck W18

Nationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee · Hesse

Distance
8.3 km
/ 5.1 mi
Elevation gain
182 m
Typical duration
2 hr
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Kasselsteig Etappe 12

Hesse · Germany

Distance
7.6 km
/ 4.7 mi
Elevation gain
168 m
Typical duration
1 hr 50 min
  • Waterfall
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Ringelsberg-Route

Nationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee · Hesse

Distance
10.2 km
/ 6.3 mi
Elevation gain
223 m
Typical duration
2 hr 27 min
Moderate

Herkulesweg - Etappe 8

Hesse · Germany

Distance
13.9 km
/ 8.6 mi
Elevation gain
306 m
Typical duration
3 hr 21 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Taunusklub Route 046

Hesse · Germany

Distance
7.8 km
/ 4.8 mi
Elevation gain
171 m
Typical duration
1 hr 53 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Panorama Weg

Hesse · Germany

Distance
11.4 km
/ 7.1 mi
Elevation gain
251 m
Typical duration
2 hr 45 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Wisper-Trail: Via Monte Preso

Hesse · Germany

Distance
12.1 km
/ 7.5 mi
Elevation gain
295 m
Typical duration
2 hr 58 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Kurze Hessen

Hesse · Germany

Distance
6.9 km
/ 4.3 mi
Elevation gain
151 m
Typical duration
1 hr 40 min
  • Castle and ruins
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Märchenlandweg - Etappe 10

Hesse · Germany

Distance
12.1 km
/ 7.5 mi
Elevation gain
266 m
Typical duration
2 hr 55 min
  • Castle and ruins
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Märchenlandweg - Etappe 23

Hesse · Germany

Distance
13.8 km
/ 8.6 mi
Elevation gain
303 m
Typical duration
3 hr 20 min
  • Castle and ruins
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Taunusklub Route 075

Hesse · Germany

Distance
12.6 km
/ 7.8 mi
Elevation gain
277 m
Typical duration
3 hr 2 min
  • Castle and ruins
  • 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
Dicker Kopf-RouteNationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee10.0 km220 m2 hr 25 minModerateApril to October
Klippen-RundwegNationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee7.3 km161 m1 hr 46 minModerateApril to October
Nationalparkrundweg GoldgräberpfadNationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee7.5 km164 m1 hr 48 minModerateApril to October
Nationalparkrundweg Heimbach-RouteNationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee8.7 km191 m2 hr 6 minModerateApril to October
Nationalparkrundweg Locheichen-RouteNationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee7.5 km165 m1 hr 48 minModerateApril to October
Nationalparkrundweg Ringelsberg-RouteNationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee10.4 km229 m2 hr 31 minModerateApril to October
Waldeck W18Nationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee8.3 km182 m2 hrModerateApril to October
Kasselsteig Etappe 12Hesse7.6 km168 m1 hr 50 minModerateApril to October
Nationalparkrundweg Dreiherrenstein-RouteNationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee7.5 km166 m1 hr 49 minModerateApril to October
Nationalparkrundweg Traddelkopf-RouteNationalpark Kellerwald-Edersee9.0 km198 m2 hr 10 minModerateApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Dicker Kopf-Route, Klippen-Rundweg, Nationalparkrundweg Ringelsberg-Route. 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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