The easiest hikes in Germany, by the numbers
Of the 180 trails in Germany in our dataset, 20 (11 percent) rate easiest on the gain-and-distance scale we use, run 1 to 6 miles and climb 500 ft or less; all 20 are listed here, lowest rating first.
Hechtsee has the lowest rating: 48 ft of gain over 1.6 miles, 30 ft per mile.
Across the 20, gain runs from 46 to 423 ft and distance from 1.1 miles to 5.7 miles; the median gain is 118 ft and the median distance 2.6 miles.
15 of the 20 are point-to-point routes; the rest are loop (5).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hechtsee | 1.6 | 48 | 30 | 4% | 1,779 to 1,836 | 12.4 | |
| 2 | Jakobsweg Saar | 1.6 | 56 | 35 | 7% | 620 to 678 | 13.4 | |
| 3 | Wanderweg Jakobsweg IV | 2.1 | 57 | 27 | 10% | 1,001 to 1,107 | 15.5 | |
| 4 | St. LudwigDe Meinweg NP | 2.4 | 57 | 24 | 8% | 209 to 290 | 16.5 | |
| 5 | Wagensonnriegel | 1.1 | 125 | 114 | 10% | 2,946 to 3,071 | 16.6 | |
| 6 | Himmelreich-Jakobusweg | 3.1 | 60 | 19 | 7% | 796 to 897 | 19.3 | |
| 7 | Rhein-Niers-Fleuth-Weg | 3.7 | 51 | 14 | 6% | 47 to 114 | 19.4 | |
| 8 | Jakobsweg Speyer-Bad Bergzabern | 4.5 | 46 | 10 | 2% | 318 to 369 | 20.3 | |
| 9 | Jakobsweg im Pfaffenwinkel | 4.2 | 60 | 14 | 8% | 1,934 to 2,017 | 22.4 | |
| 10 | Jakobsweg | 5.7 | 52 | 9 | 8% | 1,277 to 1,358 | 24.3 | |
| 11 | Wildnis-TrailEifel NP | 1.9 | 170 | 89 | 6% | 1,863 to 2,078 | 25.4 | |
| 12 | Skilift Darmstädter HütteKernzone Nationalpark Schwarzwald | 1.2 | 328 | 273 | 18% | 3,013 to 3,341 | 28.1 | |
| 13 | Steinberger-See-Weg | 4.1 | 110 | 27 | 6% | 1,160 to 1,234 | 30 | |
| 14 | Roter SchliffBlack Forest NP | 2.5 | 217 | 87 | 13% | 2,796 to 3,046 | 32.9 | |
| 15 | Staufenberg RidgeBaden-Württemberg Gernsbach | 1.6 | 409 | 256 | 13% | 798 to 1,184 | 36.2 | |
| 16 | Flöhatalweg rechts | 3.2 | 233 | 73 | 12% | 1,251 to 1,423 | 38.6 | |
| 17 | Rocher de l'Altschlossfelsen | 2.8 | 326 | 116 | 16% | 986 to 1,312 | 42.7 | |
| 18 | Jakobsweg | 3.6 | 286 | 79 | 14% | 1,019 to 1,278 | 45.4 | |
| 19 | AugenBlick-Runde Seebach | 2.5 | 423 | 169 | 23% | 3,391 to 3,814 | 46 | |
| 20 | Jakobsweg V | 4.1 | 277 | 68 | 10% | 996 to 1,272 | 47.7 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band easiest (under 50), 1 to 6 miles, no more than 500 ft of gain, ordered by rating asc, miles asc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Germany" here means the 180 trails in Germany in our dataset, not every trail in Germany.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Hechtsee.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other countries in our dataset.