As the song says, hiking is “the miller’s delight”. In Germany, the entire population, from miller to dairyman, enjoys hiking. And there is a good reason for this: the country offers many beautiful hiking trails. In a beautiful landscape, people can cover short or long distances and find themselves in the process. Hiking thus provides relaxation for body and soul.
Everyone can choose just the right route for them in Germany: Those who love a challenge can climb a mountain. Those who prefer more relaxed hiking can also enjoy many flat routes. Many small huts along the way make for good rest stops. There are also restaurants to “stop for a bite to eat” along the trails. Stopping for a bite to eat is one of the most popular things to do on a hike. A stopover is a break from hiking with a hearty meal and a good drink.
A stay in a pub or small restaurant strengthens the body and relaxes the legs. Few other countries cultivate the culture of stopping for a break as well as Germany. The country may have borrowed this tradition from Austria. Here, too, people enjoy hiking as much as they do eating. The hiking trails in Germany also manage to build this bridge. Sporting exercise is thus combined with culinary enjoyment. These two options are a special treat for body and soul. Germans know that, and that’s why stopping for a bite to eat is a natural part of every hiking trip. Those who come to Germany from another country and also appreciate hiking should not miss the opportunity to visit German hiking trails. It will make for a very special hiking experience.
Other countries do not always offer such beautiful trails and such delicious delicacies. In some countries there are long paths but no good restaurants along these paths. In other countries there are many large cities with good restaurants, but no green nature where you can walk in peace. Germany deliberately offers both. This is also because hiking is an important cultural asset in Germany. In many families it has been cultivated for many generations. This ensures that hiking is preserved in a special way and that each generation reappropriates the beautiful way of being on the move itself. It is not only older people who enjoy hiking in Germany. From young athletes to active pensioners, a wide variety of people are on Germany’s hiking trails. Sometimes you meet completely new people along the way.
Like pilgrimage, which has recently come back into fashion, hiking brings together people with very different biographies. On a hike, people meet, eat together and tell each other about themselves. But you can also use hiking for a walk all to yourself or a romantic getaway for two. Hiking on a beautiful trail offers many possibilities in Germany. You’ve got to love Germany for the beautiful setting for this kind of travel. Even people who only go on short trips will be able to confirm this.
Last updated on 6. February 2023