The hills and valleys of Germany have long been explored on foot by locals and travelers in search of glorious natural landscapes and bracing fresh air.

Pack your bags for a trip to this beautiful country and you鈥檒l quickly see why. From the whispering woodland in the fabled Black Forest to the wind-whipped loveliness of the Baltic shore, Germany has some of the most varied and appealing hiking to be found anywhere in Europe.

It helps that the infrastructure is outstanding. The German Hiking Association (Deutscher Wanderverband, or DWV, a collective of over 70 mountaineering and hiking associations) takes great care and pride in maintaining their 150 long-distance hiking trails, and countless shorter routes. Well maintained and signposted, these routes combine to create a network more than 200,000km (124,275 miles) in length.

It鈥檚 nearly impossible to isolate the rarest gems amongst these riches, but we鈥檝e chosen six of our favorites. The longer, multi-day hikes are all easily broken up into smaller, more manageable stages.

1. Wutachschlucht trail

Best for gorge rambling
13km (8 miles), 3鈥�4 hours, easy

The dynamic Wutach river in 叠补诲别苍-奥眉谤迟迟别尘产别谤驳 is responsible for this delightful gorge walk through the High Black Forest. Sheer rock faces of up to 170m (558ft) create a microclimate harboring rare ferns, orchids, lizards and butterflies.

Rather than attempting to traverse the entire, challenging 119km (74 miles) of the gorge, take it easy on this shorter section from Schattenm眉hle, an old mill turned rustic hotel, to Wutachm眉hle, a log cabin serving refreshments and hot meals. Schattenm眉hle is a 30-minute walk south of G枚schweiler, a southern district of L枚ffingen, near the Swiss border.

2. The Rennsteig

Best historic German hike
169km (105 miles), 7鈥�10 days, moderate

This ancient ridgetop ramble through the Thuringian Forest and the valley of the Saale river is Germany鈥檚 oldest and most popular long-distance trail. Named a "cultural monument" in 1999, it鈥檚 been followed since at least the 13th century.

The Rennsteig runs from H枚rschel near Eisenach to Blankenstein on the Saale, is generally attempted across seven or more days, and is suitable for those of at least moderate fitness. Marked by distinctive "R" signs, it鈥檚 at its best in the shoulder seasons of April/May and September/October, when mild weather and thinner crowds generally coincide. It鈥檚 customary for hikers to collect a pebble from the Werra River at the beginning of the trail and throw it into the Saale at the other end.

3. The Burgenweg Upper Palatinate

Best for German castles
176km (109 miles), 9鈥�11 days, moderate to hard

There are other Burgenwege (Castle Trails) in Germany, but this 176km-trail in the north west offers perhaps the best combination of isolated beauty and sights of historical interest. Commencing near Marktredwitz, it falls mostly within Bavaria鈥檚 Northern Upper Palatinate Forest Nature Park, with an abundance of castles to see.

Some of the more notable, picturesque piles on the trail include the , a ruin clinging to a 758m-high (2487ft) rock; , originally built in the 9th century CE; and the 13th-century , squatting above the town of Landshut on the Isar river.

4. The Jurasteig

Best for flora and fauna
237km (147 miles), 13鈥�16 days, moderate to hard

The low, forested mountains of the Bavarian Jura are the serene setting for the (Jura Hiking Trail). Broken into 13 stages of varying lengths and difficulty, the trail meanders through a karstic (limestone) landscape cloaked in meadows, pine forests, juniper scrub and beech woods. There鈥檚 plenty of variety, with 18 loop trails branching off the main route, allowing for day trips to the castles and monasteries fringing the Bavarian Jura itself.

But it鈥檚 the flora and fauna of the Bavarian Jura shelters that are its greatest treasure. It鈥檚 possible to spot falcons, kingfishers, orchids and Carthusian pink carnations while on the Jurasteig. Kelheim, where the circular trail "begins," is home to world's oldest monastic brewery, .

5. The Heidschnucken trail

Best for flowering heather
223km (139 miles), 13鈥�15 days, moderate

One of Germany鈥檚 most beautiful hikes, the multi-day wends its way through the between Fischbek in Hamburg and Celle. The L眉neburger Heide is the largest interconnected area of heath in Europe, roamed by moorland sheep that keep weeds from choking the heather plants and studded with spruce, birch and juniper bushes.

The Trail itself is divided into 13 stages, taking in delightful heath valleys like Totengrund and Radenbachtal, rivers like the 脰rtze, and towns like Niederhaverbeck, Oberhaverbeck, D枚hle and Undeloh. The best time to walk the Heidschnucken is August and September, when the heather is in bloom and the warmth of summer still lingers.

6. The Green Belt

Best for German Cold War history
1393km (866 miles), 8鈥�10 weeks, hard

The (Gr眉nes Band Deutschland) is an extraordinary linear nature reserve and walking trail that follows the 1393km (866 miles) "Inner Border" that divided East and West Germany throughout the Cold War. As the border zone was off limits, nature flourished undisturbed along its length, creating living examples of every one of Germany鈥檚 146 different recognized habitat types. These habitats shelter rare and endangered fauna like otters, wildcats and short-tailed blue butterflies.

When the Berlin Wall was brought down in 1989, the Green Belt was preserved. Running from 尝眉产别肠办 on the Baltic Sea to the point where Saxony, Bavaria and the Czech Republic meet, the Green Belt is studded with watchtowers and fortifications from that dark time in its history. It鈥檚 obviously a big undertaking to walk the entire length; smaller walks like the , running 90km (56 miles) south from Rhoden and ending at the in Tettenborn, are more to most people鈥檚 taste and timescale.

Keep planning your trip to Germany:

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