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in Germany

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Walking tours in Germany, why there?
Medieval buildings with lots of timber and plenty of folklore surrounded by lush green woodlands make fantastic settings for visually enticing tours. The castles are arguably unsurpassed and quality beer comes in large vessels at essential 'stop offs' by the way of impressive old inns.
This is a land of cuckoo clocks and some seriously over the top Baroque and Rococo architecture, sometimes quite fantastic in nature to match the castles.
Downside: the weather can be wet, though it is beautifully green as a result. The Baroque architecture and interiors may be too much for some people's tastes but the medieval bits are plentiful and outstanding so you could easily ignore bits you don't like.

Where to go German hiking:
Despite a heavily industrial history Germany has several excellent regions for walking tours which are very rural in character.
Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grimm lived here so if you avoid the cities and industrial regions you could quite possibly end up in a fairy tale.
The majority of the best hiking areas are to be found in the south.

Schwarzwald 'The Black Forest' in Baden Wurttemburg - 18,000 miles of well marked paths across 400 square miles of rich green hilly woodlands, pretty half timbered rustic villages with cuckoo clock roofs and excellent inns.
Wonderful for hikers who appreciate wood crafts and world class beer, they also make wine here.
This is one of the most 'mediaeval' places to be found in Europe, with a rich history of fantastic stories and mystical woodlands.
The tallest point from which to view the region is Felberg, though Belchen has the most scenic views.
Todtnau is a stunning waterfall.
For an outstanding vista try the lake at Schlusee from where you can see the beginnings of the Alps, or the Titisee, the finest of the natural lakes.
Gengenbach is a romantic mediaeval city which is well worth a visit and there are many quaint villages to enjoy throughout the area. When buying a cuckoo clock accept no substitute for the ones made here.

Upper Bavaria - the region is renowned for superb castles, particularly King Ludwig's Neuschwanstein Castle [picture above right] and some great Baroque architecture and monasteries leading towards the Alps. For more information on the mountains see Walking Tours - Alps.

Harz Mountains in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt - one of the most popular destinations within Germany, and the whole area is now open to tourists with the end of the West and East German division.
The narrow gauge railway system is world class and is an excellent way to get from trail to trail.

The Eifel and Rhine Valley in the Rhineland Palatinate - winemaking, Gothic cathedrals, ancient Roman relics, dense woodlands and volcanic crags with picturesque castles. Nice.

Saxon Switzerland National Park in Saxony - bordering Poland and the Czech republic, the Elbe river runs through a region of sandstone gorges and clifftop mountains, with a splattering of castles and the like.
It is also a historic glass making region being part of the Bohemian 'Czech' region where glass making skills took off after their introduction from the near east.

The Rennsteig walk in Thuringia - this is the best known of Germany's long distance footpaths and runs along a ridge often set amongst large tracts of forest for its 105 miles.
It's an old trade route and border area with 1,000 years behind it.

Other Scenic Routes - there are 150 major walking routes throughout Germany, many with a history as trade routes, or more modern versions designed to illuminate particular aspects of Germany's rich heritage.
For the heavy metal enthusiast there are even tours to show you this fine industrial heritage.

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