10 Spectacular Hiking Trails Through Germany's Wild Gorges

Canyons exude a unique charm. Getting close to nature between high steep rock walls alongside sometimes roaring water bodies is a highlight for any hiking enthusiast. Whether it's jungle-like canyons, narrow moss-covered rock walls where visitors can barely squeeze through, or legendary sites: These ten romantically wild canyons in Germany take you to nature paradises and exude an adventurous flair. Surely, there are some you haven't discovered yet.

Even the name suggests a cozy adventure: The Wolfsschlucht in the Odenwald invites exploration. The starting point is at the entrance to Zwingenberg at the Neckar, where the hiking trail is directly marked. The circular route is three miles long and can be extended to six miles. First, you pass the walls of Zwingenberg Castle and then descend into the gorge where, in 1886, the last wolf of the Odenwald was allegedly hunted. In this geotope-protected gorge, there is no predefined path, and you adventurously wander past wild ferns, bizarre rock formations, fallen trees, mosses, and lichens. Guidance is provided by the stream that runs alongside the path. The splashing of the water and small caves along the route create a special atmosphere.

The Wimbachklamm in Ramsau is located in the Berchtesgaden National Park and exudes wild romance. In the narrow gorge, the element of water is omnipresent. Below, the wild Wimbach rushes by and from above, water presses from every crevice of the rock. The impressive gorge is already 10,000 years old. Those who pass the 650-feet-long gorge and hike towards Wimbach Castle complete a total nine-mile long hike. Bridges and walkways allow a close-up experience of the protected geotope from May to October. And the gorge has been accessible to tourists over footbridges since 1847. The only downside: there is an admission fee.

The Wutach Gorge is a real hiking paradise. Known as the largest canyon in Germany, this jungle-like gorge is between 200 and 560 feet deep and is situated in the Southern Black Forest Nature Park. The path between steep wooded slopes and towering rocks, along rushing waterfalls and rugged rocks, offers a treat for adventurers.

The hikes lead over trails, wooden boardwalks, and stairs, and surefootedness is a prerequisite. A highlight is the Three Gorges Tour, which besides the Wutach Gorge includes the Gauchach and Engeschlucht. The well over six-mile long tour can be experienced on your own or as part of guided hikes.

The surroundings are reminiscent of a fairy tale. High moss-covered rock walls stand far apart until they narrow to shoulder width, allowing hikers to barely pass through. The passage measures just 27 inches at the narrowest point of the gorge.

Secured paths of wooden planks, stairs, and grates lead through the natural setting, and water presses through the rocks while a stream rushes underfoot. The Dragon Gorge in the nature reserve 'Forests with Gorges between Wartburg and Hohe Sonne' is a real highlight and can be experienced on various routes. For instance, during a seven-mile round trip from the Mariental stop to the Landgraf Gorge and back.

Adventure and romance promise a hike through the Sweden Holes, a gorge-like side ravine of the Amselgrund. The rugged rock walls and rock alleys got their name during the Thirty Years' War when locals hid here with their belongings from the Swedes.

Cool and damp is the atmosphere during a hike between rock blocks and dark niches. Over 700 steps are overcome on stairs and small bridges, passing moss-covered rocks up to 165 feet high that evoke a fairy-tale world. A popular loop leads from the Bastei parking lot to the Sweden Holes and via Amselgrund to the Bastei Bridge.

Just the word river valley sounds romantic and conjures images in the mind. The Schwarzach Gorge, also known as Schwarzachklamm or Schwarzachdurchbruch, is such a gorge-like river valley, cutting through Burgundy sandstone for over 1.4 miles and ranks among Bavaria's most beautiful geotopes.

The entire gorge is a nature reserve, and the sandstone rocks here have already been around for over 200 million years. The water, which steadily made its way, carved many caves into the stone. Among the most famous caves are Karlshöhle and Gustav-Adolf-Höhle. The Albrecht-Frister hiking trail leads on paths that are easy to walk with only a few steps through the Schwarzachklamm.

Visitors to the Bode Valley experience almost untouched nature in this roughly six-mile-long gorge-like valley section. Steep rock walls rise up to 755 feet into the sky, the rushing Bode forms the soundscape, and gnarly tree roots that seem suspiciously gnome-like to hikers are protagonists in the valley, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Harz. No wonder that numerous myths and legends revolve around this piece of earth.

There is the legendary Witches' Dance Floor above Thale, which is often used as a starting point for hikes. The mountain plateau is said to have been a meeting place for witches and demons, and even today, there's a lot going on here during Walpurgis Night. A good network of trails runs through the wild romantic Bode Valley, with thematic trails like the Harzer-Hexen-Stieg (a long-distance hiking trail) or Teufelsmauerstieg leading through unspoiled nature.

The Leutasch Spirit Gorge, also known as Leutasch Gorge, is the unknown sister of the famous Partnach Gorge near Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Rock paths, bridges, and trails lead in the narrow gorge past the rushing torrents of a tributary of the Isar, in the Bavarian-Tyrolean border area near Mittenwald.

A total of three routes wind through the gorge. The family-friendly Kobold Path provides information on the flora and fauna, mythology, and geology of the surroundings on a 1.2-mile path with info boards. Experience the gorge up close on the Waterfall Trail, which leads 656 feet through the gorge and ends at a 75-foot-high waterfall. And those wanting to dive into nature on a little less than two miles can take the Spirit Gorge Trail, which not only leads over dizzying paths high above the gorge but also tells the legend of the spirit of the gorge.

After rain, the waters rush particularly loudly in the Breitachklamm and showcase their power. When the sun burns, the high rock walls offer cooling shade and snow and ice transform the gorge into a stunning winter landscape. This year-round fascination draws around 300,000 visitors annually.

The gorge is one of the deepest rock gorges in Central Europe, and the vertical and partly overhanging rock walls rise impressively upwards. At its narrowest point, the 1.5-mile-long gorge narrows to just two meters, nearly obscuring the sky while the Breitach roars below.

The gorge stretches from Oberstdorf Tiefenbach into the adjacent Kleinwalsertal, and depending on the season, different hiking trails are available. Before 10 AM and after 3 PM are the least busy times. A hike through the gorge requires admission.

Against the current! That's the direction to experience the full beauty of the Ehrbach Gorge in the Hunsrück. Picturesque brook passages and waterfalls, wooden walkways, bridges, narrow paths, rock walls, and forests await nature enthusiasts at the Ehrbach Gorge nature experience.

The hiking trails through the quiet nature invite extensive tours. Some of these paths are directly carved into the rock. The routes feature not only nature but also attractions like the medieval slate mine, the water wheel in the Daubisberg mill, and Schöneck Castle.

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