Hiking the Unconventional Way! Routes in Germany from the Lowest to the Highest Point

Lowest to Highest (L2H) hiking, from the lowest to the highest point, is a trend that works great in Germany as well. Spectacular highlights are guaranteed on these tours!

Hiking in nature is the best medicine to clear your mind. Discovering your limits is rewarding, as motivation coach Christo Foerster discusses. He has been involved in micro-adventures for years, which you can start right outside your door with little effort.

This can also happen with special hikes in Germany: How about exploring the German states by hiking from the lowest point to the highest point? You might be familiar with the Zugspitze or the Wurmberg, but do you know Berlin's lowest and highest point? We showcase a selection of Christo's L2H hiking tours for your next adventure!

Hiking from low to high in the German capital? Yes, it's possible! The starting point of this L2H hiking route is in the east, specifically in Spandau at Großer Spektesee. From there, it goes past well-known spots and landmarks such as Charlottenburg and Tiergarten until reaching the Victory Column and through the Brandenburg Gate.

From there, hikers continue through Kreuzberg, along the charming Landwehr Canal, through Treptower Park, Volkspark Wuhlheide, and Köpenick. Then it gets exciting: On the final stretch, it goes along the Müggelsee to Berlin's highest natural elevation: the 114-meter-high Müggelberg.

For more information about the hiking trail

For this hike through Baden-Württemberg, you should plan several stages. Along the way, there are some shelters where you can set up your camp. The deepest point, at 85 meters, is the starting point and is located in the Rhine River Nature Reserve at Ballauf-Wilhelmswörth north of Mannheim.

From here, you hike through the beautiful cities of Karlsruhe and Freiburg in the Black Forest. Along the way, you will encounter small streams in medieval town centers. Ultimately, you reach the highest point in Baden-Württemberg: the more than 1400-meter-high Feldberg.

You may have visited Hamburg several times - but probably not for hiking, right? However, the pearl of the North is also suitable for that. The lowest point is located in the district of Neuenfelde, 20 meters above sea level. The old village in southwestern Hamburg is a popular excursion destination, where apple trees bloom beautifully in spring. Altländer farmhouses line your path, as well as the Fischbek Heath - which appears in magnificent purple in August.

After about 16 kilometers, you reach Hamburg's highest natural point - the Hasselbrack on the border with Lower Saxony in the Rosengarten state forest.

For more information about the hiking trail:

Start: District Neuenfelde Destination: Hasselbrack Distance: 16 kilometers Difficulty: intermediate

Where the Ems River flows into the North Sea, the L2H hike begins in Lower Saxony: in the largest city of East Frisia, Emden, on the border with Holland. The beautiful port guarantees a maritime atmosphere, along with plenty of cultural facilities.

This hike spans an impressive 416 kilometers across the entire state, so it's best to plan several stages. Along the way, you'll find several shelters where you can rest. Continuing southeast, you pass breathtaking natural landscapes, exciting cities, romantic castles, and palaces until you reach your destination: the 970-meter-high Wurmberg in the Harz.

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The L2H hiking route in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania begins at the Baltic Sea - where the lowest point of the state is located, just outside the village of Zingst in the Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park. The third-largest park of its kind in Germany extends from the Darß-Zingst up to the island of Hiddensee and to the west coast of Rügen.

The lagoons, known as the Bodden, separated from the Baltic Sea, are the trademark and namesake. Here there are numerous birds, rabbits, and even wild boars.

Your hiking destination and thus the highest point of the region are the Helpter Mountains with a maximum height of more than 179 meters. In the eastern part of the Mecklenburg Lake District, you find beautiful wooded hills. However, you won't be able to complete the tour in one day, as it stretches 168 kilometers.

For more information about the hiking trail:

Start: Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park Destination: Helpter Mountains Distance: 168 kilometers Difficulty: difficult, good fitness required

At the border with Holland, deep in the west, is the starting point of the L2H hike through North Rhine-Westphalia. In the village of Zyfflich, many Dutch citizens live who work in the city of Nijmegen. From there, the hike continues through some beautiful nature reserves, such as the Bislicher Insel and the Rhine and Lippe meadows.

It's especially nice that the route repeatedly leads along the water. You will also pass through Recklinghausen and Dortmund. Part of the route runs along the long-distance hiking trail Sauerland Forest Route with beautiful natural landscapes. Your destination, the highest point in North Rhine-Westphalia, is the Langenberg, which is 840 meters high. You need to plan several stages for this 244-kilometer-long tour.

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The charming banks of the Rhine are the starting point of the L2H hike through Rhineland-Palatinate. Specifically: Rolandswerth, south of Bonn. This smallest district of Remagen has just 600 inhabitants. It is beautifully located between the Rodderberg Nature Reserve and the Rhine with the island of Nonnenwerth. Directly across, you find the legendary Drachenfels.

Along the way, the popular long-distance hiking trail Osteifelweg leads from Bonn toward Moselkern, and you get to know the Moselhöhenweg in the Eifel as well as the well-known Moselsteig. A wine tasting provides a perfect opportunity to take a break here.

After a total of 146 kilometers, you reach your destination, the highest point in Rhineland-Palatinate: the Erbeskopf at an airy height of 816 meters. From a viewing platform, you have the best view over the beautiful landscape.

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In Schleswig-Holstein, you find the deepest point in all of Germany: 3.5 meters below sea level near the village of Neuendorf-Sachsenbande. The northern tour continues from here through Neumünster to Lake Plön - the path along the northern shore is especially beautiful. There is no shortage of idyllic lakes in Schleswig-Holstein; you will encounter several on your route.

Your destination, the highest point in the state, is the Bungsberg in Schönwalde. With a height of more than 167 meters, it is a smaller mountain, but you'll have an impressive view over the hills of Holstein Switzerland.

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Near the border with Hesse, not far from Frankfurt am Main, lies the lowest point in Bavaria: Kahl am Main has about 7,800 inhabitants. Along the Main River, the route leads south through beautiful natural landscapes. The entire distance is 458 kilometers long; you should plan several stages.

The destination is also the highest point in Germany - the Zugspitze, standing at 2,962 meters. Once at the top, you're rewarded with an incredible view. The Alps are particularly impressive here. If it's too strenuous on foot, there are alternatives such as taking the Eibsee cable car to the summit station, then continuing with the glacier railway, and subsequently descending via the cogwheel train.

For more information about the hiking trail:

Start: Kahl am Main Destination: Zugspitze Distance: 458 kilometers Difficulty: difficult, very good fitness and alpine experience required

Northeast of Leipzig lies the lowest point in Saxony: at the Elbe floodplain near the village of Wörblitz. Here begins the L2H hike. It continues through the Presseler Heidewald with its typical moorlands, through the beautiful Colditz Forest to Chemnitz - a stop rich with art and culture if you plan a short detour.

The route then goes through the Ore Mountains, where you can enjoy a slower pace. The destination is the 1200-meter-high Fichtelberg - and thus Saxony's highest point, up in the clouds.

For more information about the hiking trail:

Start: Wörblitz Destination: Fichtelberg Distance: 184 kilometers Difficulty: difficult, very good fitness required