The best family-friendly hiking in Germany

If you’re seeking to take a walking holiday with the family, head to Germany. The country boasts varied landscapes featuring many routes for all levels, from hikes for families with older kids to hikes for families with a baby. You’ll also find varied routes with fun awards systems and many regions with stunning scenery. We’ve found five of the best destinations for family-friendly hiking throughout Germany, according to global travellers.*

Go on a family hike with a view in Lohmen, Saxony

Located at the entrance to the Elbe Sandstone Mountains National Park, the village of Lohmen is surrounded by surreal landscapes criss-crossed with 1,200kms of hiking trails. The scenery here doesn’t feel like Germany – instead of castles, rolling hills and medieval towns, expect one-million-year-old mystical columns of sandstone rising up out of deep-green forest that’ll delight the whole family. Of all these towering formations, the Bastei is the most famous, standing 194 metres tall above the Elbe River with an arched stone bridge that leads visitors over a ravine. You can visit year-round, with the average hike taking 45 minutes to get to the top. It can be quite a strenuous trail, so it’s best for families with older children. After your family treks over several of these lofty peaks on foot, take a rest in the spa at Berghotel Bastei.

Hike with a baby in Krausnick, Brandenburg

Just an hour from Berlin, hiking families flock to this small town to explore the countryside of the Krausnickhills and the Spreewald Biosphere Reserve. There’s a variety of trails which cater to all age groups, as well as fishing, punting, canoeing and kayaking around the lakes and canals that cut through the thick forest and flower-filled meadows. Families can hike from Krausnicker Bergspreewald to Lake Heide, a trail taking in rolling hills and valleys with splendid views. There are up to 11 hikes to choose from in the area, with walking times ranging from an hour up to four hours. After a day hiking with the kids, check into the family-friendly Ferienwohnung Wunderlich.

Explore the hiking network in Blankenburg, Saxony-Anhalt

Blankenburg is a family hiker’s paradise, providing access to the Harz National Park and the Harzer Wandernadel, a hiking network with 8,000km of stunning, signposted trails. There’s also an awards system, whereby enthusiastic hikers (or the kids) can take a booklet and use green stamps at checkpoints dotted along the route to mark their progress. The stamps are placed at particularly scenic vantage points, where the family will be able to take a breather as they soak up the beauty of the Harz Mountains, rivers and forests. Stay in a beautifully-restored restored Art Nouveau house in Blankenburg, Hotel Villa Viktoria Luise.

Enjoy a coastal hike at Weissenhäuser beach, Schleswig Holstein

The northern German Baltic Coast is a veritable hiking playground, with long coastal trails taking you and the family along white sands, over dramatic cliff tops and through conservation areas. There are hundreds of kilometres of routes to choose from with sublime seaside views all the way. You can choose to take a short walk or a pilgrim trail, with walking times ranging from a few hours to a few days. Take in the smell of the sea air, the whistling tune of the sand dunes and finish it all off with a dip in the sea. Enjoy sea views from your suite at Hotel Haus am Meer (just outside Weissenhäuser Strand) or treat the whole family to stay at the luxury Weissenhaus Grand Village, right on Weissenhäuser beach.

Discover family hiking trails at Lindberg, Bavaria

Head to Lindberg and the Bavarian Forest National Park for a family hike of a lifetime through 24,000 hectares of coniferous forests, bogs, picturesque lakes and low-lying hills. This region was the first national park in Germany and has blossomed to become a great family-friendly travel destination, with hiking, cycling and cross-country ski trails, as well as fun activities for children. One such attraction is the Baumwipfebad Skywalk, an unmissable 1300 metre-long bridge taking you above the forest canopy to a 44 metre-high viewing dome, from which you can spot the snowy peaks of the Alps in the distance. After a day of walking with the family, stay in an apartment within a typical Bavarian chalet at the highly rated Haus Bergblick.

What to wear for your family walking holiday

Seasons play a pivotal part of planning for a family walking holiday. In winter, opt for ski wear, including a ski beanie and gloves. And in summer, opt for layers of light clothing so you can add or remove items to adjust to the temperature.

*These destinations were the most highly rated ‘family-friendly’ and ‘hiking’ in Germany, according to people travelling with Booking.com.