Best places to run in Germany

Multi-tier cascades beside a romantic monastery ruin, linked by stepped walkways through a wooded gorge.

Iconic sandstone rock formation and bridge rising 194 m above the Elbe, the signature view of Saxon Switzerland.

Dramatic granite gorge known as the Grand Canyon of the Harz, with a rushing-stream trail beneath towering rock walls.

One of the deepest rock gorges in Central Europe, walkable year-round along the carved channel of the Breitach river.

Highest peak of northern Germany at 1141 m, climbed on the Goetheweg or Heinrich-Heine-Weg through windswept moorland.

Castle-topped hill of the Siebengebirge above the Rhine, a steep short climb to one of Germany's classic river views.

Turquoise alpine lake at the foot of the Zugspitze with a flat, easy 7 km shoreline loop popular for walking in all seasons.

One of Europe's largest urban parks at 375 ha with riverside trails, beer gardens and the Eisbach standing wave, ideal for running.

Towering 40 m sandstone pillars in the Teutoburg Forest, an ancient cultural site reached on woodland walks near the Hermannsweg.

Highest peak of the Black Forest at 1493 m with open summit panoramas over the southern uplands and toward the Alps.

At 1453 m the highest mountain in Bavarian Forest National Park, reached on a loop past the Rachelsee and rugged forest rock formations.

A 94 km long-distance trail crossing the Harz over the Brocken and finishing through the spectacular Bode Valley gorge.

A 156 km ridge trail following the crest of the Teutoburg Forest, passing the Externsteine and the Hermann monument.

Serene mountain lake in the Berchtesgaden Alps with gentle shoreline walks and the romantic Zauberwald forest path.

Spectacular Baltic clifftop trail through beech forest with constant changing views of Rügen's white chalk cliffs and sea.

Wild, steep gorge near the Zugspitze with bridges, footbridges and rock tunnels alongside the rushing water, closed in winter.

Summit and viewing platform above the Königssee with hiking ascents rewarding a top-down view of the fjord-like lake.

Northern cape of Rügen with cliffs, lighthouses and wide Baltic panoramas linked by coastal walking paths.

Fjord-like emerald lake ringed by the steep Watzmann walls, with easy shoreline walks like the Malerwinkel loop to St. Bartholomä viewpoints.

Germany's largest chalk cliff at 118 m, reached via the Hochuferweg coastal trail through UNESCO beech forest above the Baltic.

Free-standing table mountain rising above the Elbe loop, a steep climb to one of the region's best all-round panoramas.

Legendary slate cliff towering over a tight bend of the Rhine, a highlight of the Rheinsteig with sweeping river views.

Iconic boulder-strewn summit climbed via the Teufelsloch and Himmelsleiter, a classic wild-forest hike near the Czech border.

Classic 8-stage long-distance painters' trail linking the Bastei, Schrammsteine and other highlights of the Elbe sandstone country.

A 2224 m Allgäu summit famed for a panorama of up to 400 peaks, reachable by demanding trails or cable car.

Dramatic narrow gorge with roaring waterfalls and rapids on a short walkway, open year-round and easily linked to longer mountain hikes.

Germany's oldest and best-known ridge trail, running 169 km along the wooded crest of the Thuringian Forest past historic border stones.

A 320 km premium trail along the heights of the UNESCO Middle Rhine, passing vineyards, castles and dramatic cliff viewpoints.

Striking red sandstone sea cliff on the North Sea island of Sylt, walkable along the beach and dune paths.

Large calm reservoir set in steep forested slopes with easy shoreline walks within Eifel National Park.

Spectacular hairpin river bend of the Saar, viewed from the Cloef lookout and treetop path on the Saarschleife circular trail.

Fairy-tale castle reached by uphill walking trails, best combined with the Pöllat Gorge and Marienbrücke viewpoint walks.

Largest lake of the Black Forest with shoreline and ridge trails, a highlight of the Schluchtensteig long-distance route.

Jagged sandstone rock spires with stair-and-ladder trails to dizzying viewpoints over the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.

Allgäu mountain above the royal castles with panoramic trails over the lakes and peaks of the region.

Popular Bavarian lake with clear air and forested hills, the start of a scenic 13 km through-hike over to Schliersee.

Berlin's central 210 ha park with wooded paths, ponds and the Landwehrkanal towpath, a favourite city running and walking spot.

A 97 m waterfall in the southern Black Forest, reached on a steep but rewarding forest walk.

Germany's most famous waterfalls, cascading 163 m over seven steps on a forested walking trail.

Germany's third-highest peak at 2713 m with a famously dramatic and exposed ridge traverse for experienced alpinists.

Wild, untamed river gorge in the southern Black Forest with a long trail through one of Germany's most pristine canyon landscapes.

Germany's highest peak at 2962 m, with demanding high-alpine ascent routes via the Höllental and Reintal valleys offering glacier and panorama rewards.