The best hiking routes in North Rhine-Westphalia

North Rhine-Westphalia offers a choice between dense, forested uplands and flat, sandy borderlands. In the south and east, the landscape rises into significant hills. Naturpark Sauerland-Rothaargebirge features steep valleys and vast spruce and beech forests, where the paths are often hard-packed gravel forestry tracks. Further north, Naturpark Teutoburger Wald / Eggegebirge forms a narrow, rocky limestone ridge that cuts through the plains, offering walkers defined ridge trails with frequent sandstone outcrops underfoot.

For those who prefer gentler terrain, the western border areas present a different landscape shaped by water and wind. In De Meinweg, the terrain is defined by a terrace landscape formed by the Maas river, where you walk on sandy tracks through a mix of heather and birch forests. Nearby, De Maasduinen consists of long, low inland dunes where the soil is loose sand, requiring more physical effort despite the lack of elevation. These areas do not offer deep valleys or high peaks, but rather a quiet, horizontal landscape of heath and pine.

In the southwest, Nationalpark Eifel and the adjacent Naturpark Hohes Venn-Eifel showcase the transition from volcanic hills to high moors. Here, walkers encounter damp peat soils and wooden boardwalks designed to protect the fragile bog environment. In contrast, Naturpark Bergisches Land is characterized by numerous drinking water reservoirs, where paths contour around wide bays of water through rolling agricultural land and deciduous woods. Walking here means navigating a patchwork of small-scale farming and damp valleys rather than wilderness.