Hiking in the Sauerland: The Best Areas, Trails and Multi-Day Routes

Hiking in the Sauerland means walking in a forested upland region in southeastern North Rhine-Westphalia, with ridges reaching just over 800 meters. The Langenberg (843 m) and the Kahler Asten (841 m) are the two highest points, but no single summit is what makes this landscape work. It is the combination: spruce and beech woods covering the ridges, broad crests with long views, reservoirs filling the valleys, stream valleys with grazing cattle, and hundreds of half-timbered villages that look as though they have always been there.

Thanks to the Wanderdörfer quality mark and the Premiumweg certification awarded by the German Hiking Association, the region is built around walkers. Signposting is consistent, benches and information boards sit exactly where you want them, and every village carrying the Wanderdörfer mark has a waymarked trail leaving straight from the center. Planning a walking holiday here, you never spend long looking for the next marked path.

It is worth being honest about one thing: the spruce plantations have suffered in places from drought and bark beetle damage. The cleared patches make parts of the landscape more open and younger than it was, though they come with an upside. The long views from the high ridges are wider now than they were ten years ago.

The Sauerland covers roughly the country between Dortmund in the north, Kassel in the east, Siegen in the south and the Ruhr valley in the west. Most of it sits in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a spur reaching into Hessen.

The natural gateways are Winterberg and Willingen in the high east, Schmallenberg and Bad Berleburg in the middle, Brilon and Olsberg in the north, Sundern and Arnsberg by the western reservoirs, and Siegen in the south. Which village you use as a base depends on the kind of walking you have in mind.

By train you travel via Dortmund or Hagen to Winterberg or Willingen, and regional buses connect onward to the walking villages from there. Public transport works best when you already know which village you are heading for, because this is thinly populated country and buses do not run continuously. By car, the A46 and A45 motorways bring you into the heart of the region. International visitors usually fly into Düsseldorf, Cologne or Frankfurt and continue by rail.

The Sauerland is not a one-note destination. Each sub-region has its own character, its own kind of landscape and its own rhythm. These are the five areas every walker should know about.

The Rothaar mountains and the Kahler Asten

The heart of the region is the Rothaargebirge, the long high ridge running north to south through the Sauerland. Its highest plateau is the Kahler Asten (841 m), a raised bog with a weather tower that looks out over much of the region on a clear day. Around the Asten lies the Hochheide, an open heath landscape that is unusual for this part of Germany. This is also where the region's best-known long-distance trail begins. The Rothaar mountains draw experienced day walkers who come for the views and the height, but they work just as well for beginners looking for a quiet walk in the woods.

Winterberg and the surrounding area

Hiking Winterberg is about far more than the village itself. Winterberg sits on the flanks of the Rothaar mountains, surrounded by wooded ridges, small valleys and open plateaus. One of the more striking natural sights nearby is the Bruchhauser Steine near Olsberg: four free-standing basalt towers that rise meters above the treetops and give a wide view in good weather. The Winterberg hiking trails range from short loops of a few kilometers to full days that take in several tops, and Winterberg is a logical overnight stop on the multi-day routes.

The Schmallenberg Sauerland and the Wanderdörfer

Walking around Schmallenberg means rolling farmland with a denser network of waymarked loops than anywhere else in the region. Schmallenberg is itself one of the Wanderdörfer, villages that have won national gold awards for landscape stewardship and community effort. The half-timbered houses, generous gardens and immaculate village centers make the coffee stop as appealing as the trail. If you want quiet, variety and a human scale, this is the loveliest corner of the Sauerland.

Willingen and the Upland

Willingen has a flavor of its own. It lies just across the line in Hessen, in the Upland, an area that is quieter and less touristed than Winterberg without giving anything away in scenery. The Ettelsberg is the local high point, with a broad view back toward the Rothaar mountains. The raised bog around Willingen is fragile and carefully protected. Trails here follow stream valleys and climb through forest to open ridges, and the waymarking ties straight into the Rothaarsteig markers, so you can step from a day loop onto the long-distance route without a break.

The reservoirs around Sundern and Arnsberg

The western Sauerland has a completely different character from the high ridges in the east. Around the Sorpesee, the Biggesee and the Hennesee the land is flatter and more open. Shoreline paths run along the water, through broadleaf woods and over soft hills with no climbs worth the name. This is the area for an easier day, for families with young children, or for anyone who wants a base that is simple to reach. The mix of lake, forest and village makes the west a good complement to a multi-day route.

A multi-day walk here works like this: you start each day in a new village, your luggage travels ahead to the next hotel or Gasthof, and you walk the route with a light day pack. That difference in weight matters in the Sauerland, because every day the trail climbs back up to the ridge before dropping down the other side.

Bookatrekking offers three Rothaarsteig trips, each aimed at a different kind of walker.

The Rothaarsteig long weekend from Winterberg is the ideal introduction if you only have four days free, or if you want a taste of the region before committing to something longer. You walk the two finest stages of the Rothaar mountains, with Winterberg at the center. See the trip page for current pricing.

The best of the Rothaarsteig in five days takes you along the most celebrated sections of the trail: from Brilon through the high ridges to Winterberg and on toward Schmallenberg. Daily distances run up to 25 kilometers, but you always walk with a light pack. See the trip page.

If you want to walk the whole ridge from north to south, choose the full Rothaarsteig in ten days: Brilon to Dillenburg, 164.7 kilometers, with the longest day at 25.2 kilometers. This is the trip for walkers with time who want to get to know the entire region, from the highest plateaus to the lower forests of the Lahn-Dill country. See the trip page.

If you would rather sleep simply and enjoy a more communal atmosphere, our guide to hut-to-hut hiking in Germany explains how that works. For the full range of multi-day walking holidays in Germany, see our hiking in Germany page.

The Rothaarsteig runs roughly 154 kilometers from Brilon in the north to Dillenburg in the south, following the crest of the Rothaar mountains past the Kahler Asten and the sources of the Ruhr, Lenne, Eder and Sieg. It is known as "the way of far views" and is one of the most popular long-distance trails in Germany. Most walkers do a section of four or five days; the whole trail takes about ten days.

The full stage-by-stage description, with distances, ascent and starting points, is in our detailed Rothaarsteig route guide.

The region is excellent for day walking and short loops without an overnight stop. A selection of the favorites:

The loop over the Kahler Asten from Winterberg crosses the Hochheide and, on a clear day, gives a view over much of the Rothaar mountains. The Bruchhauser Steine near Olsberg make a day hike in themselves: four basalt towers standing high above the forest, reached on woodland paths. The shoreline loops around the Sorpesee and the Hennesee are flatter and suit families or an easier day. The half-timbered loops out of Schmallenberg and the surrounding Wanderdörfer are short, easy to follow and beautifully signposted. The raised bog near Willingen is the most remarkable ecosystem in the region and is crossed on boardwalks laid to protect the fragile ground.

Beyond these loops, the Sauerland-Waldroute, the Rothaarsteig-Spur and the Premiumweg circuits are the most used waymarked networks in the region. The Wanderdörfer markers take you from the village center straight into the landscape without a map.

Hiking the Sauerland in winter deserves an honest word. The high ground around Winterberg and Willingen sees regular snow, and winter walking trails are cleared for anyone drawn to a silent landscape. The high Sauerland is at its quietest and most atmospheric then, especially on a bright winter day. At the same time, paths can be icy and impassable, daylight is short, and not every mountain inn stays open. Our multi-day trips run in the summer half of the year; for winter walking you are better off with a free weekend based in one place.

Hiking in the Sauerland is upland walking, not mountaineering. There are no cables, no scrambling and no exposure on any of the routes we sell. Daily stages generally fall between 15 and 25 kilometers, with steady climbs up to the ridges followed by long, relatively level stretches along the crest. If you are comfortable with a 20-kilometer day on flat ground at home, a few focused training walks will get you ready for this.

The real things to watch are different. Forest tracks can be muddy and slick after rain, the high ridges catch a stiff wind, and morning fog can be thick. No single climb is dramatic, but the ascent adds up over the course of a day. Plan for that and the terrain works in your favor.

These trips suit first-time multi-day walkers stepping beyond the single-day hike, families with children of about ten and up on the shorter stages, and anyone looking for a first point-to-point walk without the pressure of an alpine route.

The Sauerland is walkable year-round, but every season has its trade-offs.

April and May bring fresh green, full streams and quiet trails. The forest canopy is still thin and the views are sharp. Mornings can be cold, but walking in the afternoon is pleasant. A good window if you want to avoid crowds.

June to August is the warmest and busiest season. The forest gives a lot of shade, which makes the heat manageable. Watch for afternoon thunderstorms, which build quickly over the high ridges. This is the prime window for our multi-day trips.

September and October are the best months of all for Sauerland hiking. The weather settles, the views are the clearest of the year and the beech woods turn from green to gold and red. Paths are dry and firm underfoot, and the crowds thin out fast once the summer holidays end.

November to March bring short daylight, a real chance of snow and ice on the plateaus around Winterberg and Willingen, and patchy opening hours at the mountain inns. Our multi-day trips are most comfortable in the summer half of the year.

Our app shows the current forecast for each overnight stop, based on the coordinates of where you are sleeping, so every evening you know exactly what the next day holds.

The Sauerland has no mountain hut system like the Alps. At each overnight stop you stay in a hotel, a Gasthof, a Landhotel or a guesthouse. The Gasthöfe along the trail tend to be family-run, with their own restaurant, a central place in village life and a breakfast that carries you through the day.

Luggage transfer here is not a luxury but a practical choice, because the route climbs back to the ridge every single day. Doing that with five kilos on your back is a very different experience from doing it with fifteen. Our trips include bed and breakfast, luggage transfer between overnight stops, a detailed route description and the Bookatrekking app with offline maps, GPX tracks and a weather forecast for each stop. You never have to navigate, and every evening you know what the weather will do tomorrow.

If you would rather sleep in shared quarters and prefer a simpler atmosphere, our guide to hut-to-hut hiking in Germany shows what that alternative looks like.

Per person, based on two travelers. See each trip page for current pricing.

The choice is straightforward. A long weekend and a wish to try the region first: take the four-day trip. A free week and an appetite for the best-known sections: take five days. The whole ridge, with two weeks to spend: take ten days. Only interested in day walks with no overnight stops along the way: base yourself in Winterberg, Willingen or Schmallenberg and explore from there.

A word on navigation. Trails here are marked with the reclining "R" of the Rothaarsteig, the purple Premiumweg signs of the Wanderdörfer and the yellow "W" of the Sauerland-Waldroute. On our trips you never have to find the way yourself: the app carries the offline map with the GPX track and shows your position in real time. If you want a paper backup as well, you can request one with your route description.

For every walking holiday in Germany we offer, from the Eifel to the Bavarian Alps, you will find the complete overview on our landing page.