In addition to routes that are suitable for day trips, the hiking organizations have also created and marked long-distance hiking trails that are divided into several daily stages. A special category of these routes are pilgrimage routes.
The motivation to hike is subject to considerable fluctuations, both among different age groups and generations, as well as in terms of the type of hiking and the trend over time. While it was still a natural professional necessity with the journeyman trade, combined with experience, adventure and personal maturation, the generation of the youth movement and the wandering bird celebrated hiking in songs and undertakings as emancipation from the encrusted adult world, as an escape from the desolate cities’ romantic discovery of nature and as an indispensable part of their special youth culture.
A study commissioned by the fitness magazine Fit for Fun from the Cologne Institute for Prevention and Aftercare (IPN) came to the conclusion that the energy expenditure when hiking is comparable to that when jogging. For example, the test subjects consumed as much food energy during a 2-hour hike in the lowlands as when jogging for 75 minutes. The gentle way is also said to be advantageous because the automatic pace adjustment rarely causes physical overstrain.
Ararat - Anyone climbing the 5,137-meter-high mountain in eastern Turkey for the first time is torn between pain and joy, self-doubt and belief in their own strength.
Böselstein - The sun was shining from the sky, despite the sub-zero temperatures, and once again we were after a hike, so we quickly packed our backpacks, warm tea and some provisions and set off for the Böselstein circular trail above Bad Bibra.
Hoarfrost - The sun was shining due to the cloudless sky and the bitter cold creating hoarfrost, and in some places there were still wafts of fog drifting in the light wind on the Finne in Burgenland county, so dress warmly and get out there.
Lohmen - During our stay in Lohmen we had already undertaken a few hikes in the area, now we wanted to go to the megalithic tomb and the mound of Groß Upahl, also in the hope of finding more well-kept or more easily recognizable megalithic tombs here.
Marseille - We had heard several times about the GR 2013 long-distance hiking trail, a 365 km long hiking trail that took us through the landscape of Provence to the metropolitan region of the southern French port city of Marseille.
In the mid-1990s, bulldozers were levelling the area for the construction of the Lohmen rehabilitation clinic when a Bronze Age settlement was discovered.
Harz - Once we were gripped by the fever of collecting stamps to receive the Harz hiking badge, this was simultaneously linked to research and subsequently visiting other highlights in the Harz.
Minsener Oog - A few years ago, we had already searched for a path through the Wadden Sea to visit the Minsener Oog bird sanctuary. At the time we were with some friends from the south of Germany who wanted to get to know the mudflats for the first time and thus the healthy effect of the mud and the fresh sea breeze (click here for the article from that time).
Vallon des Auffes - Today we took the bus to the Vieux Port in Marseille for the first time, which turned out to be the best option as the terminus of bus line 82 is just a few meters from our accommodation.
Eisenach - Why look into the distance, …. although you can also take an interesting hike through a gorge relatively close by.
Lechtal - It will soon be that time again, because then lovers of nature and especially friends of the lady's slipper will be drawn to the Tyrolean Lech Valley, because the Lech flows through the valley in the most beautiful turquoise nuances.
Peaks of the Balkans - During our stay at Camping Legjenda in Shkoder “long” years ago, we took tours into the Cem Valley, which runs almost parallel to the border mountains between Albania and Montenegro.
Abtsküche Reservoir - We were guests in Velbert where the Sunday sunshine invited us to go outside for a “long” walk. It was also extensive because there was no immediate gradient that had to be mastered on the way there and back.
Garnbach - We had packed our backpacks with some provisions and something to drink quite early in the morning, because today we were going to the small mountain village of Garnbach near Wiehe, a distance of around 14 kilometres plus the return journey.
Finally – so many enthusiastic winter sports enthusiasts – it’s that time again. With the heavy snowfall of the last few days and the drop in snowfall depths to below 500 meters, the slopes and meadows in southern Germany are covered with snow again.
Oymapinar reservoir - We had already made an appointment several times to meet with Ömer for a canoe tour on the Oymapinar reservoir, at the so-called "Green Canyon", but something always came up.
Sarihacilar - Once again, we were out with Ömer for our own physical exercise after a long winter in the Taurus, this time taking us to the mountain village of Sarihacilar. During a previous hike we came across the mountain village, which at that time only had a few inhabitants and most of the houses had collapsed and were abandoned.
Kervan Yolu - Once again, the time had come - Ömer had invited people to hike a section of the Seljuk caravan route across the Taurus Mountains. Despite his many years of experience, which he had gained during the various routes through the Taurus between Manavgat and Akseki, the planned section was a first ascent for him too.
Riezlern - After our exploration tour through the Breitachklamm and further back through the truly natural Breitachtal, we go back until we come across a narrowing of the valley again in Riezlern.
Kleinwalsertal - As part of our project "Cultural journey along the Roman road system", the topic of mountain hiking is for us, in addition to attractive sports, outdoor and leisure activities for everyone, which can be carried out without large investments in equipment or local facilities, also an important topic that is meaning of the project could be successfully implemented elsewhere.