Germany is a relatively flat country where lofty peaks can only be found in the far south. Even here, in this small part of the Alps that Germans can call their own, the highest point (the Zugspitze) is only 2962 m tall. Of course this doesn’t mean that there aren’t any beautiful hikes and challenging climbs to be found. On the contrary, Germany’s excellent infrastructure and dense network of roads, railways and trails translates into a plethora of easily accessible hiking and mountain climbing opportunities. In addition, the country is blessed with several low-lying mountain ranges that offer plenty of easy hiking and biking options, for example the Harz Mountains, Ore Mountains, Spessart, Thuringian Forest, Bavarian Forest, or the Rhön Mountains.
Although I grew up near the Rhön in northern Bavaria, I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve done very little exploring of the peaks and summits of my home country, but hopefully that will change in the future. It took me years of exploring foreign lands and mountains to come back and discover the beauty of my home… such is the irony of travelling!