Hiking in Germany’s Kyffhäuser hills – 15 days on the Barbarossa Trail

Excited you get off the train on the morning of the first day in Korbach. There are 15 days ahead of you full of special places and time to leave the stress of everyday life behind you. After just a few steps you will immerse yourself in this special region, because even the small Korbach is simply enchanting… read more

From Dalwigksthal, the gateway to Örkschen Switzerland, you enter a lush green natural area on the Barbarossaweg on the second day. The hiking trail first leads you up to Lichtenfels Castle and then always follows the course of the Orke, which makes its way through dense forests and meadows. On the way… read more

On the third stage of the Barbarossaweg you continue your way through the only national park in the state of Hesse. The path takes you over a hilly route from Frankenau to Bad Wildungen. While you pass many castles and ruins on the first two stages, today you immerse yourself in the natural world of… read more

In Bad Wildungen itself you should take some time to explore at the beginning of the fourth stage. In addition to Friedrichstein Castle, whose visit is already planned in the route, you can also admire the grounds of the 2006 garden show, the old fire brigade and the town church. Then it goes from Bad… read more

A day between Eder, Ems and two idyllic castles: This is how the fifth stage of the Barbarossaweges runs between Fritzlar and Melsungen. After a short stretch along the Eder, the long-distance hiking trail leads you away from the water and into the meadows and fields behind the Eder meadows. There you… read more

If you did not come across the Kemenate after the fifth stage while strolling through the old town of Melsungen, you should take a quick look at the oldest house in the city of Melsungen on the sixth day of the Barbarossaweg. It stands in the Burgmannenhof and was probably used not only as a granary… read more

On the seventh stage of the Barbarossaweg there are two logical features and a few meters of altitude waiting for you today. In total, you complete a good 23 kilometers on the section from Reichenbach, which bring you closer to the Hessian-Thuringian border piece by piece.



The Barbarossaweg leads you… read more

Today you will come across one of the places where Frederick I probably held court more than once. The medieval Boyneburg is just under three and a half kilometers behind Wichmannshausen. Before emperor Barbarossa died in a crusade in 1190, he held a court day there in 1166 and a diet in 1188. The castle… read more

Steep mountain slopes, rocks and beautiful beech forests: the ninth stage of the Barbarossaweg takes you over 20 kilometers to the Dreiherrenstein-Eschenberg-Kreutzerberg nature reserve. Although you hike from Weißenborn to Treffurt in a hilly area, the gradient is limited. So a relaxed hike is waiting… read more

Welcome to Thuringia! After nine days on the Barbarossaweg you have left the Hessian part of the hiking trail behind you. Ahead of you today is a 21-kilometer tour through the Hainich National Park. You leave Treffurt in the direction of Burg Normannenstein and follow the Barbarossaweg first to Heyerode… read more

Since one of the shorter stages of the Barbarossaweg is waiting for you today with almost 16 kilometers, you can use the time in the morning for a walk through Mühlhausen. Then you head north out of the city, accompanied by the Unstrut, whose course creates an absolute natural idyll on the edge of the… read more

With the twelfth stage of the Barbarossaweg you reach the Kyffhäuserkreis in Thuringia. After the meadows and fields near the Unstrut, it will be more wooded on your way today. The long-distance hiking trail takes you from Sollstedt to the Dün. The Dün, or Dünwald, is a mountain range that is up to 553… read more

On the 13th stage of the Barbarossaweg you can expect a wonderful mixture of the nature of the Hainleite, panoramic views of the Thuringian countryside, a picturesque castle ruin and a visit to the mountain town of Sondershausen. It starts with a lot of energy after the night at Lohra Castle.



To the east… read more

The 14th stage of the Barbarossaweg connects the Hainleite with the Kyffhäuser Mountains. On today's hike you will cross the area between the two natural spaces and not only get to know other unique witnesses of the Middle Ages, but also visit the notorious Barbarossa Cave. Since there are some highlights… read more

Almost 300 kilometers, numerous castles and medieval towns have already been made. And yet the highlight of the Barbarossaweg trail at the end of the 15th stage is still ahead of you today. The almost thirteen kilometer long tour takes you to the Reichsburg Kyffhausen and the Kyffhäuser monument - right… read more