On the tracks of Homo Sapiens and ancient cultures

Hiking Collection by ZEIT WISSEN

Tours

43:13 h

102 mi

4,500 ft

How we became what we are now: Whenever you are hiking in Germany, you are setting foot on ground that's full of hidden history. Full of tales of mammoth hunters, Neanderthal men, volcanoes and primeval oceans, of growing cities and rugged industrial landscapes. This collection is part one of the hiking series "Paths of Perception" by the ZEIT Wissen magazine.

We are following the tracks of our ancestors through the Neander Valley, we visit caves of the first modern humans in the Swabian Alps, and we follow Romans, Jews and Christians through the Rhine Valley from Speyer to Mainz. Read more about these hikes in the ZEIT Wissen issues available between June and October 2017: zeit.de/zw-archiv

On The Map

Tours

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
The Great Enigma in the Neander Valley
04:54
11.5 mi
2.3 mph
675 ft
500 ft
Intermediate
Intermediate Hiking Tour. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
The Neandertal, world famous by its first inhabitants, is named after a singing pastor and is located between Dusseldorf and Wuppertal. The most important localities, the grazing primeval horses and the museum (neanderthal.de) are easy to explore in a few hours. If you want to see more of the area, start…
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Wandering Peoples on the Rhine – Stage 1: Speyer to Oggersheim
07:26
18.2 mi
2.5 mph
175 ft
225 ft
Expert
Expert Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
In the footsteps of the Roman Rhine Valley Road. Viticulture, architecture, lifestyle, religions - the Romans brought civilization to the Upper Rhine, where they founded 2000 years ago, the province of Germania superior as a border province. The exact course of the road is no longer known, and the course…
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Wandering Peoples of the Rhine – Stage 2: Oggersheim to Worms
05:53
14.4 mi
2.5 mph
175 ft
150 ft
Expert
Expert Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
After the first day over 30 kilometers from Speyer to Oggersheim, you continue today to Worms. On the way, you will pass the beautiful Silver Lake, which offers the perfect spot for a leisurely lunch break.
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Walking Peoples of the Rhine – Section 3: Worms to Mettenheim
04:47
11.6 mi
2.4 mph
250 ft
275 ft
Intermediate
Intermediate Hiking Tour. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
Today, the Jewish Museum is definitely worth a visit, before heading off to the cozy, 20-kilometer hike to Metteneheim.
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Wandering Peoples along the Rhine – Stage 4: Mettenheim to Oppenheim
06:27
15.0 mi
2.3 mph
900 ft
825 ft
Expert
Expert Hiking Tour. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
On the way to Oppenheim you will pass numerous relics of bygone times. The well-preserved ruins will take you on a journey back in time to the past.
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Wandering Peoples of the Rhine – Stage 5: Oppenheim to Bodenheim
03:34
8.17 mi
2.3 mph
550 ft
650 ft
Intermediate
Intermediate Hiking Tour. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.
The short stage between Oppenheim and Bodenheim is especially impressive because of the wonderful vineyards that you wander through here.
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Wandering Peoples along the Rhine – Stage 6: Bodenheim to Mainz
03:51
8.88 mi
2.3 mph
600 ft
575 ft
Intermediate
Intermediate Hiking Tour. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
The last stage leads over 15 kilometers to the Main. If you pass the well-preserved remains of the Roman city gate, you have made it and completed a true "migration of peoples".
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Ice Age Hunters in the Swabian Alb – The Achtal Valley
02:57
6.24 mi
2.1 mph
825 ft
750 ft
Expert
Expert Hiking Tour. Good fitness required. Sure-footedness, sturdy shoes and alpine experience required.
When the people invented the art, they lived in a few caves on the Swabian Alb. These caves are close to each other in the Ach and Lonetal Ulm and are easy to reach on two day trips, even with children. The roads are partly paved, partly unpaved, to the caves high you should be sure-footed. Trains and…
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Ice Age Hunters in the Swabian Alb – The Lone Valley
03:24
8.00 mi
2.4 mph
375 ft
375 ft
Intermediate
Intermediate Hiking Tour. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.
When the people invented the art, they lived in a few caves on the Swabian Alb. These caves are close to each other in the Ach and Lonetal Ulm and are easy to reach on two day trips, even with children. The roads are partly paved, partly unpaved, to the caves high you should be sure-footed. Trains and…
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by ZEIT WISSEN
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