Germans' passion for walking is unrivaled. High-altitude treks in the Bavarian Alps, Black Forest hikes, Rhineland vineyard strolls – it won't take long before you've grabbed your boots.

Germany has 200,000km (124,274 miles) of well-signposted trails, some traversing national and nature parks or biosphere reserves.

Local tourist offices help travelers find a route to match their fitness and time frame. Many offer multiday “hiking without luggage” packages that include accommodation and luggage transfers.

Schmalkalden is the western terminus of a 16km (10 miles) easy-to-moderate leg of the much larger “Luther Way” hiking trail that winds across Thuringia, Hesse, Bavaria and Saxony.

The Lutherweg section ends at Tambach-Dietharz, from where there are bus services back to town (weekdays only; check with the tourist office for times).

Panoramic views unfold from Petrisberg, the vine-covered hill just east of the Roman amphitheater in Trier. Halfway up, the Weinkulturpfad leads through the grapes to Olewig (1.6km).

Next to the Petrisberg/Aussicht stop for buses 4 and 85, a multilingual panel traces local history from the first known human habitation (30,000 years ago) through the last ice age to the Romans.

Up for an adventure? The 280km (174 miles) Westweg is a famous long-distance trail, marked with a red diamond, stretching from Pforzheim in the northern Black Forest to Basel in Switzerland.

Highlights feature the steep Murg Valley, Titisee and the 1493-meter (4898ft) Feldberg.

Southwest of Bad Tölz, the Blomberg (1248m / 4094ft) is a family-friendly mountain with easy hiking and a fun alpine slide in summer and a natural toboggan track in winter.

Unless you’re walking, getting up the hill involves, weather permitting, a chairlift ride aboard the Blombergbahn. To reach Blomberg, take RVO bus 9612 from the train station to the Blombergbahn stop.