A paradise for walkers: Germany is home to more than 150 long-distance hiking trails

An impressive network of trails, nearly all accessible by public transport, makes it easy to plan your own adventure in the Bundesrepublik

The morning sun is shimmering through the forest as my wife, Melanie, and I shuffle upward along the extremely rewarding Himmelsleiter (sky ladder) hiking route near Heidelberg Castle. Verdant rolling hills frame the refurbished brownstone ruins of the palace grounds. Our increasingly laboured breathing is the rhythmic bass drum to our march, with our fully packed rucksacks making us earn each step. Moses, our pint-sized rescue pup, runs up and down the mossy stones with enviable ease.

Most are content to take in the castle sights and return to the comforts of Heidelberg’s old town city centre for a beer. Not us. There’s a cursive blue “N” we need to follow over the next few days along western Germany’s Neckar River. This is the Neckarsteig – one of Germany’s wildly impressive Fernwanderwege, or long-distance hiking trails.