The best day hikes from Cologne by public transport

Doing day hikes from Cologne is probably one of my favourite winter-time activities – and one of the easiest ways to get out of the city and enjoy the fresh air. It’s not even an exaggeration to say that Germany is a made for hiking – it is so easy to do and everything is set up to help you on your way (as you’ll see below).

Throwing it back to when I first moved to Germany as a British expat, I remember being so frustrated that everything was closed on a Sunday. I wasn’t sure how I was going to survive without doing my weekly food shop on a Sunday morning. But now, it’s something I wouldn’t change for the world: Sundays in Germany are a time to take it easy and – ideally – get outdoors. Which is what makes hiking such an easy past-time here.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Germany is made for hiking.

So the following article is an attempt to distil four years of active hiking experience into a handy guide to help you on your way with some of the best day hikes from Cologne. But first – the basics.

Rather take the car than the train? Read more: The best hikes near Cologne by car

Everything you need to know about hiking in Germany

The first thing you need to know about hiking in Germany is that it is so easy.

1. Almost every Steig (route or trail) is well signed-posted and routinely checked and cared for. Hiking Vereine (clubs or associations) are common-place here, which means that there are teams of active individuals who invest time in caring for the route and even devising diversions if trees fall or conditions are bad. These are regularly updated online.
2. Most established trails also have their own app. These are great for research, but I would recommend downloading the GPX route to keep you on track (rather than saving offline via the app). You’ll need to install a GPX map-reader to open these files – I would recommend Locus Pro, which already has several routes highlighted.
3. The different Etappen (stages) almost always start and end at a train station or bus stop, which makes travelling by public transport a breeze. Often, there will be a Zuweg (a route extension) which will lead you from the station to the official trail.

The best hikes from Cologne by public transport

My favourite hiking route near Cologne: the Natursteig Sieg

The Natursteig Sieg is my go-to hiking route. The trail stretches from Siegen to the town of Siegburg, covering the beautiful Sieg river valley. The entire route encompasses 14 different Etappen (stages), of which I’ve done 12. The area is home to a handful of castles, some picturesque villages and some beautiful forests, and is great in all seasons: from snowy winter hikes to summer walks. There are also Erlebniswege which are generally shorter, circular routes.

One of my favourite sections is Etappe 7: Herchen – Schladern, which tackles some tough inclines and declines to give you a challenge, but also has some calmer, serene sections walking through fields. At the end of the route in summer, you’ll find Elmores, a unique beer garden in an old factory which does great cakes. Also in Schladern is Schloss Windeck, the ruins of a castle which sit imposingly above the town – you can easily add this to the end of the hike.

For shorter or less challenging routes, I would suggest Etappe 3 Blankenberg – Merten, which is only 13km in length, but takes in the ruins of Burg Blankenberg and the pretty village of the same name. Alternatively, you can try out Etappe 1: Siegburg – Hennef – if you start this route at Hennef and walk back to Siegburg, you can reward yourself with a visit to the Siegburger Brauhaus after. (We also did this route in early December one year and finished at the medieval Siegburg Christmas market – a suggestion for 2021 perhaps…)

View of the Sieg valley in winter

Hiking in winter: the Siegtal is also more prone to snow than the cities of Cologne or Bonn, so the area is great for some December/January hiking. I would say that chances of snow improve around Wissen, where we’ve hiked twice in the snow (Etappe 9 and Etappe 10). We also had luck on Etappe 2 one year, where hiking in the snow felt a lot like traversing Middle Earth.

Getting to the Natursteig Sieg from Cologne by train couldn’t be simpler: all start and end points are served by the S12 and S19 and some by the RE9.

Amazing shot of Schloss Drachenburg by Arno Hoyer via Flickr

Hiking around Drachenfels and the Siebengebirge

Drachenfels is one of the most popular and easiest daytrips from Cologne and the area it’s found in – the Siebengebirge – is a great place for hiking. The route I would recommend here is Etappe 2 of the Rheinsteig which runs from Königswinter to Bad Honnef. The route is around 16km in total (the website lists a slightly lower number, but I’ve done this three times and it’s always ended up longer) and it does include several inclines, which are manageable but definitely not a walk in the park.

Aside from the landmark of Drachenfels, the trail will also take you to a great viewpoint of the ruins, as well as to the ruins of another castle, Löwenburg. The route ends in Bad Honnef, where you can enjoy a well-deserved burger at Burgermeisterei before getting the train back to Cologne.

Public transport isn’t a problem here either; Königswinter and Bad Honnef are both served by the RB27 and the RE8 from Cologne.

Read more: The best castles near Cologne to visit on a day trip

The Rotweinwanderweg & the Ahrtal

Between Bonn and Koblenz, you’ll find one of Germany’s best wine-growing regions: the Ahrtal (Ahr valley). This picturesque valley is famous for its red wine and is home to the oldest Winzergenossenschaft (vintners’ co-operative) in the world. The Ahrtal also has two hiking routes up its sleeve: the Rotweinwanderweg (Red Wine Hiking Route) and the Ahrsteig, both of which can be easy day hikes from Cologne.

It goes without saying that the Rotweinwanderweg is a must for all wine lovers in September and October, when vintners sell bottles and glasses of their red wine from stands along the route. Outside of this period, the trail is ideal for those who want a shorter, less-taxing walk where they can still enjoy beautiful scenery: there are few uphill sections and the vast majority of the route is paved. I would recommend combining two sections to hike from Rech to Ahrweiler (approx. 14 kilometres) where you can finish with a traditional German meal in the walled old town of Ahrweiler.

The Ahrsteig I don’t know too well, but I have walked the last two sections together (Etappe 6 and Etappe 7) from Walporzheim to Sinzig on a sunny October Sunday and I really enjoyed the route. Clocking in at around 27 kilometres in total, it’s not for the faint-hearted, but it covers a great mixture of vineyards, rolling hills and forests – and a giant bench for great photo opps.

View from Weingarten am Rotweinwanderweg

Getting to the Ahrtal via public transport from Cologne will involve changing trains in Bonn. Travelling “up” the valley from the Rhein, connections are more regular up to Dernau. Connecting from Ahrweiler back to Cologne come regularly (again with a change in Bonn). Expect sunny weekends in September/October to be particularly busy.

UPDATE: Since the devastating floods in 2021, a lot of renovation work has taken place in the Ahr valley, but this is very much on-going so double-check your plans in advance. I did the Rotweinwanderweg from Rech to Ahrweiler in October 2022 with minimum disruption, but the train only goes as far as Walporzheim.

Read more: The best small towns to visit in Germany

Further afield: hiking in the Mosel

During the summer when the days are nice and long, it’s perfectly feasible to get down to the Mosel or the Mittelrhein from Cologne for a day of hiking. Transit times are obviously much longer (think around two to two and a half hours each way) and you’ll have to change in Koblenz, but the beauty of these regions is reward enough. Alternatively, you can think about renting an AirBnB for the weekend – I would personally recommend this flat in Koblenz, where three of us stayed in July 2020 or this great little apartment in Treis-Karden, where four of us stayed in October 2021.

Hiking to Burg Eltz: this circular “Burgpanorama” hike is one I’ve done on a long day trip from Cologne, which takes in the beautiful (and insta-famous) Eltz Castle. The route itself isn’t the most exciting I’ll admit (it relies perhaps a bit too heavily on its showstopper attraction), but it is a lovely countryside walk and a great way to visit the castle. To get there, take the train to Moselkern (changing in Koblenz).

For hiking in the Mosel valley, the Moselsteig is the premier walking route, covering 24 different sections from the banks of the Mosel up to the many castles which sit proudly overlooking the valley. It truly is one of the most beautiful places to hike in Germany: the route will take you through small villages and the beautiful vineyards. However, to make the most of this, you really should plan an overnight stay in Cochem or Koblenz.

The Moselsteig as it passes Burg Thurant

The best walking routes in Cologne

If you’re unsure about your endurance, want to stay within the city limits for reasons of comfort or simply want to see a bit more of Cologne, the best walking route I would recommend is the Kölnpfad – the city of Cologne’s own walking route.

The Äußerer Grüngürtel in Cologne on the Kölnpfad route

The circular 171-kilometre trail is cut into 11 sections which vary from 11 to 22 kilometres. Being in Cologne, the terrain is very flat and kind on the knees (which makes it great for a spot of trail running!). The route circles the city at its outer edges, so while you won’t be too far away from the bustle of the Domstadt, you’ll still have the feeling of being out in the country.

The stages of the route are well connected by S-Bahn or the outer stations of the U-Bahn, so you’ll very likely end up discovering parts of the city you’ve never been to before.

For more walks within Cologne, check out this self-guided city walking tour.

What are you favourite day hikes from Cologne?

Comment below!