Time to Reflect7 Spiritual Hiking Trails to Broaden Your Horizon
25.2.2021by Hirsch & Greif
The Journey is the DestinationMeditative Hiking in Baden-Württemberg
A pilgrimage is so much more than just walking. Those who go on a pilgrimage are looking for spirituality and peace. Here are some hikes that will help you to broaden your external – and internal – horizons.
Gentle hills and deep pine forests: From the pilgrimage church on Mount Schönenberg near Ellwangen, this 12-kilometer (7.5-mile) circular trail leads past chapels, wayside shrines and crosses. Along the way, you can enjoy beautiful views of the Albtrauf, the edge of the Swabian Alb.
A contemplative walk along the Kapellenweg Trail near Ellwangen
Five pilgrimage trails lead through the Lake Constance region: the Beuron and Linzgau Way of St. James as well as the Tübingen, Hohenzollern and Hegau trails. From there, they often continue on to Spain. www.noerdlicher-bodensee.de/aktiv/wandern/pilgern
The pilgrimage routes pass the Lake Constance region with magnificent views.
In Baden-Württemberg there is a network of pilgrim guides who are trained to accompany people on selected routes. One-day and multi-day tours through Southwest Germany are offered, specifically designed for men or women and focusing on certain stages of life. kirche-tourismus-bw.de/pilgerland-baden-wuerttemberg/pilgerbegleitung/
In the Jagst Valley to the northeast of Heilbronn, five communities have joined forces to create five beautiful pilgrimage trails - all of them along particularly meditative and spiritual places. Along the way, hikers pass caves, ingrown steps in the middle of the forest, chapels and ruins. www.pfade-der-stille.de
The 'Path of Silence' in Dörzbach leads past the St. Wendel zum Stein Chapel.
The Chinese Taoist concept of “wu wei” means “abstaining from acting against nature” and is thus directed against blind actionism. This guided meditation hike includes, for example, mindfulness and breathing exercises in the wild valley of the Rench River west of Freudenstadt.
The Wu-Wei-Wasserweg Trail includes meditation exercises.
For almost 150 kilometers (93 miles), you cycle past medieval monasteries and old castle ruins, through river valleys and up to Black Forest heights of over 800 meters (2,600 feet) with impressive views. You start in Maulbronn and finish in Alpirsbach, where cyclists can reward themselves with a traditionally brewed beer. www.kloster-maulbronn.de/erlebnis-kloster/klosterroute-nordschwarzwald
The Monastery Route in the Northern Black Forest ends at Alpirsbach Monastery.
A network of enchanting trails awaits pilgrims in Upper Swabia. Seven loops connect pilgrimage sites, monasteries and countless places of grace. The highlight of all the routes is Mount Bussen (767 meter/2,500 feet), the holy mountain of Upper Swabia. www.oberschwaebischer-pilgerweg.de
