recommended route
Multi-stage route
Lahnwanderweg 01-19 upstream (entire tour, tour with stages)
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Burg GleibergPhoto: Jörg Thamer, CC BY-SA, © Lahntal Tourismus Verband e. V.
Author’s recommendation
- Lahnstein - Balduinstein (3 stages)
- Balduinstein - Weilburg (4 stages)
- Weilburg - Gießen (3 stages)
- Gießen - Marburg (3 stages)
- Marburg - Biedenkopf (3 stages)
- Biedenkopf - Lahnquelle (3 stages)
Track types
Rest stops
Bock Hotel RestaurantPension Historisches Wirtshaus an der Lahn
ehem. Kloster Allerheiligenberg
Hotel Restaurant Adria
Restaurant & Café Concordiaturm
Hotel Lahnhof
Nassau Castle
Hotel-Restaurant Zur Krone
Pension-Restaurant Mediterran
Hotel-Restaurant "Nassauer Löwen"
Landhotel Weinhaus Treis
Hotel "Am Goetheberg"
Restaurant Platia
Eiscafé Bacio am Schillerplatz
Ludwig´s Bar Restaurant
Café Born
Bistro der Lebenshilfe
Restaurant Shiva
Ventura - Feinkost aus Spanien
Eiscafé Ponte Vecchio
Palais Bar & Restaurant
Kaffee Danin
Lahn-Café am Rosengärtchen
Restaurant Hauptwache
Ristorante La Piazza
Café Leitz im Leitz-Park
Gleiberg Castle
Landgasthof Der Katzenbacher
Restaurant Seeblick
Romantik Landhotel Doerr
Safety information
For information on diversions and relocations, please see our "Current Information".
Information on restrictions in the rail network can be found here.
Tips and hints
LahnwanderwegCollecting memories with the hiking pass
The free pocket guide "Lahnwanderweg" and further information are available at www.daslahntal.de and from
Lahntal Tourismus Verband e. V.
Brückenstraße 2, 35576 Wetzlar
Tel. 06441-30998-0
info@lahnwanderweg.de
Start
Destination
Turn-by-turn directions
The daily stages start at the banks of the river Lahn and most of them lead up into the heights as well as into the side valleys. Because of this, cyclists and hikers do not get into each other’s way. The Lahn hiking trail takes you past numerous castles and palaces. Interesting rock formations and vantage points add up to the hiking experience. Hikers can even enjoy an exciting route which includes a number of great views. The Kammweg (small via ferrata) before the Goethepunkt near Obernhof will be a good choice for the brave ones but you can also find a leisurely variant. Underground experiences such as the Kubacher Kristallhöhle or the exciting Ruppertsklamm gorge provide cooling on hot summer days.
The Lahnwanderweg connects numerous towns such as Lahnstein, Bad Ems, Nassau, Diez, Limburg, Weilburg, Braunfels, Wetzlar, Gießen, Marburg, Biedenkopf and Bad Laasphe. At the end of the stage you can often cool your feet in the Lahn or in a Kneipp pool or even swim a few lengths in the public open-air swimming pool.
If you want to walk the Lahnwanderweg in one go, you will need about three weeks’ time. But since there are excellent rail connections at the starting points and the destinations, the trail can also be walked in 19 daily stages. Walking the entire trail in walking direction to the source, you will start at the mouth of the Lahn in Lahnstein (rheinland-pfälzisch). After the first beautiful kilometres through Rheinland-Pfalz, the Lahnwanderweg leads through Hessen and ends in the nordrhein-westfälischen Rothaargebirge at the Lahn source at 628 m above sea level after a total of more than 290 hiking kilometres.
It might be hard to decide since the Lahnwanderweg’s markings are excellent in both directions. Here you can find the Lahnwanderweg in walking direction to the mouth.
Marking and signposting
In order for you to know that you are on the right track anytime, the Lahnwanderweg is marked with the red LW on a white background continuously. This applies for both directions, no matter whether you will walk towards the source of the Lahn or Lahnstein. On straight sections, you will find the red LW at regular intervals, as well as at all crossings and junctions. When the path turns, this will also be indicated by arrows. The access routes between the Lahnwanderweg and many railway stations, sights and locations of the stages are marked with the red LW on a yellow background.
Signposts at junctions and crossroads indicate the direction and distance to towns and places of interest. The blue peak marks the main path while a yellow peak shows access paths. In addition to the information about distances, pictograms indicate services that hikers can find at the respective destination such as overnight accommodation or local transport stops.
The location sign, which you will find on every signpost, is meant to help with the orientation. In addition to the name of the location and information on the altitude, you will also see the corresponding GPS coordinates. We also provide the telephone number of the regional route management that you can use to report any defects, for example.
Public transport
The public transport connection is excellent. 18 of the 20 townships where stages start or end can be reached directly by train and one additional by bus.
You only need a taxi-transport from the Feudingen railway station, if you want to start or end at the source of the Lahn.
Railway station at the mouth of the Lahn: Niederlahnstein Nearest railway station to the source of the Lahn: Feudingen
Long-distance train stations with ICE connections: Marburg, Gießen, Limburg-Süd, Koblenz
By road
A3 or A61 plus A48 and B 42 to the mouth of the Lahn in Niederlahnstein
Approach to further stages on the Lahnwanderweg (a selection)
A5 and B3 to Marburg, Gießen, Wetzlar
A5 or A3 plus B 49 to Weilburg
A3 to LimburgA3 (AS Montabaur) plus B49 to Bad Ems
A45 (AS -Siegen or AS-Olpe) to source of river Lahn or to Feudingen
Coordinates
Book recommendation by the author
- Hikeline Lahnwanderweg, 14,90 €, 1. Auflage 2014 ISBN: 978-3-85000-535-7
- Rother Wanderführer Lahnwanderweg, 14,90 €, 1. Auflage 2016 ISBN: 978-3-7633-4492-5
Author’s map recommendations
- Rheinland-Pfalz-App free download.
Book recommendations for this region:
Recommended maps for this region:
Equipment
Ordinary hiking equipment for uplands (sturdy shoes, weather-appropriate clothing, drinks and, if necessary, food)Weather at the route's trailhead
Statistics
- 19 Stages
If you hike the Lahnwanderweg trail from the mouth of the river to its source, this stage will be the first one to accomplish. Its 16.4 kilometers ...
This stage will delight people who love good views as well as those who love culture. You will get to the Nassau castle, the Schiefe Turm of ...
This stage will be sporty! It even includes a small via ferrata. Highlights of this trail will be wonderful views such as Goethepunkt, Wolfslei or ...
Castles, fortresses, half-timbered houses and rocks will be the highlights of this stage. Yet there is even more to discover!
Although it's hard to leave Limburg, the next highlight is already ahead: the medieval town of Runkel. Hikers who are fans of nature and great ...
The meadows and forests high above the river Lahn are fascinating aspects of the area that is “home” to the Lahn marble. Whenever the weather is ...
This stage provides a lot of pure peace and quiet. Before arriving at Weilburg city, a real highlight awaits you as soon as you reach the Ernst ...
This tour is highly diversified and offers many highlights: Kubacher Kristallhöhle, the animal park in Weilburg, the pond near Braunfels and two ...
Starting from Braunfels castle, you will get through the nature and bird sanctuary Weinberg. Moreover, you will walk through the castle ruins of ...
Through the park of the Ilmenau Anlage (park) you will get up to the Garbenheimer Warte. Afterwards, walking through the Lahn meadows will finally ...
Fans of castles will quite like this part of the trail. Through the Wißmarbachtal you will get up into the forest, after which the route takes you ...
A comfortable day is waiting for hikers of this tour with wide views from the Altenberg. There used to be eight mills in the romantic Salzbödetal.
This will be the king's stage: a length of 25 km as well as more than 680 meters of altitude difference have to be mastered today. But this won’t ...
This tour begins at the famous Elisabethkirche. The short detour to the ruins of Weißenstein is worth it. Afterwards the hike goes along the river ...
Let’s hope that you will be lucky with the weather for today’s tour in order to be able to enjoy the views. One of its highlights is the Rimberg.
Buchenau and Biedenkopf are not only connected by the Lahnwanderweg trail but also by the tradition of the Grenzgänger. It is an ancient custom ...
Because of his height of 535 meters, the Entenberg is a popular take-off point for hang- and paragliding. It also offers a great view of ...
Now that we are on our way to Feudingen, we will have to accomplish further meters of altitude. The section through the romantic Ilsetal promises ...
Today we will visit the birthplace of the river Lahn because this stage ends at the source of the river Lahn which is situated at an altitude of 606m.
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