The most beautiful hiking trails: “Getting lost is absolutely out”

taz: Mr. Sievers, hiking is a fairly low-threshold activity. You go somewhere nice and start walking. Why do hiking regions need external consultants?

Hans-Georg Sievers: A good hiking trail doesn't happen on its own. In order to inspire hikers, it should be varied and exciting, for example, include great views, pretty stream valleys, castle ruins or rustic natural landscapes. And it should be perfectly marked. However, it takes a lot of preparatory work to get a hiking trail this far, including coordination with the trail owners. In all of this, the neutral view of a hiking advisor helps enormously because he sees the paths with completely different eyes. Especially since your perspective changes over the years - at the age of 70 you look at a route differently than at 45.

taz: Does that mean there is no typical hiking trail for everyone?

Sievers: Exactly. When hiking trails were first certified at the beginning of the millennium, they were still aimed at hikers who came from alpine areas and were looking for a similar, challenging experience in the low mountain ranges. However, it quickly became apparent that this was only a small target group. The majority are looking for eight to ten kilometer long, uncomplicated routes on natural terrain without traffic noise. However, such cultural hikers also sometimes accept asphalted sections of the path. For low-barrier hiking trails, the focus is on other criteria such as ease of access, lack of steps and sometimes also suitability for walkers.

Hans-Georg Sievers, 62, has a degree in economics. He has been involved in the re-planning, new signage and renovation of hiking trails since 1999, and has had his own office since 2007. His references include the Black Forest West Trail and the Heidschnucken Trail, two of the most famous long-distance hiking trails in Germany.

taz: Among other things, you helped develop the Bliessteig, a completely new route in Saarland that was voted “Hiking Trail of the Year” in 2025 by readers of the hiking magazine. How do you go about it?

Sievers: Basically, we always try to use methods that are already there. Creating a route from scratch is quite a big effort. Classic planning begins with a look at the map. You can see which types of paths an existing path runs on and whether there are alternatives

Sievers: Very different. Current topographic maps, especially OpenStreetMap, but also historical maps. Many old paths have become unrecognizable or overgrown over time, but they are not really gone. They are relatively easy to reactivate. The catch with the cards is: There is no such thing as 100% reliability.

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taz: So you go into the area and check.

Sievers: There is no substitute for going out. Sometimes a beautiful path suddenly branches off that isn't shown on any map - but it's just there! This is something you experience relatively often in the vicinity of cities, where there are many people walking with dogs. Over time, they create their own network of paths. You can also often find natural lines along streams and rivers that may have been used by anglers in the past and are great for orientation. If you come across such an undiscovered path, you have to have the courage to follow it. Of course, it's possible that at some point it won't go any further - but then you just turn around.

taz: With all this perfection, isn't there a risk that a path will be "over-planned"? Sometimes you want to be surprised, maybe even get lost...

Sievers: Getting lost is absolutely out - people don't want that anymore. One of the main reasons for creating uniform criteria was that we wanted to offer guests a guaranteed hiking experience. Life has become so full; The time is often precisely timed because you want to stop off afterwards, go to the swimming pool or visit Aunt Erna. Nobody has the time or desire to get lost. This is why complete marking and signage are essential.

Sievers: Locals may perceive some things as a blight on the landscape - for example, if markings are significantly larger than the standard 10 by 10 centimeters, or if they are placed twice. It's similar with destination signposts: Many people want them to help them estimate distances, but they're actually enough at junctions. If there is no junction for more than two kilometers, you don't need a signpost.

taz: 70 percent of Germans hike, says the German Hiking Institute. Since 2019, hiking has also been part of the “National Tourism Strategy”. Can good planning relieve pressure on hotspots that suffer from overtourism?

Sievers: That is often the goal. In the past there were basically only local hiking trails. Certification and targeted marketing attempt to highlight certain paths. You can control this and say: We are creating attractive alternatives near hotspots. Sometimes you even consciously remove the actual hotspot during planning because there is no need to include it. But the basic requirement is always high quality. Just saying, “Go somewhere else so you don’t step on each other’s toes” isn’t enough. On the Heidschnuckenweg in the Lüneburg Heath, we have created the “Heideschleifen”, alternative hikes to relieve the strain on the main path.

taz: If you look at hiking videos on YouTube, the typology of hikers changes a lot: more and more people are traveling ultralight and setting up their tent in the evening or doing so-called thru-hikes, i.e. hiking the entire long-distance hiking trail. Are tourism authorities or associations even interested in this?

Sievers: That's definitely a trend. There are more people who want to go out with a tent, like we know from Sweden or the USA. In order to prevent wild camping and the associated disposal problems, many regions are creating targeted offers: official trekking sites with simple wooden huts, composting toilets and water connections. This is also a great adventure for families with children, because regular hotel stays are often simply too expensive for families on vacation.

taz: Is this a real model for the future or will it ultimately bring too little money into the coffers because these hikers don't stay in hotels?

Sievers: Those who go trekking also like to stop at inns or shop locally. A holiday like this is not completely without added value. However, we are now looking at the matter from a different perspective. It is a long term investment. Anyone who goes trekking in the Black Forest, for example, has positive memories of the landscape. Five or ten years later you come back, but you no longer want to sleep on the hard floor - so you book a hotel bed.

taz: What was the last region that really excited you?

Sievers: We have many great regions, but I particularly liked the Weserbergland. This landscape is incredibly diverse and offers great views. But even in seemingly inconspicuous regions like the Altmark, the flat northern tip of Saxony-Anhalt, with large fields and small forests, there are fantastic places for hiking.