Long-distance hiking trail - Werra Burgen Steig X5 - From Fehrenbach to Hann. Münden

One path, three countries, many possibilities

- that's probably what the hiking enthusiasts of the Werratalverein thought in 1885 when they set about marking this hiking trail from Hann. Münden to Wartburg Castle.

The inner-German border then divided the long-distance hiking trail into two attractive routes: One leads as a quality hiking trail, marked with X5 H (as in Hesse), from Hann. Münden to Tannenburg near Nentershausen. The other, marked with a blue square and black X5 on a white background, crosses the Eichsfeld and ends at the Brandenburg castle ruins near Lauchröden. The Green Belt runs between the routes.

Starting in Hann. Münden, there "Where Werra and Fulda kiss...", the X5H runs through picturesque Lower Saxon towns and meets its first treasure, Berlepsch Castle, in Hesse. Continuing along beautiful paths, you encounter Ludwigstein Castle, Rothestein Castle with magnificent views of the Werra Valley and other castle ruins, all the way to the popular Tannenburg. Half-timbered towns such as the cherry town of Witzenhausen, the thermal spa town of Bad Sooden-Allendorf and Eschwege with its landgrave's castle offer beautiful and historic old towns alongside idyllic villages and the enchanting nature park landscape between the Hohe Meißner and Kaufunger Forest.

Connecting the premium hiking trails around Witzenhausen, Bad Sooden-Allendorf and Eschwege, the Werra-Burgen-Steig is a romantic hiking trail between Hanstein, Teufelskanzel (Devil's Pulpit Rock) and Hülfensberg Monastery, castle strikers from Normannstein to Creuzburg it continues with views of the Brandenburg castle ruins, to "Monte Kali", past the Wendelstein in Vacha up to Krayenburg near Tiefenort. It then reaches Frankenstein via Bad Salzungen, crosses over to the Altenstein Landscape Park near Bad Liebenstein and leads via the lake-rich Breitungen up to Maienluft Castle above the carnival town of Wasungen. The route continues past Landsberg Castle around Meiningen via Osterburg Castle near Henfstädt to the basilica of Veßra Monastery and from there up to Masserberg and Siegmundsburg to the headwaters of the Werra.

Almost 500 km full of nature and culture

For long and short distances, laps or combination tours by bike and boat, for spring tours in the young beech greenery of the Hainich and the Rhön, for cool summer hikes with your trousers rolled up, for colourful autumn marches or winter hikes with your snowshoes. There is much to discover: Weir churches, Franciscan monasteries, castles and palaces, knights' festivals, singers' wars, landscape parks and churchyard gardens, as well as good food and art along the way.

• The route can be divided into a total of 17 individual stages
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