Walking route · Winterberg · Updated on 14 November 2026

Rothaarsteig walk

Rothaarsteig is a walk of 152.8 km from Winterberg. Along the way you'll find 460 benches, 5 water fountains and refill points, 6 public toilets, 3 bike pumps and 1 honesty box.

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The route step by step

From start to finish, with what you pass along the way and the distance in between.

152.8 km
± 12:40 h per stage
↑ 2,455 m · ↓ 2,899 m
Hard per stage
From A to B
Regional route

Pick a stage to see the pitstops per kilometre. Along the way you'll find 460 benches, 5 water fountains and refill points, 6 public toilets, 3 bike pumps and 1 honesty box.

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The route with the water points, toilets and sights within 100 m of it.

8 sights along the way

In the order you pass them. With the Outdoor Pitstop app you hear their story on the spot.

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Photo: Marion Halft · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons
Memorial
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Photo: Michael Kramer · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons
Museum
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Photo: Elop · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons
Archaeological site
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Photo: Muck · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons
Observation tower
Observation tower
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Photo: Markus Schweiss · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons
Observation tower
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Photo: Uv22e · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons
Observation tower
Observation tower

Stages (3)

Elevation and terrain

Up: ↑ 2,455 m
Down: ↓ 2,899 m
Highest point: 839 m
Lowest point: 229 m

5-10% slope · 33.9 km
10-15% slope · 5.2 km
15-20% slope · 711 m
20% slope or steeper · 446 m
14 stairs

Elevation from Copernicus GLO-30 (European Union and ESA), smoothed.

Way types

152.8 km in total

Track: 100 km
Path: 38.7 km
Street: 9.6 km
Footpath: 1.7 km
Stairs: 14 stairs
Road: 950 m
Busy road: 50 m

Surfaces

152.8 km in total

Gravel: 59.1 km
Unpaved: 41.1 km
Asphalt: 13.3 km
Natural: 2.6 km
Paved: 2.2 km
Unknown: 33.8 km

About the walking route Rothaarsteig

Updated on 14 November 2026, with data from OpenStreetMap, the AHN and Copernicus.

Where do you walk?

Rothaarsteig is a walking route of 152.8 km that starts in Winterberg. It does not end where it starts.

How hard is the route?

You climb 2,455 m in total and descend 2,899 m. There are 14 flights of steps along the way. Allow ± 12:40 h per stage, without breaks. Per stage the level is hard.

What paths do you walk on?

The longest part is track (100 km), path (38.7 km) and street (9.6 km). Of the surface, 59.1 km gravel and 41.1 km unpaved. For 33.8 km the surface is not known.

Pitstops along the way

Within 100 metres of the route there are 460 benches, 5 water fountains and refill points, 6 public toilets, 3 bike pumps and 1 honesty box. The Outdoor Pitstop app navigates you there.

The Rothaarsteig is a 153 km long-distance trail along the crest of the Rothaar Mountains, from Brilon in the Sauerland to Dillenburg in Hesse, in eight stages. It mostly follows the watershed between the Rhine and the Weser and passes the Bruchhauser Steine rocks, the Kahler Asten with its Astenturm tower and the Rhein-Weser-Turm. Winterberg and the sources of the Ruhr, Eder, Sieg and Lahn lie on the way. Two thirds is forest track and a quarter is path. There are few pitstops: we know of 6 toilets and 5 drinking water points.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Walks nearby

Map ›

Sights nearby

Within 10 km of the route, best known first.

1Herborn CastleCastle · 5.9 km from the route
2Wasserburg HainchenCastle · 877 m from the route
3Willhelm I. Prinz von OranienMemorial · 127 m from the route
4GinsburgCastle · 143 m from the route
5WilhelmslindeAttraction · 205 m from the route
6LahnquelleAttraction · 208 m from the route
7Villa GrünMuseum · 257 m from the route
8Schloss BruchhausenCastle · 266 m from the route
9KrenkelsbachaquäduktAttraction · 537 m from the route
10Modell KrenkelsbachaquäduktAttraction · 547 m from the route
11Phillipsstollen - Briloner EisenbergMuseum · 1.3 km from the route
12Strüker-SteinAttraction · 1.7 km from the route
13Nepomuk-FigurMemorial · 1.9 km from the route
14GleichenhäuschenViewpoint · 2.1 km from the route
15OlsbergViewpoint · 2.3 km from the route
16HochheideturmObservation tower · 2.4 km from the route
17Schloss AdolfsburgCastle · 2.5 km from the route
18Burgruine RappelsteinViewpoint · 3.2 km from the route
19UplandbahnAttraction · 3.3 km from the route
20Museum WilnsdorfMuseum · 3.7 km from the route
21EduardsturmObservation tower · 3.9 km from the route
22Kunsthaus alte MühleMuseum · 3.9 km from the route
23MemorialMemorial · 4 km from the route
24SchwalenburgAttraction · 4.5 km from the route
25Schloss SchellensteinCastle · 4.6 km from the route

Explore more

More walks around Winterberg

Frequently asked questions

How long is Rothaarsteig?

Rothaarsteig is 152.8 km long, in 3 parts of 50.9 km on average. Allow ± 12:40 h per part of walking: 4.5 km an hour and 10 minutes more per 100 metres of climbing, without breaks.

Is this route a circular walk?

No, the route starts and ends at different spots.

Where does this route start?

The route starts in Winterberg.

How hard is this route?

Hard per stage, with 818 m per stage of climbing.

Are there toilets along this route?

Yes, there are 6 public toilets within 100 m of the route.

Can you fill up with water along this route?

Yes, there are 5 water fountains and refill points within 100 m of the route.

What is there to see along this route?

Along the way you pass Der Richtplatz, Museum Haus Hövener and Wallanlage Borberg.

Can I download this route as a GPX file?

Yes. Sign in with your Outdoor Pitstop account and choose Download GPX at the top of this page: 10 routes a month for free, unlimited with Pro.

Starting point

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Winterberg