Goldsteig hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Goldsteig is a long-distance trail in eastern Bavaria, Germany, and one of the "Top Trails of Germany". It runs from Marktredwitz in the Fichtelgebirge foothills through the Upper Palatinate Forest (Oberpfälzer Wald) and the Bavarian Forest (Bayerischer Wald) to Passau, where the Danube, Inn and Ilz meet. The whole Goldsteig is 660 km, but that figure counts two variants. After the Kulzer Moos on stage N8 the trail splits: the southern route takes the gentler hills, and the northern route, followed here, climbs over the 1,000 m summits along the Czech border. The northern main route is about 418 km in 23 official stages. The waymark is a gold "S" on a white sign with the word GOLDSTEIG; a blue S marks loops, link paths and alternatives.

The route

The first seven stages cross the Oberpfälzer Wald: the Steinwald and the ruined castle of Weißenstein, the fish ponds of the "land of a thousand ponds", the granite gorge of the Waldnaabtal, the castles of Falkenberg, Neuhaus and Leuchtenberg, and the youth hostel in Burg Trausnitz. In this area small Zoigl taverns serve home-brewed beer on set days. After Oberviechtach and the Kulzer Moos the northern route passes Rötz and Waldmünchen and reaches the border town of Furth im Wald.

From there it becomes a ridge walk. It climbs the Hohenbogen and the rocky Kaitersberg, then on stage N13 crosses eight summits over 1,000 m to the Großer Arber (1,456 m), the highest point of the trail. After Bayerisch Eisenstein it enters the Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany's oldest, which together with the Czech Šumava forms the largest protected forest in Central Europe. Here it goes over the Großer Falkenstein, through the high mountain meadows (Schachten) and bogs to the Rachel and the boulder-covered summit of the Lusen. The last stages follow the border past Philippsreut and Haidmühle, cross the Dreisessel and the granite Steinernes Meer, run about 8 km through Austria, and drop through granite country around Hauzenberg to Passau.

This guide follows the official stages as mapped on OpenStreetMap and splits the route into 23 stages, about 18.1 km each. The line measures 416 km with roughly 10,900 m of climbing.

When to walk the Goldsteig

The best time is late May to mid-October. The huts on the Falkenstein and the Lusen take overnight guests only from May to the end of October. In the high Bavarian Forest snow can lie into June, and the trail operator says the Goldsteig is not a winter trail. July and August are warmest and busiest, with afternoon thunderstorms; September and early October are often clear and quiet, with autumn colour in the beech forests. To protect the capercaillie you must stay on marked paths in the national park core zone from 16 November to 14 July and around the Arber and Dreisessel from 1 November to 30 June; the Goldsteig itself stays open.

How many days do you need?

Most walkers need 23 to 25 days for the whole northern route, with a rest day or two. Many walk it in sections of a week: the Oberpfälzer Wald (Marktredwitz to Oberviechtach, 7 days, easy to moderate) and the ridge stages from Furth im Wald to Mauth are the most popular. Stages vary from 10 to 31 km. Long days such as Rötz to Herzogau (31 km) and Großer Falkenstein to Rachel (26 km) can be split by leaving the trail to a village, as partner hosts often pick walkers up.

Booking and accommodation

You sleep in village inns (Gasthof), small hotels, pensions, youth hostels and a few mountain huts. There are no permits or fees for the trail. Book ahead from June to September, especially for the huts and for small places such as Herzogau, Eck and Philippsreut. The Goldsteig "Ge(h)nuss" partner hosts offer a hiker breakfast, a drying room and, on request, pick-up and baggage transfer. In 2026 the Waldschmidthaus on the Rachel is closed for renovation and has no beds, so on stages N16 and N17 you must descend to Spiegelau, Riedlhütte, St. Oswald or Waldhäuser for the night. Wild camping needs the landowner's permission and is banned in the national park; use campsites, the free national park tent site at Scheuereck, or the bookable Goldsteig trekking sites (one night, usually 15 euros per tent).

Getting there and away

Marktredwitz is on the Regensburg to Hof railway, with connections from Nuremberg. Passau normally has direct trains to Regensburg, Nuremberg and Munich, but from 14 June 2026 the line from Obertraubling (Regensburg) to Passau, which these trains use, is closed for about six months for rebuilding, with replacement buses; check bahn.de before you travel. Along the way, Furth im Wald has trains to Schwandorf, and Bayerisch Eisenstein, Zwiesel and Spiegelau are on the Waldbahn. Igelbus buses link the national park trailheads, and BAXI on-demand buses serve the Oberpfälzer Wald (book in advance). Many hosts give you the free GUTi guest card for buses and trains in the Bayerwald-Ticket area. The nearest airports are Munich, Nuremberg and Prague.

Money and phone signal

Germany uses the euro. Cards work in towns, but small inns, Zoigl taverns and huts may take cash only, and cash machines are found only in the larger villages, so carry enough cash. Many inns close one day a week (Ruhetag); check before you rely on dinner. Mobile signal is good in towns but patchy in forests, valleys and near the Czech border, where your phone may switch to a Czech network. EU roaming rules apply.

What to pack

Bring waterproofs and warm layers: the summits reach 1,300 to 1,450 m and can be cold, wet and windy even in summer. Wear sturdy boots for the rocky ridges of the Kaitersberg, Arber, Lusen boulder field and Dreisessel; poles help on the steep descents. Carry the official stage guide or GPX track, an ID card or passport for the border sections, cash, a first-aid and blister kit, tick protection and enough water and food for the national park stages, where there are few shops.

Difficulty and safety

The Oberpfälzer Wald stages are easy to moderate. The northern route in the Bavarian Forest is hard: the official ratings are "schwer" for most ridge stages and "sehr schwer" for Großer Falkenstein to Rachel. Expect long climbs, roots and granite boulders. In the national park dead trees are left to fall, so leave the forest in strong wind. Ticks are common, and Bavaria is a risk area for tick-borne encephalitis. In an emergency call 112 for an ambulance or mountain rescue (Bergwacht) and 110 for the police; in Austria 140 also reaches mountain rescue. For non-urgent medical help call 116 117.