Top 10 Riding Spots in Germany
Germany is one of the great equestrian nations. The Hanoverian warmblood, the Holstein, the Oldenburg, and the Trakehner are among the most influential sport-horse breeds in the world, and the density of breeding studs, competition arenas, and professional yards in the northern lowlands and Rhine corridor is unmatched. For the recreational rider, however, Germany's appeal lies in the diversity of its landscape — from the North Sea island beaches to the Bavarian alpine foothills, the Black Forest ridgelines to the lake-country of the former East — and in a riding infrastructure that makes trail riding genuinely organised and accessible.
The map shows German equestrian centres across all regions.
1. Hannover Region, Lower Saxony
Hannover is the administrative and cultural centre of the Hanoverian warmblood — one of the most successful sport-horse breeds in Olympic-level dressage and show jumping. The city and surrounding region host the Hannover State Stud at Celle and a dense network of professional breeding and training yards. The terrain around Hannover is flat agricultural plain with good riding tracks through forest and heathland. Predominantly Hanoverian stock. All competition levels; a pilgrimage destination for breed enthusiasts. Season: year-round.
2. Warendorf, North Rhine-Westphalia
Warendorf is home to the German National Equestrian Federation (FN) and the Westphalian State Stud — the central institution for German warmblood breeding documentation and stallion approval. The town hosts major national competitions and the German stallion licensing championship. Surrounding trail riding is through Münsterland farmland and the Teutoburg Forest ridge. Westphalian horses. All levels; strong competition infrastructure. Season: year-round.
3. Bavarian Forest, Bavaria
The Bayerischer Wald — Germany's oldest national park — covers densely forested granite hills on the Czech border. Riding operators access a network of forest tracks and mountain meadow routes that are quiet and well-maintained. The terrain is rolling to hilly; suitable for intermediate riders and above. Noriker cold-blood horses appear in some heritage operations; modern operations use warmblood and sport-horse stock. Season: May to October.
4. Mecklenburg Lake District, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
The Mecklenburg Seenplatte (lake plateau) in the former East Germany is a flat landscape of glacial lakes, beech forest, and agricultural field. Trail riding here is unhurried and scenic — routes follow lake shores, cross wetland causeways, and pass through villages that were bypassed by post-war development. Mecklenburg Warmblood horses. All levels; suitable for families. Season: May to October.
5. Lüneburger Heide, Lower Saxony
The Lüneburg Heath is one of Germany's classic heathland landscapes — open moorland of heather, juniper, and birch, crossed by wide sandy riding tracks. The annual August heather bloom turns the entire landscape purple; this is the peak season and is spectacular. The terrain is flat; suitable for all levels including beginners. German Riding Pony and warmblood stock. Season: year-round; August is the visual peak.
6. Schwarzwald, Baden-Württemberg
The Black Forest ridge runs north-south through southwestern Germany, rising to over 1,400 m. The high ridge trails cross mixed forest, open meadow, and plateau farmland with long views west to the Rhine plain and east to the Swabian Alb. The terrain is demanding; mountain riding suitable for intermediate and experienced riders. Black Forest (Schwarzwälder Fuchs) horses — a local cold-blood draught breed known for its distinctive flaxen mane — appear in heritage trail operations. Season: June to October.
7. Sylt, Schleswig-Holstein
The North Sea island of Sylt, accessible by causeway, offers beach riding on the wide Atlantic-facing western shoreline. The contrast between the exposed surf beach and the sheltered Wadden Sea flats on the eastern side gives riders a choice of environments. Several operators are based in the dunes above the beach. Riding on the beach requires timing with tides; operators manage this. Warmblood and sport-horse stock. All levels for beach riding. Season: April to October.
8. Schleswig-Holstein Holstein Country
The rolling hills and hedge-country of Schleswig-Holstein between Hamburg and the Danish border are the origin landscape of the Holstein horse — one of the oldest warmblood breeds, known for its scope and boldness in show jumping. Riding through this landscape on Holstein-bred stock is the breed equivalent of riding an Icelandic horse in Iceland. The terrain is gently rolling agricultural land crossed by green lanes. All levels. Season: year-round.
9. Bayrisches Oberland, Bavaria
The Bavarian foothills between Munich and the Alps offer access to mountain terrain without the altitude or remoteness of the high Tyrol. Operations around Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Mittenwald cross the Isar and Loisach valleys and access lower alpine meadow (Alm) country. Haflinger horses — the sturdy golden-chestnut mountain breed from nearby South Tyrol — are widely used here and are well-suited to beginners on mountain terrain. Season: June to September.
10. Knüllgebirge, Hessen
The Knüll Hills in central Hessen are a forested upland massif that sees very few international visitors but is well-regarded among German trail riders. The terrain is mixed beech-oak forest over sandstone hills with good cross-country tracks and a quiet pastoral character. Suitable for intermediate riders; multi-day routes link farm guesthouses with good trail density. Hessian Sport Horse and warmblood stock. Season: April to October.
German equestrian culture
Germany's equestrian infrastructure is among the most developed in the world. The Deutsche Reiterliche Vereinigung (FN) — the German equestrian federation — operates one of the largest rider qualification systems in Europe, with graded badges from the Reitabzeichen (bronze, silver, gold) that are standard credentials for adult amateur riders and are broadly recognised by riding centres across the country. Visiting riders with FN qualifications will find German centres immediately accommodate their level.
The warmblood breeding system is federally structured: the Hanoverian, the Westphalian, the Oldenburg, the Rheinländer, and the KWPN (Dutch, but widely bred in Germany) are evaluated through a stallion licensing system administered by state-level breed associations. Attending a Hengstparade — the stallion parade and performance test held annually at studs including Celle (Hanover) and Neustadt/Dosse (Brandenburg) — is one of the most specific German equestrian experiences available to visitors.
Trail infrastructure
The German hiking trail network (Wanderwege) partially overlaps with the Reitwege (riding paths), but the two are not identical and the degree of overlap varies significantly by region. The most reliable information on equestrian trail access in any given region comes from the local equestrian association (Landesverband), which typically publishes maps of approved riding routes. Several private mapping services and apps (including specific German modules of Komoot) carry equestrian-specific routing.
For multi-day trail rides, the Degginger Guide and similar regional publications document routes with overnight stable accommodation; this is a well-established format in northern Germany particularly, where the flat terrain and good infrastructure make multi-day self-guided rides more practical than in the mountains.
Use the map to locate German centres and filter by region before planning your route.
Attending a German competition
For riders interested in watching international dressage or show jumping at source, Germany's competition calendar is the densest in the world. Beyond Aachen's CHIO (late June), the Global Champions Tour visits Hamburg in April, the Wiesbaden spring tournament is a traditional early-season CDI, and the Munich Indoor in November is one of the most atmospheric indoor shows in Europe. The German national championships rotate between venues; attending a German national championship in dressage or show jumping gives access to the highest domestic level of both disciplines. Check the German equestrian federation (FN) event calendar for the current year's schedule.