The great thing about hiking is that you can do it practically anywhere, at any time of day, and in any weather!
Let’s take the BÄR Düsseldorf store on Königsallee as an example starting point: lace up your BÄR hiking shoes and head out the door.
You only have to cover a few hundred meters on asphalt to reach the nearest park—the Hofgarten. There, beautiful paths lead beneath old trees and along a riding avenue to the Napoleonsberg lookout hill. A few kilometers farther on, you’ll reach the Rhine meadows. Idyllic cycling and hiking trails run along the river, offering views of Germany’s most famous waterway, while numerous places to stop and enjoy a meal invite you to linger. And if you want to venture even farther afield, head toward the Eifel, which is considered a hikers’ paradise thanks to its national parks.
While we usually know our immediate surroundings well and can simply set off, it is advisable to have a plan when hiking through unfamiliar habitats and landscapes. Various hiking guides offer route suggestions for every region, complete with directions, maps, and tips. A growing number of apps can also be downloaded to your smartphone, providing numerous routes. The advantage: Often, all you have to do is determine your current location, and the apps immediately provide suggestions. If we enter the BÄR Düsseldorf store as our starting point, we instantly receive suggestions for seven routes beginning right outside the store, including information about length and difficulty, photographic impressions, places to stop, tourism information, and more. And of course, you can use GPS navigation (which conventional book publishers now offer as well). But wait! Before you set off in high spirits, don’t forget the most important thing: the right footwear. Nothing ruins a beautiful hike more than sore or wet feet. When choosing shoes, consider the surface you’ll be walking on. The rule of thumb is: the more rugged and steeper the terrain, the greater the demands on the shoe. This is why we distinguish between light running shoes such as HIGH PERFORMANCE, EASYRUN, or LADYRUN for level terrain; mid-height, preferably waterproof trekking shoes (GRAN BECCA or TRANSEUROPA 2.0) for classic hikes; and sturdy, ankle-high hiking boots for mountain and snow tours (BERGKOMFORT, FELDBERG, or INNSBRUCK).
Selected clothing and accessories are also extremely useful, starting with the right socks. For those who feel the cold and for wet days, the TREKKING SOCKS are an absolute must, as they not only keep your feet warm but also dry, while being breathable too. You should also have a comfortable trekking pants, a warm, water-repellent jacket, and a small first-aid kit. Add a water bottle with an stainless steel cup, and you’re ready to go. As our resident poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe once said: “Only where you have been on foot have you truly been.”
PS: After a hike comes the next hike: Afterwards, give your tired feet some relaxation and recovery—with a foot mat or BRUNO, for a wonderful self-massage of the feet!
Get inspired & discover
the new BERGKOMFORRT hiking collection
