A ''steig'' (Low German: ''Stieg'') is a German term meaning "steep path" that originally referred to a narrow

footpath A footpath (also pedestrian way, walking trail, nature trail) is a type of thoroughfare that is intended for use only by pedestrians and not other forms of traffic such as motorized vehicles, bicycles and horses. They can be found in a wide ...

over hills or mountains that could not be negotiated by

horse-drawn vehicle A horse-drawn vehicle is a mechanized piece of equipment pulled by one horse or by a team of horses. These vehicles typically had two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers and/or a load. They were once common worldwide, but they have m ...

s. Today the term occurs in German-speaking countries as a

synonym A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

for all kinds of footpaths, e.g., ''Bürgersteig'', a term for "pavement" in Austria or

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. The term ''steig'' and its dialectical variations is commonly found in many placenames.

Mountain paths and hiking trails

''Steige'' in hill or mountain areas, often run over exposed, rocky terrain and are therefore more uneven than normal footpaths. They should only be attempted with mountaineering boots or high

sports shoes Sneakers (also called trainers, athletic shoes, tennis shoes, gym shoes, kicks, sport shoes, flats, running shoes, or runners) are shoes primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise, but which are now also widely used fo ...

, which extend above the ankles (to reduce the risk of going over on one's ankle). On

hiking map In modern mapping, a topographic map or topographic sheet is a type of map characterized by large- scale detail and quantitative representation of relief features, usually using contour lines (connecting points of equal elevation), but histori ...

s and large-

scale Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number ...

topographical maps (typically 1:50,000 scale) in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, ''steige'' and '' klettersteige'' are usually portrayed by short dashes or dotted lines, while wider tracks are often indicated by longer dashes (cart tracks may also be portrayed by dots and dashes). Popular climbing mountains often have several ''steige'' on each side (see e.g. the

Rax The Rax is a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps on the border of the Austrian federal provinces of Lower Austria and Styria. Its highest peak is the ''Heukuppe'' (2,007 m). The Rax, together with the nearby Schneeberg, are a tradition ...

, Hochkönig or Zugspitze). Regional books, websites, climbing and hiking guides give more detailed information on the routes and elevations, the opening times of mountain huts and the duration of walks. They may also identify and describe potential emergency exit routes. Narrow or steep paths through a

gorge A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tenden ...

or leading to other tourist attractions such as old mines,

nature trails A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. ...

, waterfalls etc. are called ''steige''. Those that are especially popular are almost always secured with ropes, steps, ladders or small footbridges.

Examples

The suffix ''-steig'' or ''-stieg'' is often used nowadays in the names of major

long distance path A long-distance trail (or long-distance footpath, track, way, greenway) is a longer recreational trail mainly through rural areas used for hiking, backpacking, cycling, horse riding or cross-country skiing. They exist on all continents ...

s of tourist significance. German examples include: *

Eifelsteig The Eifelsteig is a long-distance hiking trail in the Eifel, Germany. It leads in 15 stages of from the Aachen district Kornelimünster to Trier and is maintained by the Eifel Club. File:Eifelsteig Kornelimünster.JPG, Kornelimünster mon ...

, long distance trail in the

Eifel The Eifel (; lb, Äifel, ) is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Community of ...

mountains *

Harzer Hexenstieg The Harz Witches' Trail (german: Harzer Hexenstieg) is a footpath, just under 100 km long, in Germany that runs from Osterode through the Harz mountains and over its highest peak, the Brocken, to Thale. It is a project by the Harz Tra ...

, 100-km-long footpath through the Harz Mountains *

Nibelungensteig The Nibelungensteig is a Hiking, hiking trail in the Germany, German states of Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. It traverses the Odenwald, a hill range or ''Mittelgebirge'' located between the rivers Rhine and Main (river), Main. The trail ...

, 124-km-long trail in the

Odenwald The Odenwald () is a low mountain range in the German states of Hesse, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Location The Odenwald is located between the Upper Rhine Plain with the Bergstraße and the ''Hessisches Ried'' (the northeastern section ...

Rennsteig The () is a ridge walk as well as an historical boundary path in the Thuringian Forest, Thuringian Highland and Franconian Forest in Central Germany. The long-distance trail runs for about from and the valley in the northwest to and the r ...

, 170-km-long ridgeway in Central Germany * Rheinsteig, 320-km-long trail along the Rhine * Rothaarsteig, 154-km-long ridgeway along the Rothaar Mountains

References

External links

{{Wiktionary, de:Steig Mountaineering Names of places in Europe Hiking trails German words and phrases

Mountain paths and hiking trails

Examples

See also

References

External links