North South Trail in the Wanderfreund app
That’s what we call „Big News“! It took quite some time, but now the Nord Süd Trail finally has its own hiking app with all the essential information about the trail.
Instead of developing a standalone app, we chose a community-driven approach. This app doesn’t just feature the NST, but also numerous other long-distance hiking trails across Germany.
For us at the NST initiative, this marks another major milestone in the development of the Nord Süd Trail.
Anyone can contribute! You can help map new trails, log shelters, water sources, and other points of interest (POIs).
Since our Thru-Hikers report changes and updates every year, this guide is the most up-to-date resource for long-distance hiking in Germany.
What does Wanderfreund offer you?
1. detailed maps
2. real-time calculations
3. elevation profile information
4. works offline
5. Community-Power
The team behind Wanderfreund has embarked on creating an app that helps you navigate Germany’s long-distance trails. The people behind Wanderfreund are Renee, Tim, and Jonas—experienced long-distance hikers who know exactly what matters when tackling multi-day treks.
From their journeys on trails at home and abroad, they’ve encountered breathtaking places and learned the importance of reliable navigation. Poorly marked trails are just one of the many reasons why a good navigation tool is essential. For outdoor enthusiasts who love wild camping, finding reliable information in Germany has always been a challenge—until now.
We had the chance to ask Jonas, one of the three creators of Wanderfreund, a few questions.
1. where did you meet each other?
In 2018, we met on the Pacific Crest Trail—Jonas from Hannover and the two Americans, Renee and Tim. We were hiking northbound (NoBo) and first crossed paths in Northern California. Right from the start, we got along great and hiked several sections together.
For all of us, the PCT was one of the most incredible experiences we had ever had. However, our real friendship developed after the trail: Renee (an engineer) and Tim (a professor of plant genetics) moved to Göttingen after finishing the PCT. From that point on, we spent every free moment hiking Germany’s trails, constantly reliving our shared PCT adventure.
2. when did the idea for your app come about?
On the PCT, we used the Guthooks app (now FarOut). But when we started hiking in Germany, we quickly realized how useful such an app would be here. There was nothing like it—many apps offered hiking routes, but they lacked curated trail-specific information, such as shelters or water sources.
So, we thought: If there’s no suitable app for long-distance hiking in Germany, we’ll just create one! And that’s exactly what we did.
3. why is the app free of charge?
At first, we considered charging a small fee per trail to cover costs and the enormous time investment. However, since we all have stable jobs and good incomes, we realized that we could afford to offer Wanderfreund for free.
Moreover, we’ve benefited immensely from the international hiking community—we’ve met countless trail angels and received generous support along the way. Now, it’s time to give something back—in a way that aligns with our skills. In a sense, we see ourselves as digital trail angels. 😉
4. what does the future hold for Wanderfreund?
We want Wanderfreund to remain a reliable companion for long-distance hikers in Germany. This project is more than just a hobby for us.
Of course, we’d love to dedicate even more time to expanding it, but we’re doing our best to explore new trails, gather data, and integrate them into the app.
Fortunately, we’ve built a small network of passionate hikers who help us log trails and collect data. We plan to expand this network further. The process of collecting accurate, high-quality trail data is time-consuming, but every new hiker who joins us strengthens the Thru-Hiking community in Germany.
If you’re passionate about long-distance hiking and want to contribute, we’d love to have you on board!
All that remains for us at the Nord Süd Trail Initiative is to express our deepest gratitude. We were especially inspired by the idea of “Digital Trail Angels,” as it perfectly reflects our own philosophy. Like Wanderfreund, we created the NST not to make money but to bring joy to fellow hikers.
Just like Wanderfreund, the Nord Süd Trail is and will always remain a non-profit initiative—a trail by long-distance hikers, for long-distance hikers.
You can download the Wanderfreund app for both Android and Apple devices. Be sure to check out their websitee as well!
and before you go, we highly recommend following Renee and Tim on social media for tons of great tips and tricks on thru-hiking.
So, have fun with Wanderfreund—and as always, Hike On!
Renee Miller and Tim Beissinger, also known as @thruhikers, share their experiences exploring the outdoors—hiking, backpacking, canoeing, and camping—with millions of people. They break down every aspect of their adventures—trail routes, gear, recipes, and more—and share stories from their time out on the trail.
Their first book is packed with advice, techniques, gear recommendations, and troubleshooting tips for beginner and experienced outdoorsy people alike. They take you through the entire experience: before the trail, on the trail, and after the trail. Plus, they include over 20 plant-based dehydrated recipes, like Curry Rice and Cold-Soaked Shepherd’s Pie, to bring on your adventures.
Learn how to plan your trip, pack your gear, deal with animals and leave no trace, eat and drink safely, avoid and care for injuries, pass the time, navigate all types of weather, get over the post-trail blues, and more. With this guide, you’ll be prepared for anything.
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