I spent about a third of my Army career in West Germany, then later Germany.  My favorite way to spend my weekends was to hike the German volksmarches.  Small towns host organized hikes, usually along 10 and/or 20 kilometer circular routes through the countryside.  The medieval town Rothenburg Ob Der Tauber has one that winds through the town, includes a museum of ancient torture devices.   I did one along the Rhine that had me hiking along bluffs that permitted me to look down at castles.  When I got married, my wife Nelly and I sometimes pushed a baby stroller for 10 kms.  I did a very pretty one Santa katerina in the Dolomiti mountains of northern Italy--the drive through Austria was also very nice.  I still have a lot of old medals, steins, and mugs with town logos that were awards for doing the hikes.