to stroll
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to go for a walk
To move slowly on foot and without a specific destination in order to relax or enjoy the surroundings. This is by far the most common use.
Nach dem Abendessen gehen wir gerne eine Runde am Fluss spazieren.
After dinner, we like to go for a walk by the river.
to stroll
To move at a leisurely pace on foot; to promenade. This form is used less often without 'gehen' (to go) and often sounds elevated or literary.
Elegant spazierte das Paar durch den Schlosspark.
The couple strolled elegantly through the palace gardens.
to go for a ride
To move around for pleasure and without hurry in a vehicle or on an animal.
Am Wochenende sind wir mit dem Oldtimer durch die Landschaft spazieren gefahren.
At the weekend, we went for a ride through the countryside in the vintage car.
Since 'spazieren' (to stroll) describes a form of movement, the perfect tense is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be), not with 'haben' (to have).
Wir sind gestern zwei Stunden im Wald spazieren gegangen.
We went for a walk in the forest for two hours yesterday.
In the most common combination, 'spazieren gehen' (to go for a walk), only the verb 'gehen' (to go) is conjugated. The word 'spazieren' stays unchanged at the end of the sentence or clause.
Ich gehe am Abend gerne im Park spazieren.
I like to go for a walk in the park in the evening.
The expression 'spazieren gehen' (to go for a walk) is often combined with prepositions that describe the place or company. Typical examples are 'im Park' (in the park), 'am See' (by the lake), 'durch die Stadt' (through the city), or 'mit dem Hund' (with the dog).
Lass uns am Strand spazieren gehen.
Let's go for a walk on the beach.
The pattern can also be formed with other verbs of movement such as 'fahren' (to drive/ride) or 'reiten' (to ride). Here too, 'spazieren' remains unchanged at the end of the sentence.
An ihrem Geburtstag sind sie mit der Kutsche spazieren gefahren.
On her birthday, they went for a ride in the carriage.
to hike / migrate / wander
Wandern and spazieren gehen both refer to voluntarily walking for recreation. Wandern usually means covering a longer distance or going on an outing, often in nature. Spazieren gehen is more suitable for a shorter, slow walk for recreation without a specific destination.
Am Sonntag gehen wir eine halbe Stunde ohne festes Ziel im Park spazieren.
On Sunday, we are going for a half-hour walk in the park without a specific destination.
Am Sonntag wandern wir sechs Stunden auf einem Weg durch die Berge.
On Sunday, we are going on a six-hour hike along a trail through the mountains.
