Hiking and Cycling in the Black Forest
Walks, treks and cycle rides in southern Germany
Hiking and Cycling in the Black Forest
Walks, treks and cycle rides in southern Germany
Guidebook describing day walks, multi-stage treks and 5 cycle routes covering the north, central and southern regions of Germany's Black Forest. From easy routes for families to multi-day journeys, the walks and rides explore the many forests, villages, castles and hills near Strasbourg, Baden-Baden, Freiburg and Basle.A guidebook to 15 day walks, 3 multi-stage treks and 5 cycle routes in Germany’s Black Forest. Exploring the north, central and southern regions, the routes are suitable for walkers and cyclists of all abilities and are perfect for spring and autumn.
The day walks range from 11-24km (7-15 miles) and can be enjoyed in 4-7 hours. The 3 multi-day treks included are Schluchtensteig (120km, 75 miles), Zweitälersteig (108km, 67 miles) and Seensteig (71km, 44 miles). Four day rides are described along with the 242km (150 mile) Southern Black Forest Cycle Route.
- 1:50,000 maps are included for each walk, 1:100,000 maps for each ride
- Information given on local geology, history and wildlife
- Detailed information on facilities and public transport
- Black Forest highlights including Feldberg, Belchen Schauinsland, Hornisgrinde and Mummelsee
- GPX files available to download
Printed book
A guidebook with detailed route descriptions, stage breakdowns, accommodation listings, profiles and maps - everything you need on the trail.
ISBN
9781786310217
Availability
Published
Published
19 Feb 2019
Reprinted
27 Sept 2023
Edition
Second
Pages
320
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.80cm
Weight
370g
eBook
The complete digital edition of the guidebook, with full route descriptions, accommodation listings, profiles and maps, ready to use on any device.
Map key
Overview map
Introduction
Geology
History
Plants and wildlife
Getting there
Getting around
Accommodation
Food and drink
When to go
What to take
Dangers and annoyances
Navigation and signage
Cycling
Maps
Etiquette
Using this guide
Southern Black Forest
The Walks
Walk 1 Feldbergsteig – Black Forest’s highest peak
Walk 2 Belchen – Sacred mountain of the Celts
Walk 3 High above Münstertal
Walk 4 Panorama trail around Schönberg
Walk 5 In the heart of Margrave’s Land – Wiiwegli and Bettlerpfad
Walk 6 Schluchtensteig
Stage 1 Stühlingen to Blumberg
Stage 2 Blumberg to Schattenmühle
Stage 3 Schattenmühle to Aha
Stage 4 Aha to St Blasien
Stage 5 St Blasien to Todtmoos
Stage 6 Todtmoos to Wehr
The Ride
Ride 1 Southern Black Forest Cycle Trail
Stage 1 Hinterzarten to Bonndorf
Stage 2 Bonndorf to Waldshut
Stage 3 Waldshut to Rheinfelden
Stage 4A Rheinfelden to Steinenstadt via Basle
Stage 4B Rheinfelden to Steinenstadt via Kandern
Stage 5 Steinenstadt to Hinterzarten
Central Black Forest
The Walks
Walk 7 Kaiserstuhl rim route
Walk 8 Edelfrauengrab and Karlsruher Grat
Walk 9 Above Renchtal
Walk 10 To the source of the Danube
Walk 11 Zweribachfalls and Vosges chapel
Walk 12 Zweitälersteig
Stage 1 Waldkirch to Kandel (or St Peter)
Stage 2 Kandel to Simonswald
Stage 3 Simonswald to Oberprechtal
Stage 4 Oberprechtal to Höhenhäuser
Stage 5 Höhenhäuser to Waldkirch
The Rides
Ride 2 Kaiserstuhl Radweg
Ride 3 Kinzigtal Radweg – Alpirsbach to Offenburg
Northern Black Forest
The Walks
Walk 13 Romantic circuit above Baden-Baden
Walk 14 Sasbachwalden idyll
Walk 15 Upland moors (Hornisgrinde)
Walk 16 Kaltenbronn Moor
Walk 17 Großes Loch and Teufelsmühle
Walk 18 Seensteig
Stage 1 Baiersbronn to Mitteltal
Stage 2 Mitteltal to Schliffkopf
Stage 3 Schliffkopf to Mummelsee
Stage 4 Mummelsee to Schönmünzach
The Rides
Ride 4 Enztal Radweg – Gompelscheuer to Pforzheim
Ride 5 Nagold Radweg – Nagold to Pforzheim
Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Glossary of useful terms
Appendix C Further information
Seasons
spring and autumn are the best times of the year to visit the Black Forest. But the cool forest glades and lofty hills make summer walking bearable. Some routes are even accessible in winter and make for magical winter wonderland walking
Centres
Freiburg im Breisgau Waldkirch, Hinterzarten, Baden Baden, Baiersbronn, Titisee, Bad Wildbad, Nagold, Calw, Breisach am Rhein
Difficulty
The Black Forest is a medium-height mountain range with the highest peaks around 1500m. Trails are well marked and maintained, so the terrain is not especially difficult in most parts. Good physical condition and ability to cope with sometimes steep ascends is required. Normal walking equipment will suffice
Must See
Feldberg, the highest peak of the Black Forest, Wutachschlucht, the biggest gorge in Germany, the source of the Danube, Black Forest National Park, Kaiserstuhl, the heights of Baden-Baden (Panorama Trail), sections of the Westweg, Titisee and Schluchsee, Zweribach Waterfall, Münstertal, Kinzigtal, Schauinsland (Freiburg), Belchen Long distance routes - Schluchtensteig Zweitälersteig, Seensteig, Südschwarzwald Radweg (Southern Black Forest Bicycle Route)
June 2023
Seasonal trail closures on the Seensteig
Stage 2 Lotharpfad is closed when winter conditions make it unsafe to walk it (snow and ice)
Stage 3 Just after Schliffkopf, at Hübscher Platz, Seensteig normally wanders off down the hill to Melkenhütte and on to Ruhestein. This section is seasonally closed, as is the section between Darmstädterhütte and Seibelseckle. For the first section follow Westweg signs 8red marker) for the second section, an alternative route is posted at Darmstädterhütte.
Stage 4 The section across Hornisgrinde is open as a snowshoe trail, but between Dreifürstenstein and Hinterer Brand is closed from 15 November to 15 May. An alternative route is posted.
Stage 5 I did not cover this stage in my book, but for anyone who wants to just continue walking the complete round, this section is closed until 15 March
June 2023
Trail closures in the National Park (northern Black Forest)
Some trails in the Black Forest National Park (northern Black Forest) are seasonally closed to protect the wildlife during mating season. The trails that are affected are all closed from 15 November and, depending on location and habitat, reopen on 15 March, 15 May or even as late as 15 June.
The National Park Service provides further information, for both short-term temporary closure www.nationalpark-schwarzwald.de/de/erleben/unterwegs-im-park/wegesperrungen
and for seasonal closures: www.nationalpark-schwarzwald.de/fileadmin/Mediendatenbank_Nationalpark/06_Karten_und_Broschueren/Karten/NLP_Starterkarte_Winter-Edition.jpg
Some trails in the Black Forest National Park (northern Black Forest) are seasonally closed to protect the wildlife during mating season. The trails that are affected are all closed from 15 November and, depending on location and habitat, reopen on 15 March, 15 May or even as late as 15 June.
The National Park Service provides further information, for both short-term temporary closure www.nationalpark-schwarzwald.de/de/erleben/unterwegs-im-park/wegesperrungen
and for seasonal closures: www.nationalpark-schwarzwald.de/fileadmin/Mediendatenbank_Nationalpark/06_Karten_und_Broschueren/Karten/NLP_Starterkarte_Winter-Edition.jpg
June 2023
Disruptions to the train service
A major infrastructure project is disrupting train services on the Rheintalbahn.
The Deutsche Bahn is currently in the midst of a massive construction project on the Rheintalbahn, which serves towns and cites along the Rhein such as Karlsruhe, Raststatt, Offenburg, Freiburg, Basel and all point between. The major north/south-bound traffic artery across Europe is being enlarged to accommodate more freight trains and relieving congestion on the motorways.
The construction phase will take until 2041 to complete and will involve tearing down and rebuilding not just tracks and tunnels, but also platforms, bridges, slip roads and station buildings, all along the railway line. This means that regular train services on this route are occasionally disrupted.
To minimise the impact on commuters, the most disruptive works are often scheduled on weekends, during holiday periods or at night. Normally, affected services are covered by a replacement bus service, but during Covid, this was not always reliable due to staff shortages.
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