just an individual field to safeguard specific plants or animals found only in a particular spot.
Perhaps surprisingly, larger animals are rarely seen. Deer, fox and wild boar tend to avoid humans, although they are there, and in recent years even the lynx has returned to its former range in the Black Forest. Birds are by far the easiest animals to observe, and thanks to the variety of habitats there is quite a wide range of species – including wood grouse, peregrine falcon, storks, three-toed woodpecker, green woodpecker, spotted nutcracker, kestrels, red and black kites, buzzards, haw finch, golden oriole, great grey shrike, red-backed shrike, black redstart, blackcap, yellow hammer, cuckoo, goldcrest, goldfinch and wagtails, to name but a few.
Bannwald
Although the Black Forest is a managed environment, there are quite a few areas known as Bannwald (special protection areas) that are set aside for scientific study. They are neither managed nor cut, although if necessary the forestry service may clear obstructed trails. Thus, walkers should be especially careful of falling branches and other unsuspected dangers when entering a Bannwald. On windy days they are best avoided.
In protected areas (Naturschuzgebiet) special rules apply:
keep noise down (ie no portable stereos etc)
keep to the trails
do not pick mushrooms
do not collect stones or minerals
do not feed the wildlife
do not litter
no open fires
use official campsites
do not remove plants or animals
keep dogs on a leash
do not fly model airplanes or kites.
Walking the Westweg
The Westweg leads from the northernmost outpost of the Black Forest in Pforzheim to Basel in the ‘tri-country corner’, where Switzerland, France and Germany meet. Starting in Pforzheim, the route follows the River Enz to Neuenbürg an der Enz, with its medieval castle towering above the town. From here it climbs up to the Dobel plateau. Although on the first day it takes a little while to leave civilisation behind, the second stage runs high above the towns and villages nestled in the valleys, with many beautiful, long-ranging views to the north and west. After passing through the nature reserve at Kaltenbronn, which protects the largest coherent upland moor in Germany, the trail heads down to the valley of the Murg, where the second stage ends in the picturesque town of Forbach.
Above the clouds on the Dobel plateau (Stage 1/2)
The deeply cut valleys of the northern Black Forest are experienced on the third stage – one of the most demanding sections of the entire route. Some rather steep climbs add up to about 1000 cumulative altitude metres between Forbach and Unterstmatt, taking in the peaks of Badener Höhe (1002m), Hundseck (856m) and Hochkopf (1041m) along the way.
The fourth stage is relatively easy, and very scenic, although it’s a long day’s hike. After a steep climb to Hornisgrinde (1163m), the highest peak in the north, the trail runs along the central ridge via Ruhestein (997m) and Schliffkopf (1054m) to Alexanderschanze, with wonderful long-distance views for most of the way.
The following two days provide a complete contrast as the route runs almost entirely through the forest, with only occasional passages through open terrain and glimpses of the valleys below as the trail approaches Hausach in the Kinzig valley, which lies approximately at the midpoint of the route and also at its lowest point of elevation.
Hausach is the gateway to the central/southern Black Forest – a region of more open farmland and softer contours. But the climb back up to the ridge is pretty steep, and this stage tots up another 1000+ altitude metres on its way to Wilhelmshöhe. The higher mountains are getting closer now and the open long-distance views across the rolling hills lift the spirit – compensating for the fact that from Neueck to Süßes Häusle the trail runs rather close to the busy B500. Thereafter, the panoramic vistas are unimpeded and a pure joy, almost all the way to Titisee – a busy tourist spot on the largest natural lake in the Black Forest.
Lake Titisee, the largest natural lake in the Black Forest region (Stage 9)
In Titisee the trail splits and you have to decide whether to continue along the western edge of the massif, taking in some of the highest peaks – Feldberg, Belchen and Hochblauen – before descending through the rolling vineyards and orchards of Markgräflerland, or whether to take a more easterly route, via Herzogenhorn and Blößling to Todtmoos and the open farmland of Dinkelberg, to reach Basel.
Both routes are quite beautiful and each has its own highlights, but the western route is arguably the more interesting – and thus the more popular and busier of the two. The eastern branch is quieter, less dramatic (but not necessarily ‘easier’ in terms of altitude metres) and has more contact with towns and traffic along the way.
North to South or South to North?
Although the route is marked in both directions, almost everybody walks it from north to south – and with good reason. While the mountains are the same, the views are not. Walking from north to south, the anticipation grows as one approaches the higher hills ahead, and majestic Alpine peaks tower on the distant horizon. Basel, with its allure of cultural attractions and old-world charms, holds its own appeal as the final destination, whereas Pforzheim – well, lets just say it can’t compete. But if all one wants to do is walk a small section, or some individual stages, the direction really does not matter much.
Getting there
The Black Forest is very accessible and well served by a number of regional airports. If you are planning to start the Westweg in the north (recommended), the most useful airports to fly into are Stuttgart, Baden-Baden, or even Strasbourg, just over the border in France. If none of these are convenient, the next best international hub is Frankfurt. When you have completed the walk, rather than returning to the arrival airport it would make more sense to fly out of Basel’s Euroairport, or even Geneva or Zurich – especially if you’re walking the full length of the trail.
Stuttgart airport (www.stuttgart-airport.com) is served by several airlines from various cities in the UK and Ireland and from all over the world. The S2 or S3 light railway lines connect the airport with the central station (Hauptbahnhof), from where a local train takes you directly to Pforzheim.
Baden-Baden is not the most convenient airport for getting to Pforzheim. However, it is a good option for those wishing to spend a little extra time exploring Baden-Baden. The airport is very small and schedules frequently change. Current flight information is available at: www.baden-airpark.de/startseite
There are several buses that connect Baden-Baden airport with other destinations. Hahn Express (www.hahn-express.de) connects it with Hahn airport (Ryanair’s Frankfurt outpost), with stops in Baden-Baden and Karlsruhe. There is no direct service from Baden-Baden to Pforzheim; switch to a local train in Karlsruhe.
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