Strasbourg airport (strasbourg.aeroport.fr/en) is reasonably well connected to many European cities, including London. Both a shuttle train and bus service connect the airport with the city centre several times per hour. A trans-border train service departs from the central station to Karlsruhe, where local trains leave for Pforzheim.
Frankfurt (www.frankfurt-airport.com) is Germany’s main international airport hub, served by every major airline. There is a train station right at the airport with direct (fast) trains to either Stuttgart or Karlsruhe, where local trains leave for Pforzheim.
Basel/Mulhouse (EuroAirport: www.euroairport.com/en) is well connected to many airports in the UK, Ireland and other parts of Europe. Since the Westweg ends in Basel it is a convenient airport to fly out of. But beware – although the terminal is quite small, it can be a bit confusing. The terminal building is divided into a Swiss and a French side, each with its separate entrances, customs and passport controls. Be sure to know which side your flight departs from (or which exit you want to take, if you arrive here!).
Basel also has three train stations: the central station (Basel SBB), the French SNCF right next to it and Badischer Bahnhof on the other side of the Rhine, which is located on Swiss territory but run by the German train service, DB.
A regular airport shuttle bus (#50) runs between the central station (Basel SBB) and the airport (Swiss side). If you arrive here, don’t take the French shuttle bus service, Distribus #11, as it only goes to the Gare SNCF in Saint Louis (the French part of Basel) and this would make your onward journey rather complicated.
The Swiss and German stations are connected by a local train service (S6), by tram (#2) and by bus (#30).
Should you arrive in Basel, the quickest and least complicated way to get to Pforzheim is to take the ICE (fast train) from Basel SBB to Karlsruhe and then switch to a local train to Pforzheim.
Getting around
If you start the Westweg in Pforzheim or Basel you should have no difficulty finding the trailhead. But if you want to walk only part of the way or explore individual sections as day walks, you should request or download the brochure ‘Westweg mit Bus und Bahn’ from the Black Forest tourist board (unfortunately only available in German) by going to www.schwarzwald-tourismus.info, placing your cursor on the ‘Info’ tab at the top of the page, and selecting ‘Prospektbestellung’. Scroll down the page to get to the brochure, which includes a map showing the nearest bus stops for accessing various points along the route.
See Appendix C for further information on route-planning and transport providers.
Wollbach village (13A)
Konus card
Most hotels and guesthouses issue a ‘Konus card’ upon check-in (or checkout). This card is what you get for paying the local tourist tax. It entitles the cardholder to free public transport on local buses and trains throughout the Black Forest region, for the duration of your stay at each hotel. Even if you don’t think you’ll need it since you’ll be walking, it is worth taking anyway. It allows you to shorten a section or change your plans if the weather suddenly turns, or if you are injured or sick – or if you just want to spend some time exploring other places nearby. It might mean a bit of extra paperwork at check-in, but at least it comes with benefits. If it is not offered, ask for it! To download more information about the Konus card, go to www.blackforest-tourism.com, place your cursor on the ‘Info’ tab at the top of the page, select ‘sales guide’ and scroll down the page to the brochure entitled ‘KONUS – bus and rail for free’. (Not available in mayor towns such as Freiburg, Offenburg, Karlsruhe or Pforzheim.)
Walking without luggage
Many hotels in the region offer luggage-forwarding services for walkers who don’t want to carry their own gear. This is a very convenient service, but it does not necessarily come cheap – especially if the next accommodation is a long way by car. While the distance between one hotel and another ‘as the crow flies’, or in this case ‘as the hiker walks’, is usually relatively short, going up and down and around a lot of little mountain roads can take a long time and racks up quite a few miles. You may be looking at €10 to upwards of €20 per person, although some places charge less if a whole group of people all want their luggage delivered to the same place.
If you really hate carrying gear you can arrange the luggage forwarding yourself. Simply ask when booking your room whether the service is available and how much they charge; that way you can decide each day whether you want to carry your luggage yourself or use the service. (Some sections of the trail are a lot harder than others!)
Another possibility is to pre-book the whole tour, or parts of it, with both accommodation and luggage-forwarding service included. Check www.schwarzwald-tourismus.info for details.
Where to stay
The Black Forest is a well-established tourist region with a wide range of accommodation to choose from – in most places. However, Westweg has been routed to avoid villages as much as possible. While there are some simple guesthouses that lie directly on, or very close to the trail, sometimes there is not a lot of choice and pre-booking is definitely recommended. If you are likely to arrive after 6pm at your accommodation it’s a good idea to call and let them know.
Some hotels that do not lie directly en route may offer a free transfer from and to the trail. Ask at the time of booking.
When arranging your trip, keep in mind that Westweg is a popular route and the Black Forest is an extremely popular walking destination. During peak hiking season, in spring and autumn, pre-booking is essential.
The accommodation listing included in Appendix B; is not exhaustive, but presents a selection of the most convenient places. For further options check the village/town website, or the accommodation listing (Gastgeber Verzeichnis) at www.schwarzwald-tourismus.info.
Note that not all guesthouses take credit cards and ATM machines may not be available nearby.
Alter Rabe guesthouse (Stage 8)
Camping
There are many basic shelter huts sprinkled throughout the Black Forest, and theoretically it is possible to camp at these overnight. Wild camping is tolerated for one night ‘if the walker is in need’ – however, this regulation can be open to interpretation. Basically, the huts are meant for shelter in case of bad weather or as picnic huts for day-trippers. The forest warden can decide to send campers packing – or not – depending on his mood, or on the conduct of the prospective campers. The basic shelter huts are not exactly comfortable and only a few of them have sleeping platforms. Making a fire anywhere other than at designated grill places is prohibited.
Regular, serviced campsites can also be found throughout the region, however, there are almost none in the immediate vicinity of the trail.
Rustic picnic huts offering basic comforts are sprinkled amply throughout
