The South Black Forest Route

The Route:This 246 km ring starts and finishes at the town of Hinterzarten. It tours the natural park of the southern Black Forest and crosses three countries: Germany, France and Switzerland.

The Region:The route sets off from Hinterzarten and then descends through the mountains and bogs of the upper Black Forest, passing through the internationally popular lake Titisee. On the route, there are rustic farms, not to forget the Wutach gorge, which you can admire from the famous little Sauschwänzle steam train. The cycle path then follows the bank of the Rhine and the Germano-Swiss border. Head for Basel via Waldshut-Tiengen, Bad Säckingen and other small medieval towns. The French town of Huningue is also worth a detour. This is the end of the journey and the return to Germany via the Three Countries Bridge in Weil am Rhein. Over the last kilometres, the southern Black Forest cycle route crosses the idyllic landscapes of Markgräflerland with its vine-adorned hills and spas. Before finishing up, one last jewel awaits you: the historic city of Freiburg. You then return to Kirchzarten.

As a whole, the terrain is between flat and slightly inclined, with just a few hills. The 600 m climb which separates Kirchzarten from the arrival point at Hinterzarten, can be made more manageable by the train (Höllentalbahn). For the more motivated, set aside at least 3 to 4 days for covering the southern Black Forest ring. For the others it is possible to split the course. There is also a variant that takes you to the towns of Kandern and Lörrach and then on to the town of Rheinfelden via the Dinkelberg Park.

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