Honestly, there are SO many amazing hikes in the Black Forest that it’s hard to pick the best ones. Nevertheless, we narrowed the list down to these 5 hikes that we think could all easily earn the title of best hike in the Black Forest. You should definitely hike them at least once in your life! So, here we go:
Easy Hikes
Lothar Trail (Lothar Pfad)
- Length: 1 km
- Duration: 30 min
- Parking: Parking lot “Lotharpfad” at the Black Forest High Road (B500)
- Trailhead: At the parking lot
Description:
This is a super easy, but really fun trail. You’ll be walking on boardwalks, bridges and ladders throughout the entire hike. What makes this hike so special is the fact that it was built after hurricane Lothar took down a huge area of forest. Now, you can see how the forest naturally comes back to life after such an event. The hike also includes amazing views over the Black Forest.
All Saints Waterfalls (Allerheiligen Wasserfälle):
- Length: 4.2 km
- Duration: 1.5 hrs
- Parking: At the ruins of the All Saints monastery
- Trailhead: At the parking lot
Description:
This is an absolutely stunning waterfall hike that takes you to the largest natural waterfall in the northern Black Forest. I mean how cool is that? You get to walk on narrow rocky paths while truly experiencing the Black Forest in its full beauty. Climbing up right next to the waterfall is an amazing adventure that you should not miss out on! Since it’s a pretty short hike, you can easily squeeze it in between your other adventures in this gorgeous area.
Moderate Hikes
Klösterle Schleife
- Length: 8.3 km
- Duration: 3 hrs
- Parking: ‘Vor Burgbach’ parking lot
- Trailhead: At parking lot
Description:
This is by far our favorite hiking trail in the Black Forest. It really shows the beauty of the forest by taking you to our favorite waterfall–the Burgbach waterfall. The cool thing about this trail is that you’ll find a ‘Schnappsbrunnen’ at the base of the waterfall. It’s a small house filled with local drinks such as beer, wine, schnapps, but also apple juice, water and more! So grab a drink and keep on going, but make sure to leave no trace and take all trash with you! There will be more of these Schnappsbrunnen along the way while you get to take in the most amazing Black Forest views.
Gertelbach Waterfalls
- Length: 6.5 km
- Duration: 2.5 hrs
- Parking: Gertelbachstraße
- Trailhead: At parking lot
Description:
If you are looking for the ultimate fairytale vibes, then this hike is for you. Never before have we hiked through a forest so enchanted, we had to stop every 2 meters to take in the views. You will be walking along many waterfalls, some small and some very high. The path takes you all along the babbling creek and through some really dense forest. The fun thing about this hike is that you get to walk on many wooden bridges and short suspension bridges that really make it an adventurous trail. This is another favorite of ours! It also includes a ‘Schnappsbrunnen’!
Difficult Hikes
Karlsruher Ridge
- Length: 12.4 km
- Duration: 4.5 hrs
- Parking: Ottenhöfen train station
- Trailhead: At the parking lot
Description:
This is a challenging hike which is why it takes so long to complete the 12 km trail. The most adventurous part of this trail is hiking on the alpine ridge while the most beautiful part is probably hiking through the romantic waterfall valley with the gorgeous Edelfrauengrab waterfalls. Luckily, this trail also includes a ‘drink station’ to gain some energy to finish this challenging but gorgeous black forest hike.
Oberkircher Brennersteig
- Length: 15 km
- Duration: 5 hours
- Parking: ‘Wanderparkplatz Hesselbach’ parking lot
- Trailhead: At parking lot
Description:
We’re not the biggest fans of super long trails, but here’s one for those of you who like to be out there for a long time. So, let’s pick a fun trail at least, right? This is a very unique trail as it not only takes you through the beautiful Black Forest landscape but also along many local ‘Brennereien’ (distilleries). This is where the locals make schnapps and you can try it right there along the trail. You’ll have amazing views of the Vogesen and the Black Forest. We highly recommend taking this trail in spring when everything is in bloom.
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About the Authors
Ryne and Denise Cook: We’ve lived in Germany for quite a while now (Denise her whole life) and absolutely fell in love with the stunning landscapes, castles, cute towns and amazing hikes. We truly believe these are some of the best hikes that Germany has to offer!
