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Home , Bad Wimpfen, Black Forest, Franconian Forest, Gengenbach, Heuchelberg, Kraichgau

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES IN SOUTHWEST

FRA Tauber- bischofsheim­ Laudenbach TAUBER

GERMANY 1 NORTHERN

Mannheim -WÜRTTEMBERG GERMANY SOUTHWEST OF

SIDE NATURAL THE DISCOVER

4 EXPERIENCES SouthWest Germany F

A OUTDOOR CH

9 National Parks & Nature Reserves 2 Schwäbisch Hall 1 Neckartal- 5 2 - Nature Park Gaildorf 3 Central and Northern Black Nature Park Hessigheimer 4 National Park Felsengärten 3 www.tourism-bw.com 5 Nature Park 6 Upper Nature Park 7 Swabian Biosphere Reserve FKB REGION Kletterfelsen 8 Schönbuch Nature Park Stuttgart 9 Swabian- Baden-Baden STR Nature Park Bikepark

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SXB Tübingen Donauwörth Bad Urach SWABIAN MOUNTAINS Linke Wittlinger Hirschgrund Tourismus Marketing GmbH Zipline Area Baden-Württemberg Hohenzollern Esslinger Straße 8 70182 Stuttgart Castle BLACK DANUBE T + 49 (0) 7 11 / 23 85 80 Rust F + 49 (0) 7 11 / 2 38 58 99 FOREST @ [email protected] 6 Teufelsfels www.instagram.com/visitbawu #visitbawu

Bikepark

Find more info:

www.tourism-bw.com batteries. recharge air; clean breathe trails; endless bike or Hike

Dream of lush meadows, green valleys, vineyards and orchards. orchards. and vineyards valleys, green meadows, lush of Dream

Upper Danube Valley mountains. forested low and lakes countryside, unspoiled Think 6 boxes. the all ticks Germany SouthWest holidays, away-from-it-all For REGION

Gfäll FMM 5

Bikepark Überlingen 2 FDH LAKE CONSTANCEFriedrichshafen

7 Grenzach / Whylen ZRH

BSL GREAT OUTDOORS GREAT Hiking Trails Biking Trails Micro Adventures GERMANY’S WEST

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The Albsteig Trail Lake Constance Hike Stromberg-Murrtal Danube Cycle Path Rock climbing Bike parks Bike Path SOUTH- DISCOVER

3 4 7 The Trail The Neckarsteig Trail The Baden Wine Cycle Path

SouthWest Germany: Hiking and biking Paradise on two wheels trails are clearly ­signposted with Ever since Karl Drais invented the castles, palaces and ancient ­­­uni- ­directions and bicycle in Karlsruhe 200 years versity towns, such as Heidelberg ­distances ago, locals have loved to bike. To- and Tübingen. day, the endless marked trails Bike-friendly Stuttgart, the make cycling holidays a pleasure. ­capital of SouthWest Germany, is Use a bike to sightsee, work up fun to explore on two wheels. an appetite and get away from it The Black Forest has a network

all in the clean, green environ- of ­cycle trails through dense SouthWest Germany: holidays farm for

ment. Pedal on conventional tour- woodland and meadows, passing lore.

love the rural simplicity of the the of simplicity rural the love - The Cradle of Recreational Hiking ga sports water has Constance

ing bikes; explore higher and farms and charming villages.­ flat hiking and cycling. Locals Locals cycling. and hiking flat al Park, while beautiful Lake Lake beautiful while Park, al

­further on e-bikes / pedelecs; take In the south, the paths round The idea of recreational hiking ­valleys in the Hohenlohe. At Lake the Palatinate () provides provides (Kurpfalz) Palatinate the -

on some of ’s best off- Lake Constance are flat and was born in the Black Forest in Constance, views of sparkling Nation the of wilderness the offers plain, Neckar and Rhine

road trails through and easy, with ever-changing views 1900 with the Westweg, the water contrast with snow-tipped Forest Black the farms, and lages the On countryside. ­ picture-perfect -

gorges. The rolling hills of the of vineyards, orchards and world’s first hiking trail. Now mountains. The ‘Grand ’ vil photogenic as well As spa. al Taubertal Valley is known for for known is Valley Taubertal

Swabian Alb combine wide-open ­mountains, castles, medieval SouthWest Germany boasts a of the Black Forest is the miner- hot a in relax , per countless streams, while the the while streams, countless -

vistas, lush green valleys and towns and the islands of Mainau huge network of trails, clearly Gorge. Explore it on a 5-hour Up in out day a after And, hills. wald has hills and and hills sandstone has wald

photogenic villages. And there and Reichenau. marked and well maintained, hike; look out for hundreds of limestone Alb’s Swabian the out - Oden the north, the In ­ appeal.

are so many reasons to stop! through unspoiled landscapes. species of ferns, wildflowers, bugs Check trails? testing and views And each region has its own own its has region each And

The Neckartal (Neckar Valley) has www.tourism-bw.com/things-to-do/ In the north of the region, fol- and butterflies along the way. sweeping Prefer vineyards! the snowy for cross-country skiing. skiing. cross-country for snowy

nature/cycle-vacations low the Hiking Trail, with To the north, is bike and hike Region, Stuttgart turn rich gold; winters are are winters gold; rich turn

straight stretches of an old Ro- ­‘hiking heaven’, with hills and the in eye; the on easy is ery Under blue skies, autumn leaves leaves autumn skies, blue Under -

man road, from the Neckartal- valleys, woodland, meadows and scen Country’s Heilbronn Hills’. meadows and wooded valleys. valleys. wooded and meadows

Odenwald Nature Park to the Swa‑ gurgling steams. And throughout 1,000 of ‘Land the Stromberg, hike or bike the mountains, lush lush mountains, the bike or hike

bian-Franconian Forest. Or walk SouthWest Germany, there’s a - for head e-bikers) (and green and sunny. In summer, summer, In sunny. and green

part of the Santiago Pilgrimage warm welcome, with cosy huts bikers hikers, energetic contrast, SouthWest Germany is clean, clean, is Germany SouthWest

Trail that links Rothenburg ob der and cheerful taverns offering local By campgrounds. lake-side and Tauber and the cathedral city of food, wine and beer. choice! for Spoiled

Ulm. Hike the green meadows of the Swabian Alb or the river www.tourism-bw.com/things-to-do/ Outdoors: Great Germany’s SouthWest nature/hiking-walking SWABIAN ALB LAKE CONSTANCE Hiking in fun facts: hiking

SouthWest 1900 The Westweg, the world’s first leisure Germany hiking trail, opens in 1 the Black Forest 2 150 AD The Romans build The Limes frontier ‘wall’; The Albsteig Trail near Bad Urach. This trail was see it on the Limes Lake Constance Konstanz, with overnights in Hiking Trail created a century ago by the Hike Wallhausen, and Distance: 357 km Swabian Alb Association. Today, 1,493 metres / Sipplingen. Hike it in either members of the local ­hiking club 4,898 feet Distance: 53 km ­direction; for a shortcut and a love to give visitors tips, from The top of the , ­different view of one of Europe’s The is the steep escarp- the best views to the best beer SouthWest Germany’s most beautiful lakes, take a ride ment running down the spine of gardens. Enthusiastic hikers take highest mountain, has The SeeGang (Lake Trail) follows on a ferry. Well-priced walking the Swabian Alb. Crossing the 15 days to complete the trail; vast views the north-west shore of Lake packages offered ­online include Alb diagonally from Donauwörth at a more leisurely pace, allow 5 Constance for 53 kilometres / luggage transfer and walker- in the northeast to Tuttlingen in 25 days. Breweries are on the Beer 33 miles and is rated as one of friendly overnight accommodation. the southwest is the Albsteig Hiking Trail in Ehingen, the SouthWest Germany’s most Beer Culture City hiking trail, with glorious vistas. Highlights ­scenic Premium Hiking Trails by Think wild streams and sheep, Urach | Hohenzollern and Teck 10 the German ­Hiking Institute. Highlights heath and forest. Highlights in- Castles | Prehistoric Bear Cave Schnapps fountains offer From Konstanz to Überlingen, it Mainau Island | Old Towns of Konstanz clude grand views of Hohenzollern samples on Sasbachwal- takes in ruined forts and Mainau and Überlingen | Bodman-Ludwigshafen Castle from the Zeller Horn www.schwaebischealb.de/ den’s Schnapps Distillery Island’s world-class gardens. Do Discover our Trails Mountain and the Urach Waterfall wandern/albsteig it in four easy stages, starting in www.bodensee.eu/en outdoor paradise: DE the Swabian Alb 3 Donauwörth difficult Borders are crossed Konstanz medium CH 357 km / 220 miles Tuttlingen A on the 270-kilometre / 53 km / 33 miles Überlingen 170-mile hike around 1,015 m / 3,330 ft 15–25 days Lake ­Constance 683 m / 2,250 ft 4 days

BLACK FOREST CULINARY TRAILS NORTHERN BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG MICRO ADVENTURES

Bike, hike and taste Take the challenge!

SouthWest Germany makes Trails in . In Adrenalin rushes are every- tree top adventure; climb the some of the world’s finest beers, ­Ehingen, taste award-winning where, from and riv- Felsengärten cliffs near Hessig‑ wines and fruit brandies. And beers at five breweries on the er rafting to canyoning. heim; walk across the swaying its asparagus is an annual high- Beer Hiking Trail. In early summer, WILDLINE suspension bridge light. Enjoy them all on active on the Baden Asparagus Trail, In the Black Forest, hurtle along near Bad Wildbad. 3 holidays. Learn about centuries cycle through asparagus fields; 4 the 570-metre / 1,870-foot Gründle of tradition; talk to brewers and order fresh asparagus at taverns. zipline, Germany’s longest thrill At night, camp in the Black winemakers about their crafts. ride. Another ‘longest’ is the 2.9 ­Forest wilderness. Hearths for In the vineyards, pedal the Baden kilometre / 1.8 mile Hasenhorn campfires and eco-friendly The Westweg Trail the red diamond trail markers. Wine Cycle Path or the Würt‑ Highlights The Neckarsteig Trail steep slopes are lined with Coaster, Todtnau’s summer to‑ ­composting toilets are provided. Officially rated as one of the ‘Top temberg Wine Cycle Trail. Try Schnapps Distillery Trails l Beer Hiking award-winning vineyards; it’s boggan run. And on You carry everything else in: Distance: 290 km Trails of Germany’, the challenging free samples from bottles of Trail l Baden Asparagus Trail Distance: 128 km worth the effort to hike up Mountain, Europe’s longest tents, sleeping bags, provisions. route crosses Feldberg Mountain’s ­locally-distilled fruit brandies to the top for the glorious views scooting course is an amazing Part of the challenge is finding summit, 1,493 metres / 4,898 feet. ­cooling in ‘schnapps fountains’ www.tourism-bw.com/things-to- of the valley below. For a change, 8 kilometres / 5 miles! Clamber the sites – only by GPS. The Black Forest is the home of With villages, inns, B&Bs and on the Schnapps Distillery do/nature/culinary-trails There is nothing quite like hiking­ hop on a river boat and cruise along the Kletterwald Feldberg recreational hiking. In 1900, spectacular scenery along the along a beautiful river. And there part of the way. The trail finishes Phillipp­ Bussemer opened a tourist route, this is a memorable 12 to is nowhere like Heidelberg, with in Bad Wimpfen, a gem of a spa www.trekking-schwarzwald.de information office here. He sold 14-day hike. its Old Town and romantic ruined town with a historic core. www.schwarzwald-tourismus.info/erleben/ausflugsziele maps and postcards – and also castle. This is where the Neckar‑ Half the fun of helped mark out the world’s first Highlights hiking round steig Trail starts. It then follows in hiking trail, the Westweg. Now, Feldberg Mountain | Lake | Sasbachwalden is the footsteps of the 19 th-century tasting local its 300 kilometres / 180 miles run Black Forest National Park American writer Mark Twain, Highlights schnapps as you go between Pforzheim and , who walked beside and rafted Heidelberg l ’s four Switzerland via Lake Titisee. Start www.schwarzwald-tourismus. on the Neckar River. The marked castles l Castle l Bad Wimpfen in the south or in the north; hike info/erleben/wandern/fernwan- trail leads upstream, switching it all or only a part; just follow dern/westweg banks from time to time. The www.neckarsteig.de

Pforzheim difficult Heidelberg easy

290 km / 180 miles Basel 128 km / 80 miles Bad Wimpfen

1,493 m / 4,898 ft 12–14 days 575 m / 1,900 ft 9–12 days

STROMBERG-MURRTAL DANUBE VALLEY

Danube Cycle Path plus Beuron Monastery and Biking in fun facts: biking Marchtal Abbey. A good excuse Distance: 196 km for ­rehydrating is Ehingen, the Beer Culture City, whose five SouthWest 1817 brew­eries produce 53 different The year that Karl Drais From Donaueschingen to Ulm, the beers. At the end of the journey, invented the - Danube Cycle Path covers 196 the medieval city of Ulm has Germany maschine – the bicycle – in Karlsruhe 5 kilometres / 120 miles and takes an ­astonishing cathedral with in spectacular scenery. It starts the world’s tallest spire: 400 kilometres / near the source of the River 161.5 metres / 530 feet high! 250 miles ­Danube, deep in the Black Forest. The length of Freiburg’s ­ It continues along the southern cycle paths; the city has twice Highlights as many bikes as cars Stromberg-Murrtal bike logo signposts the way edge of the limestone Swabian Danube Sinkhole l Castle l Bike Path through the valleys of the , Alb, through a steep gorge. On Beuron Monastery l Ulm Minster , Neckar and . top of the cliffs are impressive Distance: 152 km Stop to taste wine in ­villages, such castles, such as Wildenstein (a  www.deutsche-donau.com/ 196 kilometres / as Schützingen and Gündelbach. youth hostel) and Sigmaringen, danube-cycle-path 120 miles In Marbach, visit poet F­ riedrich The length of the Danube Donaueschingen easy Cycle Path between Running east-west between Schiller’s birthplace. Tour Stein- the ­river’s source and Ulm ­Karlsruhe and Gaildorf, the Strom- heim’s Museum of­ ­Prehistoric 196 km / 120 miles Ulm 76 berg-Murrtal Bike Path combines Man. And in Knitt­lingen’s muse- MTB trails in the Stuttgart 764 m / 2,500 ft 3–4 days scenery, nature parks, history, um, learn how the real Dr Faust Region alone, covering 100 kilometres / 60 miles wine – and two UNESCO World became a legend. Heritage sites. The Limes watch- 6 towers marked the frontier of 300 Highlights the ; Maulbronn’s There are more than The Limes Roman Museum l Maulbronn 300 e-bike / pedelec 800-year-old monastery is the Monastery l Marbach l rental outlets in birthplace of Maultaschen, Swa- All over SouthWest SouthWest Germany bia’s national dish. The purple  www.stromberg-murrtal-radweg.de Germany, you can 2008 Cross-country cyclist rent regular bikes and 1 Karlsruhe medium e-bikes Sabine Spitz took Olympic gold for 152 km / 100 miles Gaildorf SouthWest Germany 435 m / 1,425 ft 3–4 days

BADEN VINEYARDS HEAD FOR THE HILLS CYCLE TOURING Mountain biking Key to symbols Mountain biking is a lifestyle in (Four Cross Trail) in has Level of difficulty SouthWest Germany! The Black jumps, bridges, curves and more. Start ( = easy, = medium, = difficult) Forest alone boasts an astonish- Long distance enthusiasts take ing 8,500 kilometres / 5,300 miles on the Black Forest Bike Cross- Total length of the tour Finish of marked trails. Here, the Kin- ing’s 440 kilometres / 275 miles Highest point Recommended days of travel 7 zigtal region’s 30 paths include from Pforzheim to Bad Säckingen. the challenging 35-kilometre / In the Swabian Alb, the official Distances are in kilometres; 8 km is about 5 miles 20-mile circuit round trail covers 370 kilometres / 230 Mountain. Popular bike parks miles, but some mountain bikers The Baden Wine and, ­further north, , ­include Todtnau, with its roller- go off-piste on what is known Cycle Path , ­Heidelberg and Wein- coaster of a track. For cross- as the Spätzle Cross! heim. ­Follow the bright red country, the Four-Cross-Strecke Distance: 460 km ­Badischer Weinrad­weg ‘bike and Publishing details grapes’ signs. Along the way are Publisher Photo credits comfortable hotels, B&Bs, bike Tourismus Marketing GmbH Cover: TMBW / Christoph Düpper; Visuals: TMBW / Baden-Württemberg Christoph Düpper; Welcome: TMBW / Gregor Lengler New in 2020, the Baden Wine shops and e-bike charging stations Esslinger Straße 8, 70182 Stuttgart p.1 f. l. t. r.: TMBW / Gregor Lengler; TMBW / Christoph ­Cycle Path runs from the Swiss – all part of the bett+bike network Düpper; TMBW / Christoph Düpper Bett + Bike Concept and coordination p. 2 f. l. t. r.: Schwäbische Alb Tourismus / Thomas Rat- ­border north to the old town (www.bettundbike.de/en/). TMBW, JUNG:Kommunikation GmbH hay; TMBW / Gregor Lengler; Marketing & Tourismus On SouthWest Konstanz GmbH / Ulrike Klumpp und Thorsten Günthert; of Laudenbach. Its 460 kilometres / The route has some serious climbs, Germany’s trails, it is The Bett+Bike organisation, for rent, charging stations, ­lug‑ Design Schwarzwald Tourismus / Chris Keller; TMBW / Christoph JUNG:Kommunikation GmbH Düpper; TMBW / Achim Mende; TMBW / Gregor Leng- 285 miles pass through seven so e-bikes are a great choice! important to stop and ­approved by the German Cyclists’ gage transfers, navigation systems ler; TMBW / Christoph Düpper; TMBW / Christoph Düp- enjoy the views Partner per; Ulm Neu-Ulm Touristik GmbH / burkert ideenreich; of Baden’s nine winegrowing ar- Association, offers bike-friendly for rent, free Wi-Fi and packed TMBW / Christoph Düpper; TMBW / Gregor Lengler; TMBW / Christoph Düpper eas. Along the way are 300 wine- Highlights accommodation from hotels and lunches. The website’s easy-to-use growers, co-ops and even 40 Kaiserstuhl vineyards l Freiburg l B&Bs to campsites. All hosts map helps plot accommodation Print C. Maurer GmbH & Co. KG schnapps distilleries! Highlights Bruchsal l Heidelberg l have safe places to lock up bikes to suit budgets and interests. Geislingen an der Steige include the Tuniberg and Kaiser- and drying rooms. They take E-bikes / pedelecs with battery- stuhl vineyards near Freiburg www.badischer-weinradweg.info single-night bookings, provide powered motors abound, so many healthy breakfasts, tourist infor- pubs and cafés have charging Grenzach-Wyhlen / Swiss border medium mation and repair kits. And stations. 460 km / 285 miles Laudenbach they must offer at least three more Published in 2020 392 m / 1,300 ft 7–10 days services, such as bikes or e-bikes www.bettundbike.de/en All information subject to change without prior notice.