Outdoor Experiences
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OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES DISCOVER THE NATURAL SIDE OF SOUTHWEST GERMANY DISCOVER SOUTH- WEST GERMANY’S GREAT OUTDOORS For away-from-it-all holidays, SouthWest Germany ticks all the boxes. Think unspoiled countryside, lakes and low forested mountains. Dream of lush meadows, green valleys, vineyards and orchards. Hike or bike endless trails; breathe clean air; recharge batteries. SouthWest Germany’s Great Outdoors: Spoiled for choice! SouthWest Germany is clean, and lake-side campgrounds. By green and sunny. In summer, contrast, energetic hikers, bikers hike or bike the mountains, lush (and e-bikers) head for Kraichgau- meadows and wooded valleys. Stromberg, the ‘Land of 1,000 Under blue skies, autumn leaves Hills’. Heilbronn Country’s scen- turn rich gold; winters are ery is easy on the eye; in the snowy for cross-country skiing. Stuttgart Region, hike and bike And each region has its own the vineyards! Prefer sweeping appeal. In the north, the Oden- views and testing trails? Check wald has sandstone hills and out the Swabian Alb’s limestone countless streams, while the hills. And, after a day out in Up- Taubertal Valley is known for per Swabia, relax in a hot miner- picture-perfect countryside. On the al spa. As well as photogenic vil- Rhine and Neckar river plain, lages and farms, the Black Forest the Palatinate (Kurpfalz) provides offers the wilderness of the Nation- flat hiking and cycling. Locals al Park, while beautiful Lake love the rural simplicity of the Constance has water sports ga- Hohenlohe for farm holidays lore. SouthWest Germany: The Cradle of Recreational Hiking The idea of recreational hiking valleys in the Hohenlohe. At Lake was born in the Black Forest in Constance, views of sparkling 1900 with the Westweg, the water contrast with snow-tipped world’s first hiking trail. Now mountains. The ‘Grand Canyon’ SouthWest Germany boasts a of the Black Forest is the Wutach huge network of trails, clearly Gorge. Explore it on a 5-hour marked and well maintained, hike; look out for hundreds of through unspoiled landscapes. species of ferns, wildflowers, bugs In the north of the region, fol- and butterflies along the way. low the Limes Hiking Trail, with To the north, Baiersbronn is straight stretches of an old Ro- ‘hiking heaven’, with hills and man road, from the Neckartal- valleys, woodland, meadows and Odenwald Nature Park to the Swa- gurgling steams. And throughout bian-Franconian Forest. Or walk SouthWest Germany, there’s a part of the Santiago Pilgrimage warm welcome, with cosy huts Trail that links Rothenburg ob der and cheerful taverns offering local Tauber and the cathedral city of food, wine and beer. Ulm. Hike the green meadows of the Swabian Alb or the river www.tourism-bw.com/things-to-do/ nature/hiking-walking SouthWest Germany: Paradise on two wheels Ever since Karl Drais invented the castles, palaces and ancient uni- bicycle in Karlsruhe 200 years versity towns, such as Heidelberg 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 ment. Pedal on conventional tour- woodland and meadows, passing ing bikes; explore higher and farms and charming villages. further on e-bikes / pedelecs; take In the south, the paths round on some of Europe’s best off- Lake Constance are flat and road trails through woods and easy, with ever-changing views gorges. The rolling hills of the of vineyards, orchards and Swabian Alb combine wide-open mountains, castles, medieval vistas, lush green valleys and towns and the islands of Mainau photogenic villages. And there and Reichenau. are so many reasons to stop! The Neckartal (Neckar Valley) has www.tourism-bw.com/things-to-do/ nature/cycle-vacations Hiking and biking trails are clearly signposted with directions and distances Hiking in SouthWest Germany Discover our outdoor paradise: the Swabian Alb SWABIAN ALB 1 The Albsteig Trail near Bad Urach. This trail was created a century ago by the Distance: 357 km Swabian Alb Association. Today, members of the local hiking club love to give visitors tips, from The Albtrauf is the steep escarp- the best views to the best beer ment running down the spine of gardens. Enthusiastic hikers take the Swabian Alb. Crossing the 15 days to complete the trail; Alb diagonally from Donauwörth at a more leisurely pace, allow in the northeast to Tuttlingen in 25 days. the southwest is the Albsteig hiking trail, with glorious vistas. Highlights Think wild streams and sheep, Urach Waterfall | Hohenzollern and Teck heath and forest. Highlights in- Castles | Prehistoric Bear Cave clude grand views of Hohenzollern Castle from the Zeller Horn ww w.schwaebischealb.de/ Mountain and the Urach Waterfall wandern/albsteig Donauwörth difficult 357 km / 220 miles Tuttlingen 1,015 m / 3,330 ft 15–25 days fun facts: hiking 1900 The Westweg, the world’s first leisure hiking trail, opens in the Black Forest 150 AD The Romans build The Limes frontier ‘wall’; see it on the Limes Hiking Trail 1,493 metres / 4,898 feet The top of the Feldberg, SouthWest Germany’s highest mountain, has vast views 5 Breweries are on the Beer Hiking Trail in Ehingen, the Beer Culture City 10 Schnapps fountains offer samples on Sasbachwal- den’s Schnapps Distillery Trails DE 3 Borders are crossed CH A on the 270-kilometre / 170-mile hike around Lake Constance LAKE CONSTANCE 2 Lake Constance Hike Konstanz, with overnights in Wallhausen, Ludwigshafen and Distance: 53 km Sipplingen. Hike it in either direction; for a shortcut and a different view of one of Europe’s The SeeGang (Lake Trail) follows most beautiful lakes, take a ride the north-west shore of Lake on a ferry. Well-priced walking Constance for 53 kilometres / packages offered online include 33 miles and is rated as one of luggage transfer and walker- SouthWest Germany’s most friendly overnight accommodation. scenic Premium Hiking Trails by the German Hiking Institute. Highlights From Konstanz to Überlingen, it Mainau Island | Old Towns of Konstanz takes in ruined forts and Mainau and Überlingen | Bodman-Ludwigshafen Island’s world-class gardens. Do it in four easy stages, starting in www.bodensee.eu/en Konstanz medium 53 km / 33 miles Überlingen 683 m / 2,250 ft 4 days BLACK FOREST 3 The Westweg Trail the red diamond trail markers. Officially rated as one of the ‘Top Distance: 290 km Trails of Germany’, the challenging route crosses Feldberg Mountain’s summit, 1,493 metres / 4,898 feet. The Black Forest is the home of With villages, inns, B&Bs and recreational hiking. In 1900, spectacular scenery along the Phillipp Bussemer opened a tourist route, this is a memorable 12 to information office here. He sold 14-day hike. maps and postcards – and also helped mark out the world’s first Highlights hiking trail, the Westweg. Now, Feldberg Mountain | Lake Titisee | its 300 kilometres / 180 miles run Black Forest National Park between Pforzheim and Basel, Switzerland via Lake Titisee. Start www.schwarzwald-tourismus. in the south or in the north; hike info/erleben/wandern/fernwan- it all or only a part; just follow dern/westweg Pforzheim difficult 290 km / 180 miles Basel 1,493 m / 4,898 ft 12–14 days CULINARY TRAILS Bike, hike and taste SouthWest Germany makes Trails in Sasbachwalden. In some of the world’s finest beers, Ehingen, taste award-winning wines and fruit brandies. And beers at five breweries on the its asparagus is an annual high- Beer Hiking Trail. In early summer, light. Enjoy them all on active on the Baden Asparagus Trail, holidays. Learn about centuries cycle through asparagus fields; of tradition; talk to brewers and order fresh asparagus at taverns. winemakers about their crafts. In the vineyards, pedal the Baden Wine Cycle Path or the Würt- Highlights temberg Wine Cycle Trail. Try Schnapps Distillery Trails l Beer Hiking free samples from bottles of Trail l Baden Asparagus Trail locally-distilled fruit brandies cooling in ‘schnapps fountains’ www.tourism-bw.com/things-to- on the Schnapps Distillery do/nature/culinary-trails Half the fun of hiking round Sasbachwalden is tasting local schnapps as you go NORTHERN BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG 4 The Neckarsteig banks from time to time. The Trail steep slopes are lined with award-winning vineyards; it’s Distance: 128 km worth the effort to hike up to the top for the glorious views of the valley below. For a change, There is nothing quite like hiking hop on a river boat and cruise along a beautiful river. And there part of the way. The trail finishes is nowhere like Heidelberg, with in Bad Wimpfen, a gem of a spa its Old Town and romantic ruined town with a historic core. castle. This is where the Neckar- steig Trail starts. It then follows in the footsteps of the 19 th-century Highlights American writer Mark Twain, Heidelberg l Neckarsteinach’s four who walked beside and rafted castles l Hornberg Castle l Bad Wimpfen on the Neckar River. The marked trail leads upstream, switching www.neckarsteig.de Heidelberg easy 128 km / 80 miles Bad Wimpfen 575 m / 1,900 ft 9–12 days MICRO ADVENTURES Take the challenge! Adrenalin rushes are every- tree top adventure; climb the where, from paragliding and riv- Felsengärten cliffs near Hessig- er rafting to canyoning. heim; walk across the swaying WILDLINE suspension bridge In the Black Forest, hurtle along near Bad Wildbad.