Hiking was invented in the Black Forest

It was Philipp Bussemer from Baden-Baden who, at the end of the 19th century, opened what was probably the first tourist information centre in the Black Forest near to his haberdashery shop.

Vesperstuben - snack places - are excellent hiking destinations

There are about 100 of these popular hiking destinations in the Black Forest. Some lie ensconced in the high mountains, others in cosy forests, and they are also embedded in the Black Forest network of hiking trails. These loactions are perfect destinations and rest stations and many are suitable for overnight stays.

Long distance trails – more hiking possibilities than anywhere else

The three main long distance hiking trails are the Westweg, a hiking trail in the western Black Forest, the Mittelweg trail in the central Black Forest and the Ostweg, a hiking trail in the eastern Black Forest.

The Westweg Schwarzwald

Hiking tours lasting several days are a great holiday experience – if only the heavy backpack didn’t weigh so heavily on your shoulders! For those who prefer climbing the heights in the Black Forest with light luggage we have the perfect solution: “hiking without luggage”. Here are some of our suggestions.

Geocaching

The new-generation hiking guides are out of this world. Satellite-based hiking is becoming increasingly popular. “Hiking without maps and compass” is now possible in the Black Forest in the following places: the holiday region of Ferienland with its villages of Schönwald, Schonach, St.Gerogen, Triberg and Furtwangen; the holiday region of Todtnauer Ferienland, Todtmoos, Enzklösterle, Villingen-Schwenningen, Baiersbronn, Schluchsee, Staufen, Freiburg Waldkirch, Wolfach and Bad Teinach-Zavelstein.

More than 500 certified hiking guides

The qualified hiking guides of the Schwarzwaldverein have to complete an 80-hour intensive course. The focus in on holistic hiking: Body movement and sense perception are brought into accord with the cultural and natural landscape hiked. Nearly every location in the Black Forest can hire one or more certified hiking guides for you. The local branches of the Schwarzwaldverein offer hiking tours with certified hiking guides in their annual programmes. The Schwarzwaldverein is an association that cares for the needs of the nature in the Black Forest and is predominantly responsible for signposting the hiking trails in the Black Forest.

Information at: www.schwarzwaldverein.de

Easy Hiker

In his blog easyhiker.co.uk, veteran journalist Michael Schürmann preaches the hiking gospel to the converted and the skeptics alike. Featured destinations include the French Riviera, the Rocky Mountains and New Zealand, but his heart belongs to Germany (he calls it "the most underrated tourist destination in Europe"). Read here what he has to say about the Black Forest.