If you are not hiking the route as part of a multi-day tour, you can plan your journey by public transport here: Getting there – local public transport
You start at the gate to the Albsteig (Feldberg Pass), the end point of the last stage.
(S) From the Feldberg Pass, turn towards the main road (B317) and turn right there.
After approx. 120 m, turn right onto a paved path ("Passhöhe"). The path leads downhill, past the Menzenschwander Hütte mountain inn, along the edge of the forest and, at the first crossroads, turn right and continue down the mountain. For orientation, you can again use the Albsteig signposts (white diamond with a green border, a blue band in the centre resembling a heart and the word "Albsteig" on the right).
Cross the Menzenschwander Alb on a bridge.
(1) To your left are several waterfalls, the Maria Loch waterfalls. There is no (hiking) trail leading directly there. If you have enough time, you can make a detour there, otherwise the Menzenschwander waterfall awaits you in the valley. Once you reach the valley, turn sharp left.
(2) To your right, you will see a historic charcoal burning site. Follow the path across a meadow and then back into the forest.
(3) In a right-hand bend, you will see a former loading ramp on your left. An information board explains its origin and use. You will come out of the forest again.
(4) After a while, you will reach a rest area called Flößer's Rast. This is a good place to take a short break. At the next fork, turn sharp left and hike up to the edge of the forest ("Menzenschwander Geißenweg").
(5) After a while, your path turns right and down the slope again (signposted Albsteig and Menzenschwander Geißenweg). You walk through orchards, cross the Farnwittebach stream and then a wider path. Continue straight ahead until you reach a fork, where you turn sharp right.
(6) The path continues downhill, almost parallel to the direction you came from. At the next T-junction, turn left and after about 80 metres, turn left again at the next T-junction.
(7) Then turn left again and you will reach the Menzenschwander waterfalls. Hike through the Albschlucht gorge down to the road, turn left, cross the Menzenschwander Alb and continue straight ahead, following the Albsteig signposts.
(8) You will reach the first houses of Menzenschwand-Hinterdorf, walk along the road "Am Fischrain" to a T-junction, turn left and then (approx. 20 m) right again into "Hinterdorfstraße". Pass the Kaiser guesthouse and walk straight ahead across the meadow until you reach Hinterdorfstraße again.
(9) Pass the old village church on your left and turn right in front of the "Le Petit Salon" museum towards the Kurhaus Menzenschwand. Cross the car park in front of the Kurhaus and continue straight ahead on the road "In der Friedrichsruhe". The Albsteig trail first takes you past the Revitalbad Menzenschwand and shortly afterwards past the Spießhornschanzen.
(10) Continue straight ahead along the edge of the forest across meadows until you reach the first houses of Menzenschwand-Vorderdorf.
(11) Your path joins the street "An der Säge", which you follow until the junction with "Schwinbachweg". Here, turn left. Cross the "Vorderdorfstraße", continue along the "Kapellenweg" and turn right behind the Sebastianskapelle chapel.
(12) Continue straight ahead, parallel to the L146. You will come back to Vorderdorfstraße, cross it and continue straight ahead.
(13) Cross the Rehbach, stay on the narrow path and continue straight ahead at the next fork. Here you will leave the Albsteig for a short while. You will now walk parallel to the Rehbach, come to a wider path, turn left here and follow it until you meet the Albsteig again (coming from the left). Now just continue straight ahead. For orientation, you can use the Albsteig signposts.
(14) At the first fork, keep right and continue straight ahead until the next fork, where you turn sharp right and then immediately left onto a narrow forest path.
(15) Follow this path until you reach a crossroads that should look familiar. Here you are on stage 3 towards Bernau-Weierle and continue on the western route to the Feldberg Pass. Now turn left, walk past the Menzenschwand sewage treatment plant and continue to the "Altenrondstraße" (L146).
(16) Cross the L146 and continue straight ahead on the other side, turning left at the first fork. After a few metres, turn right onto the "Achterpfad". Follow this until you meet the main path ("Klusenweg") again and continue hiking to the right along the Menzenschwander Alb.
(17) You will come to a T-junction, turn right and walk through the grounds of the Glashof sawmill. When you reach the last house, turn left and walk leisurely along the Bernauer Alb.
(18) Leave the swimming pool car park on your left and leave the Albsteig here. Walk straight ahead into Sebastian-Kneipp-Straße and past the swimming pool, St. Blasien waterworks and Helmut-Hoffman-Stadion until you reach the underpass beneath the L149.
Go through the underpass and follow the path on the right parallel to the L149 until you reach the street "Am Kugelrain". Turn right there and continue to the "Friedhofstraße".
Walk along Friedhofstraße until you reach the intersection with Todtmooser Str. / Fürstabt-Gerbert-Straße, continue straight ahead into Fürstabt-Gerbert-Straße, then turn left into Am Kurgarten.
(19) Walk through the spa gardens towards the cathedral.
(20) It is definitely worth a visit. From the cathedral, turn left again, back into the Kurgarten, then right and through the Hotel Klosterhof building over the Latscharibrücke bridge onto Hauptstraße. Walk right through the town.
(21) At the restaurant "St. Blasier Stüble", keep left and continue along Friedrichstraße. Between house numbers 26 and 27, leave Friedrichstraße to the left and follow the Albsteig sign again.
(22) Cross the Windbergbächle, turn right and continue walking towards Häusern.
(23) At the intersection with Oberer Lehnernweg, turn right. You will come to the street "Zur Lehnern" and continue straight ahead until you reach "St.-Blasier-Straße" (L149), cross it and continue on the street "Im Thauen". Stay on this street until you reach the B500 federal highway.
(24) Do not cross it, but take the narrow path on the right parallel to the B500, past the sports field onto Höchenschwanderstraße. At the Metallbau Ganzmann company, turn right and walk uphill towards Höchenschwand.
(25) You will arrive at the top of the "Im Lehen" ski lift, cross under the B500 and continue on the "Kurpromenade" into Höchenschwand.
The last few metres take you along St.-Georg-Straße until you reach the Dorfschmiede restaurant, which marks the end of this stage (E)