Baroque Loop, Hüfingen

One of the most beautiful hiking trails in the entire region is the Wutach Gorge (Wutachschlucht), nicknamed the "Grand Canyon of the Black Forest". These are wild gorges, followed by footbridges, steps and paths carved into the rock, with a stream that is sometimes calm, sometimes cascading, and lush vegetation. PLEASE NOTE: the road is currently closed for the return journey to Schattenmühle. Continue along the Lotenbach gorge for about 1.5 km until you reach the B315 road, where you will find the bus stop.

The Schluchtensteig trail runs for 119 km in 6 stages from Stühlingen to Wehr, right across the southern Black Forest.The second stage leads from Blumberg past the Schleifenbach waterfall to the River Wutach, through the magnificent Wutach Gorge, past the former spa town of Bad Ball and several waterfalls, and ends at Gasthof Schattenmühle.

The Schluchtensteig trail runs for 119 km in 6 stages from Stühlingen to Wehr, right across the southern Black Forest. Our third stage starts at the upper entrance to the Lotenbach Gorge and ends in Lenzkirch, where there are plenty of places to stay and a bus service to the start of stage 4. Alternatively, you could stay overnight in Schluchsee and climb the Riesenbühl Tower – see the relevant tour.Anyone wishing to hike all the stages of the Schluchtensteig can stay overnight at the Schattenmühle between stages 2 and 3. From there, you can tackle the Lotenbach Gorge and hike uphill to the starting point of this walk.

Sublime and magnificent gorges: the climb up the gorges is very cool.

The Schluchtensteig trail leads in 6 stages over 119 km from Stühlingen to Wehr across the southern Black Forest. The first stage takes us from Stühlingen to Blumberg along the Wutachflühen. High above the Wutach, we hike on narrow paths and exposed trails. We pass the Sauschwänzlebahn railway line several times and, with a bit of luck, we will see the museum train steam past. The Buchberg with its long ascent challenges us in the last third of the tour before we descend to Blumberg.

The Schluchtensteig trail runs in 6 stages over 119 km from Stühlingen to Wehr, right across the southern Black Forest.“Exposed paths along steep rocky gorges, some offering spectacular views down into the depths. The Wutachflühen, the Wutach Gorge, the Schleifenbach Falls, the Haslach Gorge, the Windberg Waterfall, the Hohwehras Gorge and the Wehras Gorge are destinations for all those who enjoy hiking through wild gorges, marvelling at thundering waterfalls, savouring the natural silence and wanting to switch off from everyday life for a week,” as stated on the Schluchtensteig website – and the trail certainly lives up to its promise.We’ve tweaked the third stage slightly, so you’ll avoid the hill between Lenzkirch and Fischbach. Instead, we’ll hike up to the Riesenbühlturm in Schluchsee, which offers a panoramic view in all directions.

The Schluchtensteig trail leads in 6 stages over 119 km from Stühlingen to Wehr across the southern Black Forest. If you are staying in Schluchsee between stages 3 and 4, you should definitely climb the Riesenbühlturm tower and enjoy the magnificent view of Schluchsee and the Alps.

Schluchsee is known for its lake and attracts many tourists, especially in summer. There are many hiking trails close to the lake. The Jägersteig (based on an old hunters' trail) alternates between paths along the lake and climbs into the surrounding forest overlooking the lake. There are several panoramic viewpoints along this route.