Schönwald – Blindensee route

Park in the car park in the village centre, Hauptstrasse 21 (48°06'10.8"N 8°12'05.5"E). Coming from Triberg (Bundestrasse 500), it’s on your left.

(S/E) To enjoy the beautiful Schönwald park, leave the children’s playground on your left and go round it by turning left at the end of the car park. At the end of the path, take the track on the left, leaving the park with its two ponds on your right. The track leads you to the main road (Hauptstrasse); turn left until you reach the traffic lights and cross the road. Walk up the road on the right – it’s quite steep – and take the second cul-de-sac on the right. At the end of the street, take the path that climbs to the left between the houses to reach the cemetery.

(1) Continue to the right along the road, leaving the chapel and the cemetery on your left. After about 300 metres, at the car park for a football pitch, take the dirt track on your left (towards Weissenbach and Blindensee – indicated by a Yellow Diamond symbol). After 200 metres, at the junction, turn right (towards Blindensee – indicated by a Yellow Diamond symbol) and stay on this track until you reach the bridge to cross the Weissenbach.

(2) Leave the dirt track and take the footpath on the left, cross the tarmac road and head up the footpath opposite. Halfway up or at the top, turn round to admire the view of Weissenbach. Head back down to the right along a path that is partly concrete and partly grass (towards Triberg/Schönach, marked with a Yellow Diamond), cross the tarmac road and walk up the dirt track opposite for about 300 metres. On your left is a peat bog.
At the junction, turn left (towards Blindensee). Carry on until you come to a small path on your right leading to a small pond (near Camp Elshof, a stone house situated to the left of the path). From the bank, turn left until you reach the junction with the wide dirt track.

(3) Turn left (towards Blindensee). After about 500 m, the path takes a wide bend to the left; just after this, ignore a path branching off to the left and carry on to the next junction (which you’ll take on the way back). Turn right to reach another junction 150 m further on.

(4) Turn right again (we’ll return to this junction via the left-hand side). On your left lies the Blindensee bog. When you reach the tarmac road, turn left and, after 170 m, take the path on the left that runs alongside the road. This path (like the road) leads you to the Blindensee car park and to the entrance to the footpath that crosses the protected nature reserve. Join the footpath.

(5) Blindensee – a magical place! Continue along the path and, as you leave the bog, keep the meadow on your right and turn left into the forest onto the dirt track which takes you back to the starting point of the Blindensee circular route.

(4) Turn right and, at the next junction, take the dirt track on the right. This splits into two; take the path on the left for about a hundred metres.

(6) On your right is a spring and on your left an enchanted woodland (mosses, trees, light). Continue along the path and, when you reach the dirt track, turn left onto it and stay on it until you reach the tarmac road.

(7) Head up to the right. The road passes between three houses and becomes a dirt track. At the next junction, turn right onto the dirt track that leads into the forest. Carry on until you reach a crossroads.

(8) Continue along the dirt track to the left (a track to the right is not mapped on OSM). Shortly afterwards, as you leave the forest, continue along the track (with a peat bog on your right) and enter the forest again.

(9) Follow the dirt track to the left (the one on the right isn’t mapped on OSM); as you emerge from the woodland, you’ll come to a farm.

(10) Take a look at the fountain – it’s very unusual! Go round the farm on the right along the tarmac road. Carry on straight ahead at the next junction and stay on the tarmac road until you reach the dirt car park on your left.

(11) Carry on for about 70 m, leaving the car park on your left. When you reach the tarmac road, turn right and follow the road to the car park for the cross-country skiing and biathlon centre.

(12) Enter the biathlon centre, stay on the tarmac path and pass to the right (behind) the shooting range. Continue straight on along the tarmac path for 300 m, until you reach the first dirt track leading uphill to the right.

(13) Follow the fairly steep dirt track up to the right. When you reach the junction, head up to the left and take the first right (towards Schönwald). At the next junction, take the path behind the bench to the right of the hut (towards Alderschanze) until you reach the next junction.

(14) Take the path on the right and, as you emerge from the forest, carry on straight ahead to the benches/deckchairs with a lovely view.

(15) Head down the path on the right alongside the woodland, which leads to the track; turn left and walk through the woodland. At the exit, take the dirt track on the left and enjoy the view of Schönwald on your right. Walk alongside the woodland until you reach the first bend before entering the woodland.

(16) Take the path on the right and head downhill alongside the woodland (Yellow Diamond signpost). At the last few trees, the path heads back into the woods to the left until it reaches a small pond (Yellow Diamond). Before the pond, a path branches off to the right – take this one. It runs alongside the stream and passes to the left of the houses, leading out onto a tarmac road which joins the Hauptstrasse.
Turn right, cross the road and take the first road on the left to reach the car park (S/E).

The walk is mainly on dirt tracks but also includes footpaths and tarmac roads.