In the Wutach and Lotenbach gorges

de fr

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

Details

n°1761095
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.81 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 279 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 284 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 859 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 629 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

Petrifying fountain covered in moss
Foam fountain
Lotenbach gorges

Description of the walk

Lotenbrücke car park located after Gündelwangen in the direction of Bonndorf.

(S/E) Cross the road to the east and follow the path for 100 metres.

(1) Take the small road on the right to the north-east with a 6% incline to Tiefental and a 6% descent to Boll. Go around Boll on the left following the Ritterweg and join the Wutachstrasse.

(2) Follow the road to the left for 200 metres, passing the "Gasthof Wutachschlucht" restaurant.

(3) Take the path on the right and descend towards the Wutach river. The descent is quite steep but not difficult. Cross via the footbridge. This is the lowest point of the hike at an altitude of 620m.

(4) Follow the path marked "Schluchtensteig" and "Querweg Freiburg-Bodensee" on the left until you reach the exit of the gorge.

(5) Leave the Wutach River Gorge, pass the "Gasthaus Schattenmühle" inn and join the road.

(6) Turn left then right to walk alongside the car park. Then follow the "Lotenbachklamm" forest road which leads to the "Lotenbach" gorge.

(7) Continue straight ahead and follow the gorge uphill (average gradient 10%) to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 776 m - Lotenbrücke car park
  2. 1 : km 0.09 - alt. 779 m - Small asphalt road
  3. 2 : km 3.27 - alt. 742 m - Wutachstrasse road
  4. 3 : km 3.44 - alt. 736 m - Trail down to the Wutach river.
  5. 4 : km 4.67 - alt. 645 m - Long-distance hiking trail on the left.
  6. 5 : km 8.35 - alt. 665 m - Gasthaus Schattenmühle
  7. 6 : km 8.53 - alt. 665 m - Road, left then right
  8. 7 : km 8.65 - alt. 671 m - Lotenbach River, altitude 680m, 8.75km
  9. S/E : km 9.81 - alt. 776 m - Lotenbrücke car park

Notes

Good hiking boots, possibly a poncho depending on the flow of certain waterfalls, a supply of water.
No shelters, but two inns in case the weather changes.

Worth a visit

Gasthaus Schattenmühle inn.

Reviews and comments

4.9 / 5
Based on 8 reviews
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
FCBayern
FCBayern

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The scenic route from the start to the village of Boll is not particularly interesting
Then the descent to the Wutach is well shaded and easy
In the gorges, it becomes more interesting, with striking exposed roots
The last part, the Klam, is exceptional but very slippery, so you need good footwear

Machine-translated

Nathalie R
Nathalie R
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

After a long and monotonous start with a few kilometres of road, the second part of the walk was much more interesting. The gorges are magnificent! There are some very nice technical paths between rocks, roots and wooden bridges. Be careful in wet weather, as the ground can be very slippery in places. Good footwear is essential. Thank you for this wonderful discovery. Lovely walk!

Machine-translated

gaby_CSS
gaby_CSS

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Even if the start isn't very interesting, it gets you going and takes you past Boll's pottery workshop. The section along the Wutach is a little frustrating at first, as you're not directly beside the river, but given the landslides it's understandable. The last third of the walk is really nice: a nice little path under the trees, a moss fountain and beautiful waterfalls along the way back up. Thank you very much!

Machine-translated

EwaP
EwaP

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No


superb!

Machine-translated

Rapp Michel
Rapp Michel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Machine-translated

garnier jean-claude
garnier jean-claude

Another clarification: the bus leaves at 9.30 a.m. and drops you off at Wutahmuhle at 9.55 a.m. from Monday to Friday. line 7344

Machine-translated

garnier jean-claude
garnier jean-claude

hello,
completely agree; but there is another way to go up the Wuttah gorge: leave the car at the Schattenmuhle hostel car park, take the bus to Wutachmuhle and from there walk up the gorge to the Schattenmuhle car park; and walk to the Lotenbachklamm and back. At the end, enjoy an excellent beer at the inn......

Machine-translated

Bosso68
Bosso68

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A slightly disappointing start on a small, uninteresting road. But the rest is worth it.

Machine-translated

Bernard Husser
Bernard Husser

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 30, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

relatively difficult route in wet weather. Very slippery tree stumps

Machine-translated

fredounet
fredounet

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

quite a pleasant walk, which can also be started from the other car parks along the route

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking Gorge Trail Variation Stage 3 – From the Lotenbachklamm gorge to Lenzkirch

Visorando member
Schluchtensteig Variante Etappe 3 - Von der Lotenbachklamm nach Lenzkirch
↔14.45 km ↗+391 m ↘-362 m ◔5h 15 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Bonndorf im Schwarzwald (Regierungsbezirk Freiburg)
The Schluchtensteig trail leads in 6 stages over 119 km from Stühlingen to Wehr across the southern Black Forest. Our third stage starts at the upper entrance to the Lotenbachklamm gorge and ends in Lenzkirch, where there are numerous accommodation options and a bus connection to the start of stage 4. Alternatively, you can spend the night in Schluchsee and climb the Riesenbühlturm tower, see the corresponding tour. If you want to hike all stages of the Schluchtensteig, you can stay overnight in the Schattenmühle between stages 2 and 3. From there, you can tackle the Lotenbachklamm gorge and hike up to the starting point of this hike.

Walking Schluchtensteig supplement Stage 3 – Up to the Riesenbühlturm

Visorando member
Schluchtensteig Ergänzung Etappe 3 - Rauf zum Riesenbühlturm
↔3.43 km ↗+147 m ↘-141 m ◔1h 25 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Schluchsee (Regierungsbezirk Freiburg)
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.

Walking The Jägersteig trail starting from Schluchsee

Visorando member
Le Jägersteig au départ de Schluchsee
↔12.74 km ↗+303 m ↘-307 m ◔4h 30 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Schluchsee (Regierungsbezirk Freiburg)
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.

Walking Grand Canyon of the Black Forest

Visorando member
Grand canyon de la Forêt-Noire
↔13.03 km ↗+482 m ↘-396 m ◔5h 05 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Wutach (Regierungsbezirk Freiburg)
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.

Walking Gorge Trail Stage 4 – from Fischbach to St. Blasien

Visorando member
Schluchtensteig Etappe 4 - von Fischbach nach St. Blasien
↔19.98 km ↗+444 m ↘-718 m ◔7h 00 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Schluchsee (Regierungsbezirk Freiburg)
The Schluchtensteig trail leads in six stages over 119 km from Stühlingen to Wehr across the southern Black Forest. The fourth stage of the Schluchtensteig is almost completely free of gorges and therefore quite easy to walk. However, you should not underestimate the altitude difference, especially after Unterkrummenhof, where a long climb awaits hikers, and after St. Blasien, where the forest road descends for a long time and is quite steep in places. The southern Black Forest with its isolated farms shows its charming side on this stage, offering frequent views of the Alps. At the end, you can enjoy the Windeck waterfalls above St. Blasien. Thanks to good bus connections, this stage can also be hiked very well as a single stage.

Walking Titisee - Feldberg Passöhe

Visorando member
Titisee - Feldberg Passöhe
↔13.65 km ↗+509 m ↘-131 m ◔5h 20 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Titisee-Neustadt (Regierungsbezirk Freiburg)
This fifth stage will take you from Titisee to Feldberg Passöhe. The route follows the Westweg Schwartzwald. In the evening, you will stop at Feldberg Passhöhe, which, at 1,231 metres above sea level, is the second highest mountain pass in Germany.

Walking Tour of Lake Titisee

Visorando member
↔5.76 km ↗+96 m ↘-94 m ◔1h 55 ▲Easy
⚑Departure from Titisee-Neustadt (Regierungsbezirk Freiburg)
Walking around Lake Titisee prolongs the serenity it exudes.

Walking Gorge Trail Stage 1 – from Stühlingen to Blumberg

Visorando member
Schluchtensteig Etappe 1 - von Stühlingen nach Blumberg
↔18.37 km ↗+634 m ↘-385 m ◔7h 05 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Stühlingen (Regierungsbezirk Freiburg)
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.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.