Escape the city – Ford weekend adventure in southwest Germany

Dark fir trees, deep valleys and lots of idyll - the Black Forest is simply a Mecca for hikers. There is a gigantic network of trails to discover in the highest and largest German low mountain range. On this eleven-kilometer circular hike you will get to know the Middle Black Forest.It starts at the trend camping in Halbmeil near Wolfach, a great starting point for your excursions in the Kinzig valley. Right at the beginning of the tour you hike uphill - as it should be for a hike in the Black Forest. Soon you will enjoy the first wonderful views of the valley and over the mountainous landscape. Look forward to a postcard-perfect setting! In a wide arc you walk around the Kapf and then through Ippichen back towards Kinzig.Once you have reached the bubbling river, you cross the water and stroll relaxed on the bank back to Halbmeil. You cross the place and head back to your starting point. Shortly before the end of the tour, you can stop off at the “Löwen” inn.

A starting point like in a fairy tale book: On this almost ten kilometer tour through the Central Black Forest, you start on the market square in Schiltach. The half-timbered houses of the historic old town have been artistically restored, the historic fountain bubbles in front of the 16th century town hall. Small alleys lead off to the left and right of the market square. Just beautiful!At the beginning of this route it goes straight uphill. However, if you have managed to climb, the enjoyable part of the hike awaits you. In the Schenkenhof, a quaint snack bar, it is worth taking a break with cider and home-style cooking. You walk through the forest back to the Kinzig valley. You pass the Schenkenburg ruins and hike back to the starting point on the banks of the Kinzig.There are numerous pretty cafés in Schiltach, such as Bachbeck. How about a piece of Black Forest cherry cake, for example? There are also several exciting museums in town, such as the rafting museum. The tourist information is located in the town hall directly on the market square.

A trip to the Vosges is always a dream: In the low mountain range in eastern France, a contrasting landscape, impressive views and beautiful hiking trails await you. And all of this only shortly after the German-French border. Reason enough to cross the Rhine again this weekend. The starting point of this hike is the Auberge de Schantzwasen, a great place to stay overnight with extra charm.To get in the mood for the almost 14-kilometer round, you hike through the picturesque landscape and then reach the Les escaliers des Hirschsteine. The metal stairs rise steeply on the rocks - nothing like up with you. Now it is not far to the Col de la Schlucht, a pass in the Vosges at 1,139 meters above sea level. After a short detour to the famous point, a wonderful hiking trail up to the Tanet begins. Enjoy the fantastic panorama that accompanies you on your way to the summit. You can hardly get enough of this view.You have now mastered the challenging part of the hike. The path leads you downhill to Lac Vert, which with its green water blends in like a fairytale into the forest landscape. After a short break, it is not far to your starting point. A hearty Vesper with French specialties is already waiting for you.

All good lakes come in threes! Lots of water, forest and idyllic Vosges await you on this almost 13-kilometer hike. Look forward to a varied tour, which is really colorful, especially in autumn, when the leaves of the trees change color.The hike starts at lake number one, Lac Noir. However, you go straight to lake number two and hike through the forest and over meadows uphill to Lac du Forlet. Time for a short break. The path then leads you up to the Gazon de Faing. Let yourself be enchanted by the impressive, barren high moor landscape at an altitude of 1,302 meters and enjoy the tranquility that surrounds you.You walk a little further on the plateau and then descend to the third lake. From the Rocher Hans lookout rock you have a particularly beautiful view of the picturesque Lac Blanc. You then go back through the forest to your starting point.

Lahn, Moselle, Rhine - on this 14-kilometer hike, the complete river experience in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley awaits you. The tour starts at the Wolfsmühle campsite, beautifully located directly on the banks of the Lahn.You cross the river and then climb the 319 meter high light head - including beautiful viewpoints. Once you have mastered the ascent, the hike takes you back down over gently sloping forest paths through the Bienhorn valley. You cross the Rhine and will soon be standing in front of the Koblenz Castle. Only a few meters through the old town to your destination, the Deutsches Eck. Make yourself comfortable on the promenade and see where the Rhine and Moselle merge.If you still feel like it, you can stroll a bit through the city center of Koblenz and look for a cozy restaurant. You can get back to the campsite by bus from the main train station in Koblenz in half an hour. To do this, take line 573 towards Friedland and get off at the Hohenrhein stop. It is not far from the bus stop to Camping Wolfsmühle.

Do you fancy a little more scrambling? Then this 13-kilometer hike is perfect for you. Climbers and hiking enthusiasts will get their money's worth on the via ferrata near Boppard. And if you prefer to take it easy, this hike will still be a pleasure. The tour starts at the parking lot in the Mühltal in Boppard.The adventurous via ferrata with its steep rock faces and ladders begins soon. The forest opens up again and again and you have a magnificent view of the Rhine Valley and the Hunsrück. Once you have mastered the challenging part, you can enjoy the panorama at the Vierseenblick and a little later at the Rheinschleife. It continues through the Hubertus Gorge and over the Sabelskopf back to Boppard.For the via ferrata it is important to be sure-footed and free from giddiness. But don't worry: if a job becomes too adventurous for you, you can avoid the individual passages at any time on safe paths. When it rains, it makes sense anyway to prefer the paved alternatives to the slippery ladders and rocks.

The Swabian Alb looks back on a long history: In the past the Jurassic Sea sloshed here, today the low mountain range in southern Germany offers you a lot of geological features and a wonderful landscape for hiking. So also around Blaubeuren.The ten kilometer long rock climb begins at the train station in Blaubeuren, where you will also find parking options. Right at the beginning you hike steeply uphill, past interesting rock formations. Would you have recognized the two kissing sows as such? Through the forest it goes back down to the village and to the well-known Blautopf, the second richest karst spring in Germany, which looks so wonderfully magical due to its deep blue water.There are still a few meters to climb: The path now leads you up to the Albtrauf. You hike along the steep cliff edge and enjoy a fantastic view of the Blaubeuren valley basin and over the high plateau. On your way down you pass the Hohengerhausen ruins and then meander downhill into the valley. You cross the Blau and will soon be back at the train station in town.Camping Heidehof is only ten minutes away by car from Blaubeuren. The well-maintained campsite, which also has rental accommodation (such as log cabins or camping barrels), is an ideal starting point for your excursions on the Alb. You can find more information here: camping-heidehof.de.

An excursion to the rocky Kleine Lautertal and the plateau of the Alb offers you absolute hiking fun. The 14-kilometer Lauterfelsensteig leads you through the unique landscape of the Swabian Alb in an exciting alternation between mountain and valley. The circular hike starts at the train station in Herrlingen, where you can park your car nearby.Soon you will dive into the dense forest and climb the first meters of your tour. At the Maria-Hilf-Chapel you can take a short break and take a deep breath. This is followed by a picturesque section of the path through the romantic Lautertal with its countless river meanders and the bubbling Lauter spring.Then a short and crisp ascent up to Hohenstein awaits you. Once at the top, however, it is then quite relaxed on the plateau to Weidach and along the upper edge of the Kiesental through the forest. Shortly before the end of the tour, you walk through a juniper heather and then put the last few meters back to your starting point. In Herrlingen, a district of Blaustein, you will find several restaurants for a cozy stop.

Rugged rock formations, Celtic places of worship and remnants of a medieval castle complex - the 15 kilometer long rock path dream loop awaits you with lots of variety and hiking fun. You will also come across wonderful rest areas and let your gaze wander over the autumn-colored forest.The circular hike starts at the nicely situated campsite in Losheim am See. At the beginning it is already in full swing and the first promising highlight is not long in coming. From the Teufelsfelsen you have a wonderful view of the dense forest of the Saar-Hunsrück National Park. You then continue uphill through the forest.Soon you have reached the highest point of the tour and are running downhill again. You reach the Bärenfels, an impressive rock face that towers massively into the air. Along the way there are several more such rock formations to discover, such as the aristocratic rock or the snake rock. On your way to Scheiden you will also come across beautiful places that invite you to take a break. Soon the rugged rock formations give way to lovely orchards. On the direct course it goes back to the campsite, where you can look forward to a relaxing evening at the lake.

Seclusion, tranquility, pure nature and hiking fun: the 17-kilometer wilderness trail near Weiskirchen leads you on natural paths through the Wahnbachtal nature reserve and the Behlengraben. The wild and romantic round begins at the Weiskirchen hiking car park.The first three kilometers you hike straight uphill. You walk through the Holzbachtal along the river of the same name and can discover some interesting rock formations along the way. The path takes you a little further up through a light beech forest before you descend into the Wahnbachtal. Partly the path leads over wooden planks and past lush ferns through the beautiful, original nature reserve. You can take a break on the banks of the Herberloch, a small lake.Along another forest stream, the path meanders through the forest and finally leads you back to the hiking car park. In Weiskirchen you will find several places to stop for refreshments to end your day of hiking.