A ramble through the countryside – Germany’s Gäurandweg

"I'm hiking through the Gäu for five days!"

The local Swabian who loves to hike may find this announcement a little unspectacular at first, as the Black Forest or the Swabian Alb are the usual go-tos. If not these, then surely the Alps! Those unfamiliar with the area may not know what to make of the term ‘Gäu’. I would like to show you here that the Gäurandweg offers a special kind of experience.

The Gäu landscape runs almost completely through Baden-Württemberg from north to south. The Black Forest lies to the west, while the Neckar Valley usually forms the border to the east. Open, hilly landscapes interspersed with forests characterise the landscape. Hedges of blackthorn bushes and rose hips line the paths. Small, rural villages nestle in the valleys. Pure idyll!

The Gäurandweg is the easternmost of the trails marked by the Black Forest Association. It continuously follows the border between the Heckengäu and the Black Forest. It’s this that makes this particular long-distance hike so incredibly varied. Sometimes you walk across sunny meadows or patches of woodland, other times you cross heath-like nature reserves and amble through small villages.

The openness of the landscape rewards with beautiful, wide-ranging views. While the sun in the neighbouring Black Forest struggles to generate pleasant warmth in spring and autumn, here you can get a bit of a tan, especially when taking a breather on one of the numerous benches along the way.

You’ll hardly pass through any larger towns on this hike, so it’s not easy to shorten a stage using public transport. However, the start and finish points are easily accessible. It’s best to buy food for the day in the villages you encounter en route and then enjoy a cosy picnic on the trails. As accommodation is plentiful, I recommend where to stay overnight in the stage descriptions.

The lovely landscape should not hide the fact that these are relatively long stages with a fair amount of elevation change. Therefore, a decent level of fitness and hiking experience is a prerequisite.

So let's get going! Enjoy the heart of Swabia and my old home!