Matthias Brandt

After the 2nd stage had many highlights and at the weekend near the castles are many visitors, the third stage is now very lonely. Although the stage offers beautiful forest and mountain trails, but despite two other castle ruins does not reach the spectacular touch of the previous. At the end of the tour, the observation tower on the Grand Wintersberg, with its 581 hm highest mountain in the northern Vosges, impresses with a very beautiful panorama. The stage is exhausting and there is really no opportunity for a stop. Only off the tour in Windstein is the Hôtel Restaurant du Windstein. At the end of the stage just before the Chalet du Wintersberg we only passed a refuge. Also benches on the way were missing. In the place Wineckerthal we have then explored in a bus stop.The tour starts where we left yesterday. The first piece runs slightly uphill through meadows and fields, later through the forest. There we follow a hang path afterwards. At a crossroads, we keep to the right and do not follow the reference to the Wittschloessel, a sparse and inadequate remnant of a ruin (unpaid). The slope path ends at a roadway, which we first follow uphill. At a curve the GR53 leads us back to a narrow slope path, which we now follow to the top of the hill. There, a sign points to the right to the waterstones. Unfortunately, there is no view. We stay on the GR53 and continue to follow the red rectangle on the descending forest path which leads into a horizontal roadway. Signs already point us to the castle ruin Vieux Windstein. After a few minutes we are standing in front of a locked gate. Here we keep left and climb the mountain to Vieux Windstein. Here caution is required. The rocks and the castle remains are only partially secured. Only experienced people should climb into the castle ruins. From the Vieux Windstein it goes steeply downhill and then immediately steeply uphill again. Shortly afterwards we reach the Nouveau Windstein. This castle ruin is much better preserved and can be visited well. After the castle ruin Nouveau Windstein it is now always downhill to the Wineckerthal. There, the path runs several hundred meters through the village on a paved road. After leaving the village, a narrow forest trail leads us steadily uphill to the Chalet du Wintersberg (a stop would be possible here). At the Chalet du Wintersberg we keep left and climb the Grand Wintersberg on a zigzag path. From the observation tower there (25 m high) you can enjoy the panorama. From there the GR53 runs steeply downhill to Niederbronn les Bains. From there you can easily travel by train via Hagenau back to Wissembourg. The ticket for a mini group of 4 persons and one way ticket costs € 23,20. The ticket machine also works in German. Only the ticket selection is still in French.

First a hint. The indicated average speed is wrong. We needed 8 hours for the 21 km. Our actual running speed was extremely slow. The second stage of our vault crossing on the GR53 is, in contrast to the first stage, peppered with many castles and views and invites you to enjoy. In contrast to the Black Forest, the hiking trails in the Vosges are singletrack, making hiking even more enjoyable.In sunshine we start our hike in Climbach and follow the main road for about 100 meters then turn right in a northerly direction. At the end of the village, the GR53 then runs on narrow paths through the forest to Petit Wingen, a small village. There is the restaurant Le Hohenbourg. It can also be stayed there (see photo). As usual in France, the breakfast costs extra. From Petit Wingen we continue through meadows and then follow the forest on a single trail to the valley. After crossing a road and passing the Etang du Heimbach, we follow an uphill forest road. On this path you will find agates, quartzes or similar. At the Col du Litschhof there is a large refuge with several benches and tables in front of and in the hut. There you can well take a break. Otherwise there is a rest stop in the Gimbelhof or the Chateau Fleckenstein. From the refuge, continue uphill to a trail spider. Here you can then decide whether to make a detour to the castle ruins Löwenstein, Hohenburg and Wegelnburg or not. Otherwise turn left and follow the Sentier des Roches. The GR53 actually passes it at the beginning of the Sentier des Roches, but is much more boring. Since the GR53 and the Sentier des Roches come together again shortly before the castle ruins Fleckenstein here is the more interesting option. The castle ruins Fleckenstein can be visited against admission. The other castle ruins mentioned above can be visited free of charge. We follow the GR53 on the left past the Fleckenstein Castle. which now leads steeply into the valley. In the valley, cross a road and the next to flowing La Sauer and climb up the ridge on the opposite side of the valley and follow the single trail to the castle ruins Froensburg. Another imposing rock castle. From the Froensburg, the GR53 continues on a narrow single trail until we reach another refuge. There we keep left until we reach the Gypsy rock, which can also be climbed via an adventurous staircase. From there you have once again a beautiful view over the Vosges. This is also the last altitude we climb on this stage. From the Gypsy rock it goes down to the Chateau du Wasigenstein. These are actually 2 castle ruins, which are directly, almost like row houses, next to each other. After a visit to the castles, the path leads us to Obersteinbach. With a variant you could still visit the Petit Arnsbourg, which is located above Obersteinbach. However, we did without this time and hiked the signage directly to Obersteinbach. There are three hotels. We stayed at the restaurant-hotel Village-Alsace (a ** - hotel). The food there is awesome, the hotel garden is romantic, the service extremely friendly, the rooms are not all on the state of the art, but sometimes very unusual. So also a trailer can be inhabited. For breakfast there was z. B. also homemade bread and homemade jam. The hotel and in particular the restaurant was an absolute highlight for us and is only to be recommended.

After hiking with two friends last year (2018) through the Vosges mountains from Chatenois to Bonhomme (3 stages) on the GR 53, we decided to go for the first three stages of the GR 53 this year, and so the Vosges To traverse piece by piece. The GR53 starts at the station of Wissembourg (Alsace). Since we came to Wissembourg by car, we parked on the Place de la Foire. At the parking place de la foire is the free parking, even for several days, possible.From the parking lot we stay south to meet the rue nationale after a few meters and walk through the center. When we stood in front of the Patisserie Au p'tit Kougelff and admired the displays, we were surprised by a heavy downpour. We saved ourselves in the café and ate the best eclaires we ever had. Then we continued on the rue national in a westerly direction. The weather got better now and the sun came out.The first stage we had planned on 10 km, because we started at noon from Wissembourg and this is a good not so exhausting entry for the other longer stages. In Climbach there is only one ** - Hotel, the Hôtel à l'Ange, with good home cooking and nice rooms. The place Climbach is not very interesting. The first stage can be extended to Petit Wingen. There is the possibility to stay overnight at Le Hohenbourg. But there is nothing to be found on the internet. Only in front of the restaurant is a hint to be found. The kitchen should be excellent. The overnight stay there costs € 25,00 per person. It is recommended to extend the first stage until there, because on the 2nd stage numerous castles are to visit and then you have time to make a trip to the castle ruins Löwenstein, Hohenburg and Wegelnburg.In Wissemburg we first follow the rue nationale to the town hall. There we keep left and follow the Rue de la Republique until we come to a roundabout. There we also find a sign indicating the GR53. The GR53 is marked with a red rectangle. At the roundabout, we keep right again and follow the very well-signposted GR53 which now leads us quite quickly from the village to meadows and fields. From there it goes on into the forest until we reach the Refuge de la Scherhol. There we briefly leave the GR53 and follow a green triangle on a narrow single trail. It now goes from the Refuge only down to Climbach. Our decision only to Climbach to run and the tour not renewed, turned out right after our arrival at the hotel. Shortly after we moved into our rooms, it poured heavily again. We would have been wet to the skin.

After the clouds cleared this morning, we immediately packed the backpacks and made a quick trip to the farms. From there we started a circular walk through the Black Forest. The tour went exclusively through the forest and was after the last two days in the Swabian Alb a real contrast, dark, little flowers, no animals, little birds twittering. During the planning I had promised more of the tour. The memorial stone of the cyclone in 1986 is now unspectacular on the forest path. There, a bank invites you to rest and you look at a 30-year-old dense grown trees. That's it. Later, the tour was on a short distance on the middle ground, that's it. Finally we were in the outdoor pool in Höfen, a small nice bathroom.

This round trip we have from the hiking guide Swabian Alb, the 40 most beautiful walks from Bruckmann-Verlag. Here we have two tours connected and slightly modified, so we do not have to run the same way back. I can only recommend this tour.The tour starts in Fridingen at the church. From there we climb up to the loaf rock, which offers a beautiful view of the Danube valley. From there we walk along the slope to the Mattheiser chapel. A little later we reach the Stiegelesfelsen, which offers a romantic view of the Danube valley from a romantic point of view with a large tree and two benches. From there, the path runs comfortably on a narrow ridge. After another look over the valley and down to grazing zebu cows, it goes steeply down to the Danube. Because it was quite humid, both the rock and the roots were very slippery. We therefore took the sticks for safety (these were also necessary). Stepping stones or a footbridge cross the Danube. However, the jetty was badly damaged and can not be used at the moment. The stepping stones were still very slippery. An opposing group had their big problems there, so we decided to wade through the knee-deep water. On the other side of the river lies the restaurant Jägerhaus with a beer garden. From the hunting lodge we follow the gravel road which we have to share here with the cyclists (Donaufahrradweg). After a long bend, we leave the track and climb slightly uphill on a forest path through the forest straight ahead, over the ridge and down again, until we come back to the Danube and then immediately see the monastery Beuron. The monastery can not be visited, but the monastery church. This can be viewed outside the daily services. From the parking lot of Beuron Monastery we follow the ascending village crossing, cross the railway bridge and then keep left and continue on a gravel path uphill on the rocky slope. The path becomes more rocky and narrower in the course of the trail until we come back onto a forest path. We follow this forest path uphill until we reach the castle Wildenstein. In the castle Wildenstein there is a castle tavern. From the castle Wildenstein it goes back. But we stay to the left and stay on top, pass the "Jägersaussicht" to the view of the Alps. From there it zigzags down to just above the town sign of Beuron. There we cross the road, keep left and follow a Calvary to the Lourdes Grotto. From there it goes through a small but fantastic gorge until we come across a beautiful meadow with a view of the castle Bronnen. Below the castle, the path leads back to the hunting lodge. There we come back on the Donaufradradweg, which we now follow upstream, past the farm Ziegelhütte, a Vesperstube, to the Danube infiltration. At the infiltration site it can be seen how a part of the Danube disappears (this part will then emerge again in the Achtopf 20 km away). From the infiltration, past another grotto, we go back to the starting point. The tour mostly runs in the forest and is therefore well suited for a summer round. I found the landscape very impressive.

"Region of the 10 Thousands". After Jochen released the tour, I was very curious and wanted to climb all these 10 thousands. The 10 thousands are: Wandbühl 1007m, Bohl 1002m, Rainen 1006m, Montschenloch 1004m, Oberhohenberg 1010m m, Hochberg 1008m, Lemberg 1015m, Hummelsberg 1001m, Kehlen / Weißes Kreuz 1001, Hochwald 1001.We start our tour in Wehingen in the Steinstraße. There is a public car park there. From there we walk through the village, then to the left always slightly uphill on a paved forest road / road through the forest to run. After just over 3 kilometers, we finally leave the paved road to the left on a little-maintained forest road. After about 300 m, turn right onto a forest path, the beginning of which can not be found, as this is pretty much obstructed by scrub. Since then I thought briefly, well, behind the scrub, however, was a little committed path to see well (in Jochen as a picture to see). Here we were rewarded with our first salamander this year. Unfortunately, after 400 m the path stopped in the middle of nowhere. Only following the navigation prescribed by Jochen, we continued uphill through an imaginary path through scrubland until we came to another road after another 200 m. If this path is used more often in the future, it may become a path again. Once at the top, we follow the forest path to the left. Climbing over felled tree trunks, after a few hundred meters we turn another forest road uphill to the summit of Wandbühl (there are no signposts here). Coming out of the forest you reach a large meadow with a great view. We did not find a board with a height indication on the Wandbühl. Then it goes back to the forest road on to Bohl, the next summit. On the way there we cross a large meadow landscape. Since all the meadows up there are not mown yet, they bloom in a variety of colors. It's just beautiful there. After a slight climb we reach the Bohl. This summit is our first summit, marked with the "Region of the Ten Thousands" panel and a height indication. After a short look back to the open meadow, it's off to the forest and downhill to the Deilinger chapel. From there we make a loop to the Rainen, with a stitch to the quarry, then again to cross the chapel and then continue in the direction of the already visible tower on a paved path, which we then leave to the right on a meadow path. However, after about 300 m, this path was no longer recognizable, so that we again follow the route prescribed by Jochen through the meadow to the Montschenloch. After the Montschenloch we continue towards the tower. Next to the tower is the house on the tower. However, this hut was closed on Thursday. From the meadow next to the house at the tower you have a great view towards Rottweil and the large 230 m high ThyssenKrupp elevator tower. Here we take our first break and enjoy the view. From there it goes downhill and we cross the village Delkhofen and move through meadows to Oberhohenberg, which stands out prominently in the landscape. At the beginning of the forest, the trail climbs steeply to the summit. From the castle ruins is as good as nothing left. On a single trail we run on the Albtrauf up to the high mountain. From there it goes steeply downhill and then again steeply uphill to Lviv, the highest mountain of our tour. There is also the farm Lemberghütte and a high observation tower. Then it goes down to Gosheim. The whole place we cross until we again on a forest road and after a steep climb on a single trail to the Hummelsberg run. From there it goes back towards Wehingen on easy paths without great gradients through the forest, interrupted again and again by meadows and a great view from the sweeping / white cross.
Conclusion: Challenging hike, which starts a bit boring, but then always great. The last piece back to Wehingen is then not so interesting. But to reach the 10 thousands on one stroke, Wehingen is ideal as a start / finish.

On Sunday we did a round trip in the northern Black Forest, which is advertised by the community of Baiersbronn as a tour of the Baiersbronn Himmelswege. We opted for the 2-lake tour. The start of the 2-lake-tour (the tour is signposted with the sign of a green dragonfly) is located at the parking chairlift. However, we started in the center of Baiersbronn in the Sankenbachstraße. There you can park for free on Sundays. From here it goes first through the village in the direction of the signposted parking lot of the ski lift. Shortly before the parking lot, it goes to the creek of the Sankenbach to the deer enclosure. Arrived at the edge of the forest, the trail begins to rise slightly and leads past a forest playground on the Sankenbach ford (the small pedestrian bridge is currently closed) to the romantic Sankenbachsee.The Sankenbachsee is one of five Karseen in the municipality of Baiersbronn, which were created during the last and penultimate Ice Age.The route then leads over a natural path and a moderate slope for experienced hikers to the Sankenbach waterfalls. Here rises a steep rock face and lets the Sankenbach fall down as a 40 m high, two-stage waterfall. Between the two waterfall steps runs a bridge. Here you can steer over a slide the water surge of the waterfall. A highlight, not only for children.After this impressive nature experience you can reach the waterfall hut via a path. From here, the trail continues another short uphill to the village Kniebis. Here we follow the home path to the observation deck to Ellbachsee. From the viewing platform you have a great view of the lake and a beautiful view in the direction of Hornisgrinde. From there you can take a short detour in the Kniebishütte. The food and service were very good there.After the refreshment drive back to the viewing platform, which we now leave to the right, and now we are entering the descent to the lake, a narrow section of the path where certain surefootedness is required. The Ellbachsee also invites you to linger with its dark water.From the lake, the route follows the Ellbachtal on wide paths to a fork in the road. Here you have the option to follow the broad path to the left or to choose the "Aberteuerweg", which leads almost 30 m later on a narrow path through the forest. We decided on the adventure. The path requires surefootedness and leads over roots and stones along the mountainside. Finally, the path leads steeply downhill back to the wide path, which we had left at the fork and now follow in the direction of "green Plätzle" again. When we arrived at the Ellbach, the river is called "Good Ellbach", we leave the 2-Seen-Weg and cross the Gut Ellbach over a bridge and follow the river now left side towards Mitteltal. Once in Mitteltal, it is now right again up to the edge of the forest until we come back to the green dragonfly and opens up a beautiful view over Mitteltal. In beautiful viewpoint it is now on the winter side to the view on the Allmandblick and the "Holzweg". A short distance follows the course of this adventure trail to the Heuberghof. Below the Heuberghof we leave again the 2-lake tour to the left and walk to the center of Baiersbronn.

A nice round from Holzbronn, which is advertised as an instant tour. The tour has something for everyone. The tour begins in Holzbronn opposite the old town hall within sight of the beautiful Protestant Bernard Church. In the old town hall is now also a café, which is open on weekends (only this weekend unfortunately not). It's called "cinnamon bun". After a short distance through the village we walk on paved road through large fields. From there you have a great view into the northern Black Forest. After enjoying the view, we leave the hill, cross a road and continue downhill through the forest. The trail narrows until we find a singletrack that leads to an alpine mountain path. This starts with a ladder, which we descend. About the "alpine" mountain path, it goes downhill to Nagoldtal on a single trail .. About 50 m above the B463 we turn sharply left, the single trail ends here and we follow the forest trail in the direction Nagold until we come to the B 463. After we have crossed the main road and the next flowing Nagold, it now goes uphill to the castle ruins Waldeck. On a narrow single trail, which I can not recommend, as it is hardly recognizable by tree felling and only with climbing actions over branches and scrub is to commit, we reach the castle ruins. In front of the ruin is a rest area with 4 benches, grouped around a large fireplace. From the castle ruins Waldeck we run on a forest path upstream. After about 11 km, a narrow path leads back down to the bottom of the valley Nagoldtals we then follow a narrow paved road, which is also the same bicycle path, to Seitzental. There is a possibility for a short stop in the restaurant Talmühle. However, this was not to our taste, so we left these on the right, and turned left which Nagold and the B 463 crossed again and then ran through the gorge Xanderklinge. This gorge is a real nature experience. You can leave right at the beginning of the ravine and after about a quarter of the gorge bottom and go above the gorge. However, we went further through the gorge. There are several waterfalls here. However, these can be overcome with the help of ropes, which are attached there climbing with a little fitness. The gorge is a real highlight. The gorge is still wild. At the end of the Schucht we keep to the right, follow the signpost Krabba Nescht and reach Holzbronn again after nearly one kilometer. There you can complete the hike in Krabba Nescht. The restaurant is very popular. A reservation is essential and is only open from 17.00 clock.

The indicated speed is not right at all.

At Whitsun every year at the hippodrome of Iffezheim is a very beautiful international pottery market, which we visit every few years again. Afterwards we attached a small round at the Altrhein.DieTour started in Plittersdorf in the Fährstraße near the Italian iced coffee. From there it went first through the village on the dike after about 1.4 km turn left into the floodplain forest. There the mosquitoes attacked us. With the help of Anti-Brumm, which Annett had taken as a precaution, we were spared by the pests. On the Rhine it was too windy for the mosquitoes. On the Rhine we went, after a small Schlencker in the alluvial forest, to the confluence of the Murg, which flows from the Black Forest coming into the Rhine. It was interesting how the different water colors were to be recognized at the confluence (see photo). After that we went to Murg following the river. Since the Murg had flood, the way was in 2 places, washed over in quick succession. We quickly took off our shoes, put them in our rucksacks and also secured our cameras and smartphones in our rucksacks and crossed the fords. The water was contrary to the first fear not so cold (feet had not fallen off) and went to just below the butt. With pants pulled up we came to the other side with dry clothes. There we followed the dyke course of the rear Rhine dike back to Plittersdorf. The final reward was an ice cream in the ice cream parlor.The photos are from Annett and me (the nicer pictures are from Annett!)