The Black Forest Trail (The Original)

This hike is postcard perfect and immerses you in the many things that make The Black Forest enchanting. You will hike through heavily forested mountains and open meadows, with steep ravines leading down to farms in the valleys. We added some local experiences and special side-trails, including a portion of the famous Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage Way.

Location

Black Forest

Start / End

Offenburg

Activity

hiking

Distance

16-19 km daily

Difficulty

moderate

Duration

2 days, 3 days, 4 days, 5 days

The Black Forest Trail (The Original)

Hiking Tours

spring, summer, fall

2 days, 3 days, 4 days, 5 days

The Black Forest Trail is a selection of the best trails the Central Black Forest has to offer in a 2-4 day hiking package. We have carefully woven together the prettiest trails with the most dramatic surroundings and interesting sights. We added some special side-trails and local experiences. You will traverse many different select trails, including a portion of the famous Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage Way.

We Handle All The Detail
Luggage Transfer Included
Hotels included, Upgrades possible

2-4 days of hiking
Detailed Route Descriptions & Maps
We are only a phone call away

Lonely Planet calls our Black Forest Trail one of ’52 Best Weekends Away’:

Focus of Trail: German Culture, Nature & Towns

Our hotels are located in small Black Forest towns. Therefore this is a great tour if you are looking for the best balance of quiet time in nature, while also having time to explore beautiful medieval towns in the evening. The Black Forest Trail takes you off-the-beaten-path where you might hike for some time without encountering other people.

Here is some feedback from recent hikers on The Black Forest Trail:

‘I LOVED THIS SO MUCH. This was perfect for my husband and I. Thank you for everything’.
‘I could not have dreamed up a more perfect adventure. I felt so immersed in the German culture and nature’
‘I was so impressed with these four days. the use of both GPS and paper descriptions were very helpful. I would highly recommend this if you are an experienced hiker and can do back to back long days’
‘This was a very special and rememberable adventure.’
‘We had a great time, the hike was awesome and we really enjoyed every second of it. This has been a bucket list item for a long time and you made it effortless to tick off’
‘We loved all the highlights you have added along the route, chatting to local farmers, enjoying beer and schnapps along the way really made it felt like a true Black Forest experience’

We recommend: add-on a rest day

The Black Forest Trail covers quite a bit of distance and is not for first-time hikers. Many hikers add-on a rest day in the middle of their hike: 2 days of hiking – rest day – 2 days of hiking.

Good to know: if you are too tired to hike one day, or the weather is not cooperating, there is always the option to get to the next hotel by train or bus.

Interested in combining your hike with a bicycling tour?

Startinf 2025 we are also offering a combination of the Black Forest Trail Hike and 2 days of bicycling. Click here for more information on our Hike & Bike: Black Forest Trail.

Testimonials

It’s often difficult to decide whether this hike is the right hike for you. To make your decision easier we want to show you what a recent hiker said about their hiking experience:

General feedback:
What a great experience! We really appreciated the seamless tour you gave us. The directions and the apps worked together to make sure we found the right paths that we needed. LOVED the hotels and the small towns. Thank you for all the quick communication and all the work to ensure that we had a great vacation!

Arrival Day:
Great instructions for our arrival! The car at the train station wasn’t marked and it took some guessing on our part to figure out that the man waiting in front of the train station was there for us. But we got there! The hotel was an awesome first stop! The staff were soooo friendly and helpful. The room was spacious. The hotel was amazing! The staff were all friendly. We would have enjoyed two nights there if we had thought about it! Maybe next time. 🙂

Day 1 hike:
The first day hiking was a little confusing just because I wasn’t used to “pacing” myself in kilometers instead of miles. We also hadn’t expected quite so many logging roads. Without the mobile 2Go Tours app that day we might have taken a wrong turn in spite of the good trail markings. However, it was a lovely hike, beautiful, not too strenuous. The next hotel was easy to find. The hotel owners were very friendly and helpful. Awesome food there!

Day 2 hike
This was a tough hike. It was also our favorite hiking day because of all there was to see and do. The stop at the farmhouses for drinks, the views, the tower, the chapels…. We were happy we had time to stop and enjoy all the moments! The third hotel was amazing. We loved the lights, the location, the room. All very comfortable!

Day 3 hike:
This hike felt harder than Day 2, even though the elevation change was a little gentler. I think the heat was getting to us by this day. It was still beautiful, and we loved the hike itself. We were fascinated by the wolf traps. Great diversion! When we got into view of the town, we were ready to walk down to it and through it. We stuck to the trail, however. By the time we arrived at the hotel we were too tired to explore further. The fourth hotel far exceeded our expectations!

Day 4 hike
We were really glad to have options the last day. I think we would have felt more energetic if it hadn’t been so hot. We enjoyed the first half of the hike, enjoyed the forest. Once we left the forest and were in the sun, we decided that shortening the hike was worth it. We were happy to get to the last hotel, which we loved, and rest for a bit. The hotel had wonderful staff and a beautiful room. That was another one we felt we could have stayed in a couple of nights. Well, really, they all were that nice! The last town was the perfect size for wandering and enjoying window-shopping. We loved our time there.

Touring with the mobile app
We used the trail description every day, and we really appreciated it! The details and photos with arrows were extremely helpful. We didn’t refer to the paper maps much because we had the 2GoTours app. That app was extremely helpful in keeping us on the right path. We loved that the mobile 2GoTours App worked even without internet connection. (We were on airplane mode on our phones and only used wifi at the hotels. We would bring up the app before we left the hotel, and it would track us accurately all day. There were a couple of times it booted one of us out of the app, and without wifi we couldn’t get back in. But interestingly it all worked out.) I think the description and the app together were perfect.

Communication and overall experience:
Your communication was awesome! I felt like you always had my back when I needed to reach out. Thank you so much for making this a great experience! I apologize that I complained about the heat in this review. Nothing on you! Black Forest Tours and you, Simone, have been great! I think we would love to do this trip again some day, or another one. We really appreciate your hard work in making our trip a wonderful experience.

Is it for me?

The Black Forest Trail is a good choice if you are looking for intermediate level hikes. And if you like a combination of nature and towns. You will be ending each day in a small town.

Please note that there is quite a bit of elevation to the Black Forest Trail. The hike is not a problem for a fit person, but there are a few mountains to cross over. each day.

The Black Forest Trail is recommended if you are an experienced hiker and can do back to back long days

We are now offering our standard 4 day-hike with a rest day in between (making it a 5 day stay). You can certainly opt-out and just do a 4-day hike without any rest day.

Itinerary

Arrival Info

Arrive in the Black Forest by train (destination train station is Offenburg, from here you switch to a regional train which takes you to the hotel in about 60 minutes). A private car will pick you up from the train station and transfer you to the hotel.
If you are arriving in the Black Forest by car, we recommend parking the car at your last hotel in Offenburg area, then taking the train to your first hotel.

Accommodation on your arrival day.

Boutique hotel outside a medieval town

This is a small friendly family-owned hotel with newly remodeled rooms. The hotel has a small wellness area. This boutique hotel is known for its restaurant (some hikers say it was the best meal during their entire stay in Germany). Enjoy in the sauna at the hotel and the quietness of the suburb. In the morning you will hike straight from your hotel. Depending on your time of arrival (check in is at 3 PM) we recommend you add-on an e-bike to your stay. This allows you to hop on the bike in the afternoon and pedal to town (3 km) or explore the nearby valley.

Description of your day

Your hike starts in front of your hotel. From here, you will be along the river for the first few minutes until you enter the Black Forest. A steep mountain climb will take you to a sightseeing tower where you can enjoy views of the Black Forest valley. This is one of the best views you will experience over the next few days! If you are really fit there is a 2 km detour which takes you to a farmhouse for lunch.

Elevation today:

You are then crossing through a medieval town for the second part of today’s hike. If you are too tired on your first day, you have the option to skip the remaining hike and head straight to to your hotel or enjoy an afternoon in town. This is also a good opportunity to grab lunch in town before continuing on your hike. Real hikers continue on of course. You will be rewarded with a beautiful chapel and the best vistas of the day as you descend the hillside into town to your hotel.

Accommodation tonight

same hotel as last night

Description of your day

Your hike starts straight from your hotel.

Elevation today:

Explore a castle ruin before you hike into the forest. Today you can enjoy a self-serve fridge at a farmhouse which a farmer has put up for hikers. Enjoy scenic views and a wine bench before climbing up a sightseeing tower.

Accommodation

Our hotel is newly opened and in the heart of the old town. You are in walking distance to everything – perfect location. All rooms are modern and have A/C. The hotel does not have its own restaurant. But there are plenty of places to eat less than a 10 minute walk away. This seems to be the favorite hotel of our guests on the Black Forest Trail!

Description of your day

We recommend to plan on a rest day today. The hikes are moderate, but you have to climb several mountains. Feedback from many hikers is that they should have planned on a rest day in the middle of the hike. Therefore a rest day is now included in our standard package. You can certainly opt-out and continue your hike today.

If you decide on a rest day there are several options on how to spend your day.

-rent a e-bike from your hotel (20 Euro/day).

-do some sightseeing (Triberg clock area and Vogtsbauernhof farmhouse museum are close-by)

-enjoy life in town and watch the locals.

-relax at the public swimming pool

-take a train ride on the famous Black Forest Railway

Description of your day

There is a constant (but easy) climb at the beginning of your hike. Once you are on the summit you can enjoy views over the valley (and take a drink out of a farmer’s refrigerator).

Elevation today:

Now you are in for a special treat – because the trail taking you into town takes you by 2 historic wolf traps – a rare sight, even for locals

Prefer not to hike or looking for a shorter hike? In that case we recommend a late check-out at the hotel, then exploring town and having lunch in town. Connect to your next hotel by bus at the end of day.

Shorter hike? Hop on a bus (runs twice daily) to get to your next hotel. From here you can do a 10 km (6 miles) hike, covering the last portion of the regular trail (the 2 historic wolf traps).

Accommodation.

Standard hotel located in a small farming village. A very small friendly family hotel in the heart of a tiny village. The restaurant is a local’s favorite!

It is a very cozy, quiet and small place with just a handful modern rooms. There is a good restaurant on-site serving local food. A nice quiet place to stay at.

You are staying in a small town. There are not shops in town. The only restaurant in town is the one at the small hotel you are staying it. This is a highly recommended place- locals come from all over to eat here – typical German food!

Elevation today:

Description of your day

We saved the best for last. This trail has it all, with scenic spots, a cabin with a view, and 2 beautiful chapels overlooking town. The first part is a bit challenging. First, you have to get to the neighboring town, then the trail is taking you up onto the mountain ridge. There is quite some eleavation to cover! From here it is an enjoyable walk into your last town with lots and lots of scenery.

Shortcuts

If this day hike too long for you? in that case you can hop on the train to get to the final town. Walk to the train station which is 2 km away from your hotel. (or we send our driver to take you there).

Upon arrival in the last town you have the option to hike the last portion of the Black Forest Trail which is a short 7 km hike. Or take it easy and enjoy a day in town!

Accommodation

We work with several hotels, all located in the heart of the old town. Or in walking distance to the town centre

Our recommendation: Standard hotel in town, no A/C
Standard hotel with A/C outside of town centre (10 minute walk)
Upgraded hotel in town with A/C and pool

Standard hotel in town centre

Great family-run place in the heart of town with remodeled rooms, no A/C

Standard hotel outside of town centre

This hotel is a 10 minute walk from the town centre. It is a business hotel, but the rooms are equipped with A/C.

Upgraded Hotel in town centre

Why not treat yourself to a 4 star boutique hotel located in a restored historical building with sauna and wellness facility? Great way to end your hiking holiday!

Have an extra day?

This town is ideal to add-on an additional night. Perfect location for a rest day to explore town and meet some locals.

Departure Info

If you are departing by train it is a short train ride to Offenburg. From here you catch a train to your next destination

If you are departing with your own car you just get in your car and go!

Good to Know

Accommodation in double room with private bathroom
Breakfast
Free public transportation pass while staying in the Black Forest
Detailed route descriptions & maps, tour route available in our own hiking app also
Private transfer from train station to first hotel
Depending on choice of first hotel: either a complimentary lunch on the arrival day. Or a complimentary e-bike rental on the arrival day to explore town on bike.
Luggage transfer between hotels. Your luggage transfer is organized by us, Black Forest Tours.
Welcome Bag with useful items for your tour

Travel to and from start/end of the Black Forest Trail hike
Lunches and dinners need to be purchased separately
Travel insurance. Make sure you have travel insurance covering you against illness, injury, loss or damage to property and cancellations.
Personal expenses such as drinks, tips, telephone calls, extra transfers (such as by taxi or when not included in pblic transport pass).

Season. The Black Forest Trail is available from end of April to mid-October.
Starting day. Our hotels are often not available on the weekends. When booking the tour please indicate all possible starting dates. The more flexible you are, the easier it is to find a date which works for you.

Hike Length. The complete Black Forest Trail is a 4 day hike plus 1 day rest adventure. We also offer a shorter/longer versions. Let us know what your preferrred length is and we (try to) make it happen.
Good to know: The majority of hikers hike the entire Black Forest Trail in 4 days. Many hikers add-on a rest day after day 2 – so they hike 2 days, have one rest day, hike another 2 days. This is recommended as the elevation and distances can be quite challenging for many

Please contact us with your desire length of hiking and we can email you an exact quote

Hotel Location

All our hotels on the Black Forest Trail are small family-owned hotels. They are not fancy hotels, but clean and friendly. Most often you will meet the owners during your stay. 3 out of 5 hotels are in the middle of a cute Black Forest town. 1 hotel is 2 km outside of a small town. And one hotel is in a tiny farming village. We have several back-up hotels (in case our standard hotels are booked). Find out more about each hotel under the itinerary details

Hotel Category

Most our hotels are small family-run hotels.
For a small upgrade fee we offer an upgrade for the last hotel.

Hotel Rooms

Double Rooms. If you are booking a double room there is one double bed with 2 individual mattresses (not 2 twin beds). If you require separate beds we recommend booking 2 separate rooms. In rare cases twin beds are available, please inquire.
Single Rooms. If you are traveling by yourself we charge a single room supplement. You will either be provided with a single room. Or with a double room for single use – based on availability.
Bathrooms. All rooms have private en-suite bathrooms.
No Air-Conditioning. Summers can be very warm. Most hotels in Germany do not have air-conditioning. Sometimes hotels can provide a fan for your room. Usually the hotel owners will tell you to sleep with the window open during the night – this is very common in Germany. Only one of our regular hotels on the Black Forest Trail has A/C. One other hotel can be upgraded to a room with A/C making it 2 hotels total with A/C on the hike.
Elevators. Please note that our hotels most often do not have elevators – you will have to walk a flight of stairs to get to your room.
Spotty Wi-Fi. All hotel are wi-fi. But it can be spotty in your room.

Breakfast included.
Lunch. Purchae a lunch package at the hotel, or grab a sandwich on your way out of town at the local bakery (we recommend where)
Dinner. All hotels but one have a restaurant on site also (not all are open every day). If there is no restaurant on site there are restaurants within walking distance of your hotel.

sturdy walking boots and socks
swim suits (some hotels have a pool)
warm and waterproof clothes
a day pack
water bottle
insect repellent (ticks!)
sun glasses, sun hat, sun block
first-aid kit

You will receive detailed route notes and maps from us upon check-in at your first hotel. GPS data is also available if you are hiking with a GPS device.

You have a choice between hiking with a paper map & route description. Or using our app to navigate on the trail (mobile device required, no data plan needed)

Our Route Description is highly detailed and customized, and we update it each season – not what you find online from other sources.

Have a look at the elevation profile images for each day – there is quite a bit of elevation to cover. There are some significant ascents and descents. Sometimes you have the option to shorten the route.

Mobile Phone Coverage. Please note that the Black Forest is a mountainous area. Often there is no mobile phone coverage when touring the Black Forest.
Wi-Fi in hotels. All of our hotels have wi-fi but sometimes it can be spotty in your room – depending on the location of your room.
If you require constant online access we do NOT recommend touring the Black Forest. Consider staying in a large town like Baden-Baden or Freiburg instead.

Day 1: (17.3 km – 10.7 miles)

Day 2: (18 km – 11 miles)

Day 3: (15.7 km – 9.7 miles)

Day 4: (19.2 km – 12 miles)

Where you will be touring

map black forest trail_marked

See what some of our customers say who have done this tour before:

Black Forest Tours

Average rating:

71 reviews

Brett K

May 4, 2024

by Brett K

Ever since I saw pictures of the Black Forest in high school German class, I wanted to hike the trails in the mountains. The scenery and thought of visiting the villages between. No car, no train just a backpack, some hiking shoes, and a destination. However, I also
wanted to rest every night in a comfortable hotel.

Luckily, The Black Forest Tours offered a 5-day hiking only excursion that was exactly what I was looking for. Not only do they handle the accommodations they give you very detailed printed instructions and GPS helper app to make sure you stay on trail. In addition to the hotels they set up luggage delivery service so you can have your comforts at every stop without lugging it on the trails. You will be staying in small villages along the Black Forest hiking trails and if you’re in determined no trains/busses required!

It is hard to qualify hiking difficulty generally, but these are not easy trails. The full hikes will be pulling up to 20KM (12 mi) per day! The good news is that the trails will hit up various points of interest along the way to make it more rewarding and giving you some resting spots. You’re traversing a lot of elevation changes. If the weather doesn’t cooperate or if you’re not feeling it the tours also give various opt-out points where you can take a train or shortcut trail more directly to your hotel.

Even with some colder weather (which was no one’s fault) I did the full hike and it was one of the best experiences of my life and highly recommend using The Black Forest Tours to plan your hiking trip in the area.

rosaleen50

Oct 17, 2023

by rosaleen50

Three experienced and older hikers (aged from 69 to 82) walked The Black Forest Trail arranged by Black Forest Tours. From the moment we stepped from walking through grassy meadows into the deep, dark forest it was simply wonderful. Our hike was self-guided and we were provided with excellent trip notes and maps. While there were some challenging sections due to elevation changes, all the days were between 15 and 20 kms, allowing for time to explore the villages where we were staying along the way. There were options to shortcut and optional extra walks. We did all extra walks as we did not want to miss the scenery and the surprises such as a farmer's schnapps cupboard! For the first 2 days we did not see another person on the hike. We crisscrossed a number of famous hikes, such as Jakobusweg (St James Way) and the Westweg and got to experience the Black Forest in perfect harmony with the tress, the hills, the small chapels and the little farmers' cupboards with schnapps or water that could be bought on an honesty system. Our accommodation was excellent in each village. We added a rest day in the middle of our hike and also an extra day at the start. These were great for exploring the areas, trying local food and getting over long flights (from Australia). The walk was exceptionally well-organised. We travelled to the Black Forest area by train from Frankfurt. The whole trip was a perfect mixture of train travel (getting on small and smaller trains), hiking, exploring fairytale villages and enjoying food and drink with friends in wonderful settings!

mark f

Oct 11, 2023

by mark f

I had an amazing hiking trip with Black Forest Tours. Simone was brilliant to work with and created a wonderful route for us. She certainly cared and helped ensure that we had a brilliant holiday.

The routes were lovely and spectacular, we were given all the information we needed for a successful hike and all logistics were catered for. Fully recommend booking a holiday with Black Forest Tours.

Mark

Oct 1, 2023

by Mark

I had an amazing hiking trip with Black Forest Tours. Simone was brilliant to work with and created a wonderful route for us. She certainly cared and helped ensure that we had a brilliant holiday.

The routes were lovely and spectacular, we were given all the information we needed for a successful hike and all logistics were catered for. Fully recommend booking a holiday with Black Forest Tours.

Diane L

Sep 22, 2023

by Diane L

Simone at Black Forest Tours put together an amazing walking holiday for us. From our first contact requesting information on the tours, Simone was so helpful. Her knowledge of the area and attention to detail was truly an asset.

The hotels, luggage transfers and travel options went all as planned. We initially were a bit "nervous" not knowing any German, but that was never an issue. The very detailed walking notes with pictures were perfect. We got turned around a few times but were always able to get back on track by reviewing the notes or using the GPS APP.

If your looking for a stress free, beautiful walking holiday I highly recommend booking with Simone and Black Forest Tours.

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