# Kaiserstuhl–Rhine Black Forest Trail

The Kaiserstuhl–Rhine Black Forest Trail (German: Schwarzwald-Querweg Schwarzwald–Kaiserstuhl–Rhein) is an east–west hiking trail of several days' duration through the Black Forest in Germany from Donaueschingen to Breisach. The 109-kilometre-long hiking trail is managed and maintained by the Black Forest Club.

## Short description

The Black Forest–Kaiserstuhl–Rhine Trail begins in Donaueschingen. It then runs through the valley of the River Breg up to the watershed between the Danube and the Rhine. Leading through the valleys of Simonswälder Tal and the River Elz, the route reaches the Rhine Plain and the Kaiserstuhl. It ends in Breisach on the Rhine. The entire route is signed and waymarked, with the intention that no maps or route instructions are needed.

## Day tours/stages
### First Stage: Donaueschingen – Vöhrenbach
#### Overview

* Distance: 25,5 km
* Duration: c. 6.5 hours
| Place/Attraction | Route (km) | Height (m above NHN) | Further information |
| Donaueschingen | 0.0 | 675 | |
| Aufen | 3.5 | 690 | Quarter of Donaueschingen |
| Neue Fron | 2,0 | 765 | |
| Eichbuck Hut | 0,5 | 763 | Barbecue area |
| Wolterdingen | 1,5 | 717 | |
| Tannheim | 5.5 | 750 | Village in the borough of Villingen-Schwenningen |
| Spitalhöfe | 3.5 | 820 | |
| Herzogenweiler | 1.5 | 870 | Village in the borough of Villingen-Schwenningen |
| Schuhbartle | 2.0 | 930 | forest car park |
| Schlossermatte | 1.0 | 898 | |
| Saint Michael's Chapel | 3.5 | 862 | |
| Vöhrenbach | 1.5 | 797 | |

#### Route description

From the start point at Donaueschingen railway station the route runs past the Kreiswehrersatzamt and then left initially along the Brigach, which it crosses on a wooden bridge by Saint Mary's Church. Following the edge of the wood, the walk reaches the village of Aufen and then Wolterdingen. In Wolterdingen the route turns right at the church and leaves the village along Emil-Hauger-Straße. After the end of the village it goes past the Upper Pond (‘’Oberen Weiher’’) to the right of the path, and then runs for about a kilometre parallel to the Landesstraße on a tarmac track to Tannheim. Passing through Tannheim the route passes a sawmill with a prominent chimney heading for Spitalhöfen, and then heads through the forest to Herzogenweiler. The route only grazes Herzogenweiler and leaves it along Jägerhausallee. At the end of the road the trail turns right. It then goes straight before turning right by a transmission tower on Linienweg, continuing to the forest car park of Schuhbartle. There it crosses the Kreisstraße 5734. The trail then goes along Alte Herzogenweiler Straße on the tarmac of the Kreisstraße, veers right off the metalled track and continues straight on along the road on a grass path to the Schlossermatte. On a bend it goes right, initially steeply uphill and then level over the Ochsenberg and descends again to Saint Michael’s Chapel, next to which there is a barbecue area. The route finally runs along a road to Vöhrenbach, to the end of this stage.

### Second Stage: Vöhrenbach – Obersimonswald Engel
#### Overview

* Distance: 22.5 km
* Duration: c. 5 hours
| Place/Attraction | Route (km) | Height (m above NHN) | Further information |
| Vöhrenbach | 0.0 | 0.797 | |
| Schönenbach | 4.5 | 0.828 | Village in the borough of Furtwangen |
| Furtwangen | 3.5 | 0.870 | Crosses the Mittelweg |
| Beim Staatsberghof | 2.5 | 0.990 | Crosses the Westweg |
| Südlicher Staatsberg / Winkel | 1.0 | 1.045 | |
| Gütenbach | 3.0 | 0.827 | |
| Teichschlucht | 1.0 | 0.705 | Crosses the Zweitälersteig |
| Wildgutach / Pfaffenmühle | 1.0 | 0.612 | Village in the borough of Simonswald |
| Vitenhof | 1.0 | 0.548 | Footbridge over the Wildgutach |
| Luxenhof | 0.5 | 0.585 | |
| Haldenschwarzhof | 1.0 | 0.600 | Crosses the Zweitälersteig |
| Obersimonswald Engel | 3.5 | 0.450 | Village in the borough of Simonswald Crosses the Zweitälersteig Gasthof Engel and bus stop |

#### Route description
### Third Stage: Obersimonswald Engel – Denzlingen
#### Overview

* Distance: 23.5 km
* Duration: c. 6 hours
| Place/Attraction | Route (km) | Height (m above NHN) | Further information |
| Obersimonswald Engel | 0.0 | 450 | Gasthof Engel |
| Häuslerain | 1.5 | 414 | |
| Ibendörfle | 3.0 | 388 | |
| Ochsenbrücke (bridge) | 1,5 | 361 | |
| Café Märchengarten | 1.5 | 328 | |
| Niederbruck / Altsimonswald | 0.5 | 325 | |
| Am Ottensteg / Bleibach | 3.0 | 299 | Village in the borough of Gutach |
| Gutach | 1.5 | 299 | |
| Kollnau | 1.0 | 281 | Village in the borough of Waldkirch |
| Waldkirch | 2.0 | 260 | Crosses the Kandelhöhenweg Crosses the Zweitälersteig |
| Mauracher Hof | 6.0 | 245 | |
| Chapel of St. Severin | 0.5 | 278 | ruins |
| Denzlingen | 1.5 | 234 | |

### Fourth Stage: Denzlingen – Oberrotweil
#### Overview

* Distance: 27.5 km
* Duration: c. 6.5 hours
| Place/Attraction | Route (km) | Height (m above NHN) | Further information |
| Denzlingen | 00.0 | 234 | |
| Nimburg | 10.5 | 187 | Village in the borough of Teningen |
| Eichstetten | 03.5 | 189 | |
| Saint Catharine | 06.5 | 492 | Chapel |
| Auf dem Eck | 03.0 | 400 | hiking car park |
| Mondhalde | 01.5 | 370 | |
| Oberrotweil | 02.5 | 240 | Village in the borough of Vogtsburg im Kaiserstuhl |

### Fifth Stage: Oberrotweil – Breisach
#### Overview

* Distance: 10 km
* Duration: c. 2.5 hours
| Place/Attraction | Route (km) | Height (m above NHN) | Further information |
| Oberrotweil | 0.0 | 240 | Village in the borough of Vogtsburg |
| Achkarren | 3.0 | 228 | Village in the borough of Vogtsburg |
| Breisach | 7.0 | 189 | |