The Black Forest (Schwarzwald, in German) is a large forested mountain range in south-west Germany. It’s close to the border of Switzerland in the south and France in the west. From north to south, the Black Forest measures about 160 kilometres and from east to west up to about 50 kilometres (being wider in the south than the north). All up, it covers a massive 6,000 square kilometres.

There are two almost distinct portions of the Black Forest - the northern portion and the southern portion. The southern portion is the most mountainous with several mountains above the 1,400m level. Not comparable with the nearby European Alps, but still sizeable. This southern portion is referred to as the High Black Forest. In addition to its mountains, the High Black Forest features dense forests comprised of a mixture of conifers and deciduous trees and long, deep gorges.

In the past, the Black Forest was difficult to access and sparsely populated. This resulted in the area featuring in myths and fairytales, as well as Romantic era poetry and art. Today, access is not problematic and, happily for walkers, the area continues to provide a haven from the modernised world.

In fact, the Black Forest is one of Europe’s oldest and best-recognised regions for recreational walking. The Schwarzwaldverein (Black Forest National Club) was founded in in 1864, making it the oldest German hiking and mountaineering club. Amazingly, the Schwarzwaldverein has almost 90,000 members in 241 local chapters. With that huge membership, it’s not surprising that it has been very successful in promoting the protection of the Black Forest environment and the maintaining of walking paths.

In the early 1900’s, the Schwarzwaldverein laid out three long distance walks that run the length of the Black Forest, generally in a north-south direction. They are: the Westweg (the western trail; 230 km), the Mittelweg (the middle trail; 245 km) and the Ostweg (the eastern trail; 245 km).

In 2008, a new 120 km walk was established in the High Black Forest, the Gorge Trail (Schluchtensteig, in German). It runs in a horse-shoe shape, linking seven different gorges, several historic towns and the picturesque lake, Schluchsee. It has quickly moved towards the top of listings of Germany’s best multi-day walks. The Gorge Trail is described in more detail below.

Assistance and further information:

• For assistance in undertaking the Gorge Trail or any other walks in the Black Forest, click the button below.

• For information on other walks in Germany, click the button below.

One of the best walks in the Black Forest is the Gorge Trail. To learn more, click the button below.

Gorge Trail

A 120 kilometre trail through the High Black Forest. It links together seven different river gorges and a number of historic towns and villages, including St Blasien and Todtmoos.