Do you know the Westweg? Germany’s oldest long distance hiking trail traveling 280km through the Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg? It’s even an award-winning Quality Hike. This post is about the journey from Hausach to Hinterzarten via Kalte Herberge. You can also read about my first three days from Pforzheim to Unterstmatt or the next three days onward to Hausach. Traveling the Westweg from Hausach to Hinterzarten, I really found my groove on the trail. I was used to the weight of my backpack, my feet were no longer in agony, I had trail friends, and thoroughly enjoyed the hike.
Hausach to Silberberg (Wilhelmshöhe) – 19ish km
This morning was tough to get out of Hausach. I dropped my dumb work-related mail into the postbox as I walked through town and headed up the steep hill past the castle ruins of Burg Husen. And then kept heading uphill. Today’s section of trail would cover over 1000 m of altitude.
Trail Friends
On the way up, I passed by a Waldorgel (“forest organ”) which you could bang with sticks, and so I did, disturbing the natural silence of the woods with my cacophony. There was a hut there and shortly thereafter another, the Hasenecklehütte. I met Maria, the hiker from breakfast at the Kempfenhof, multiple times. Each time I stopped for a break she caught up with me, and then I would pass by her again later on. Our paths crossed one another in this way over and over.
When I reached the more grandiose hut at the top of the Farrenkopf, I met the Danish guy properly for the first time. It was a relief to speak in English again, as this was my 7th day speaking completely in German. Maria caught up again, as did a group of 4 which I had seen at breakfast this morning in the Hotel zur Eiche. The Danish guy updated me a bit about some of the others from the trail: Freiburg guy, the Israelis, and Yannis. I didn’t know it at the time, but I would unfortunately not see any of them on the trail again.
Formations
Relieved that this would be at least a temporary end to the steep uphill climbs, I continued on while Danish guy made himself coffee. There were more huts and a few rock outcroppings onto which you could climb. I saw almost no hikers along the way. There was a stretch where a route called the Felsenweg accompanied the Westweg. I came to a star-like intersection and didn‘t find any signs to tell me where to go. A pair of day hikers entered this star from one of the other trails and also didn‘t know where to go. They were following the Felsenweg, so I pointed them to the way I had come. They had encountered the Westweg and directed me to where they had come from. It felt like a comical encounter, entering the clearing from a maze of paths and pointing one another in the correct directions. What luck after not seeing anyone for such a long time.
Peace and Quiet
Coming out of the woods, I arrived at the Berghotel Schöne Aussicht. Schöne Aussicht means “beautiful view,” which was fairly fitting, but not the best view I had seen that day. The clearing around the hotel ended, and back in the woods I took a break on a bench the first bench I saw. I realized I was hiking slower and slower because I was losing steam. I took off my shoes and opened up some snacks. For a long time I didn’t see any hikers come by and then Susanne appeared! It was the first time I had met her all day. We chatted for a brief moment and then she carried on while I continued my break. We met again at our stop for the night, and until then the forest was all mine.
Threatening Thunder
It was a long but flat-ish 5km until I reached the Silberberg guesthouse where I would spend the night. The whole time, thunder was threateningly rumbling behind me. Although the sky was mostly blue, there were patches of tall grey clouds to the north (behind me). I thought maybe it would just appear menacing but not actually rain. A half hour after I arrived at Silberberg it began to drizzle.
At Silberberg
Susanne and I are the only two in the Matratzenlager, a room in the attic with mattresses on the ground. The woman is very concerned about not using too much water (they‘re on a well?). Although Susanne is certain she booked a single room for here a few weeks ago, we don‘t mind being together.
For dinner, only cold meals were available. As they were inexpensive, Susanne, myself, and the group of 4 I had seen at the Eiche for breakfast were all wondering if the meals would fill us. I ordered the Bibiliskäse (a type of quark cheese) with bread, the others ordered a meaty platter with a few different kinds of wurst. By the end of dinner everyone was groaning that they couldn’t fit in another bite! The cheese was yummy and topped with green onions and chives.
Silberberg (Wilhelmshöhe) to Kalteherberge – 24km
Frau Fischer at Silberberg told us about the water issues they and others in the area are facing. Silberberg is on a well which sometimes runs dry. Hopefully in a few years they and more than 10 other neighbors will be connected to a water source. She also told us the origin for the name Kalte Herberge, which is today’s stop on the trail. One year in July a soldier fell asleep on a bench in front of the fireplace there. Despite the fire, it was so cold that he froze to death! Later I would learn other explanations for the name which translates to “cold lodge.”
Cow Friends
The hiking was easy today. There were a few steep sections but they were always short. Today was also all about cows. Last night while eating dinner on the terrace, you could hear their bells lightly tinkling somewhere in the distance but they could not be seen through the collection of pine trees across the yard.
Schonach
Crossing over the first hill, I could finally see these cows. The Westweg continued from one farm to another. At one point, I could see the town of Schonach down in the valley. Despite being covered in fog, I still tried to take some pictures.
Detour
I reached a lake that I thought was the highlighted Blindensee and felt a bit disappointed by this little pond. Since the weather was cooler than most mornings and the sun was blocked out by thick fog, I put on my fleece. I reached a sign that said “Forestry work. Detour Westweg.” Although I didn’t hear any noise, the sign looked temporary enough that it could have been placed this morning, so I took the detour. When I reached an intersection through which the Westweg crossed, I could hear a saw coming from the correct direction. Susanne and I talked about the detour when I met her later. She hadn’t taken it and arrived on the scene as the tree was being felled. She said the forester was nice in asking her to wait for a moment before taking a last hack at the tree and watched it come down.
Wilhelmshöhe
When I reached the Wilhelmshöhe just 1km away from Silberberg, I was surprised to not find a viewpoint there as the name had seemed to suggest to me. The trail continued across the road and I met another of the many gates of the Westweg. This one was made out of giant boulders! Behind it, a boardwalk led the way through the forest. Soon I came to the beautiful and rightful Blindensee. The sky was still very cloudy but the reflection on the calm lake was still beautiful.
Out of the forest, I crossed more farmland and reached the Martinskapelle, a tiny chapel at the edge of a farm. Then the trail heads uphill through the forest to Brend at 1149m. There were a few restaurant Hütten on the way, but none were open yet because it was not yet 11am!
Renatte’s Song
I waved to Susanne as I passed her having tea at the restaurant Alte Raben. I was a few hundred meters beyond when I heard some music and saw a car parked on the path. Loudly playing music in the woods is one of those things that I find particularly annoying. They could at least make their own music, I thought as I got closer. Three men appeared from behind the car, and one actually had a guitar in his hands! The other two were each holding a sheet of music. They asked me if they could practice their song for me.
Westweg Martinskapelle 
fall in September
The song they sang was about a woman named Rosilein, which sounded like a classic old German tune to me (not that I know much about classic German folk songs). But the two verses which followed were of their own creation. One was for Renatte and the other one was for her dog, Blacki. I clapped at the end and they took a bow. Very concerned they asked me what I thought of it, since that had been the first time they performed the song together. I smiled and spewed compliments which made them happy because they were about to go play it for Renatte, the woman at the Alte Raben! Before I was 20m away they had already jumped into the car and were off towards the restaurant. I couldn‘t believe I just had my own personal concert in the woods! I smiled for the next few kilometers thinking about what a cool and special experience that was.
The rest of the day was light walking. The trail was really great even though it was often near a road. Despite following the B500 I didn‘t get as car-angry as I usually do. They passed by in infrequent intervals and I had plenty of cows to distract me anyways.
At the Kalte Herberge
When I arrived at the Kalte Herberge I was ecstatic to see that they had homemade cake on the sign! I had been dying for a good piece of cake since the weekend when Anna Maria and Daniella talked so much about it. Checking in, I was already eyeing the sugary, creamy, fruity desserts in the display case. After freshening up, I rushed downstairs to a delicious piece of Apfelsahnekuchen (apple cream cake). Even with all the cream and I couldn’t wait for dinner! I was hiker hungry!
History
Waiting for the dinner hour, I read about the history of the place. There were several theories for the name “cold lodge” but the most believable theory is from waaay back. The guesthouse has been in operation for over 500 years. An old Black Forest word for “hidden” was “verkalten” and this is presumably a place where people and goods were hidden in times of war because of the big cellar. Not as juicy as the story with the frozen soldier, but interesting nonetheless.
Filling a Hiker’s Belly
OMG. For dinner, I went all out. I had pumpkin cream soup, veggie platter with potato cheese pockets, and then for dessert I had a Zwetschgen Ragout that came with ice cream. By the end I was full and happy! I sat with Maria and Susanne for dinner and we talked for so long that I missed the first phone call from C. I worried about sleeping because the Kalte Herberge is directly on a main road and my windows faced it. But I slept like a baby. At 6am I was shocked to wake up hungry after all of that food the night prior, but luckily breakfast at the KH was also excellent. There were even grilled vegetables. I was very pleased!
Kalte Herberge to Hinterzarten – 28 km
I sat with Maria and Susanne again at breakfast. Maria offered to be Susanne’s and my trail angel. A trail angel is someone who helps thru-hikers on their journey, be it a ride to the supermarket, offering a cold drink on a hot day, or providing a place to sleep. Since Maria was finishing her Westweg journey the following day, she would be home and available for us. If we ever found that we just couldn’t hike any further or it was raining cats and dogs she would come get us because she lives nearby. So amazingly sweet! It felt really nice to be so cared for after knowing each other just a few short days.
In a Fog
We all set off at slightly different times for the trail in a great big fog. The visibility was so low that I was a bit worried about properly seeing all the signs. Maria was ahead of me and I slowed down to hike with her for a few minutes before heading on. Then I met the young couple from Tübingen and walked with them for several kilometers. It was great because we could find the way together. We came to a farm and started to follow the edge of the woods around it, but didn’t find any more signs. We split up to find the next trail marker, which I found a on a signpost in the middle of the field.
The visibility was still low, but we managed to stay on the trail just fine. Occasionally the wind would blow droplets off the trees like rain, but it never did begin to actually rain. I wouldn’t have guessed that the fog could also be a good thing, but there was a positive side to it. We went through many areas where lots of trees had been cut down or demolished by a storm and the parts I could see through the low visibility looked like a horrific mess. I was grateful to not see the whole thing. I began to walk ahead of the couple and eventually could not see them anymore in the fog. Several day hikers passed me in the opposite direction fully dressed in rain pants and jackets. I must have looked crazy in my shorts and fleece.
mushroom family 
A Sad Story
The fog also made the forest look really ominous. It was easy to see how a hiker could lose their way in such weather. Susanne had told me the previous evening of a 26 year old woman who has been missing from the Mittelweg since I began my hike. If she was in this kind of a fog, it wouldn’t be hard to get yourself lost, panic, and have something happen. On the positive side, it was nice to feel separated and alone from all others in this little bit of woods which was visible to only me. (At the time of writing, this hiker has not been found).
A Break in the Weather
I exited the woods into a field and bee-lined for the bench in the center. With twelve non-stop kilometers behind me, I was in need of a break! The sun was beginning to poke through the clouds and it felt a bit warmer. Previously, I had been too cold to stop (perhaps putting on rain gear would have been a good idea).
I asked the two guys setting up a fence for the cows if I was headed in the right direction (as there were no signs when I left the woods) and watched them continue the line down the hill. The squat, older man sat in the car with the driver’s side door open pulling the trailer behind it with a spool of wire and posts, while the younger man hammered the stakes into the ground for the flimsy cow corral. Day hiking groups passed by, then the couple from Tübingen, and then Susanne. She sat with me on the bench for a break and then we continued together.
Cake O’Clock
The weather only got better as we hiked on. With just 4km to go until Titisee, we stopped at the Wanderheim Berghäusle to get some CAKE! It seems like we weren’t the only ones with this brilliant idea. The young Tübingen couple was there as well as the group of 4 we had been seeing since Hausach. I got a slice of Linzertorte and it was delicious!
Titisee
In case you’re wondering, Titisee is pronounced “TEE TEE zhay.” On the way there, we passed by some horses and a golf course. When we came upon Susanne‘s accommodation we hugged real tight (despite Covid) and said goodbye. She would spend an extra day relaxing at Titisee (smart!) before completing the journey in Basel. Since I hadn’t planned any rest days on this trip, my hike would finish before hers and we wouldn’t see each other again on the trail.
I headed down to the lake and took a break on a bench. The lake is beautiful, but there is a big noisy road which wraps around it. I have to admit, the lakes have been less spectacular than I imagined. Perhaps there is something wonderful about Brandenburg after all.
Hinterzarten
Having finished resting my feet which were aching from all the asphalt today, I headed up the hill to Hinterzarten. There was a detour through the woods due to some kind of mountain construction and it felt like it took forever! When I finally reached Hinterzarten, I came upon a magnificent view. The town is adorable and nestled into a valley with cows and all the houses have overflowing window boxes with colorful flowers.
I was annoyed that my hotel was all the way at the bottom of the valley at the far end of town since I would have to come all the way back out tomorrow before getting on the trail. But my hotel was worth the walk. It’s maybe the loveliest room I’ve had on the whole trail. I even got a corner room with a balcony that wraps all the way around.
For dinner I went to the Schwarzwaldhof hotel/restaurant near the train station, as many restaurants were booked out for the night. I had Brägel which is the Black Forest’s version of potato pancakes. The vegetarian option was smothered in cheese and came with a pile of sautéed spinach. As if that wasn’t enough, I ordered my first piece of Black Forest cherry cake. By the end, I was stuffed. I felt like I couldn’t do this hike without having a slice of the region’s most famous cake. Luckily this one wasn’t overflowing with Kirsch liqueur.
Finding my way
Up until this point, I had been counting how many days left like days left in the school year. Now I was down to three and wondering how I would make them last longer. The three days from Hausach to Hinterzarten were my favorite because I had found my way on the Westweg. I found familiar and friendly faces along the trail and treated myself to many slices of cake. Physically, I became used to my pack and my feet had stopped weeping when I put my boots on in the morning. This section of the trail was when I felt most comfortable, but it didn’t mean the adventure was over yet. Fourth and final part of the Westweg is coming soon!
I planned my Westweg trip using this brochure from Schwarzwald Tourismus.