The Westweg – Hiking on Germany’s Oldest Long Distance Trail

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The Westweg is Germany’s oldest long distance hiking trail. The trail, over 280 kilometers long, was laid in 1900 through the work of Phillip Bussemer and is maintained today by the Schwarzwald Verein. The route, which travels through the Black Forest from Pforzheim to Basel in Switzerland, has been given the quality seal of Qualitätswanderweg from the Deutsches Wanderverband. The Westweg is one of many distance hiking trails in the Black Forest. It along with two others, the Ostweg and Mittleweg, are marked by a rhombus. The Westweg is well-marked throughout by a black-outlined red rhombus on a white field. This September, I hiked the trail in 12 sections.

Want to know the ins and outs of the trail? Check out my guide to everything you need to know to hike the Westweg.

Day 1 – Pforzheim to Dobel – 25km

It was beautiful weather when the train pulled into Pforzheim this morning. From the train station, I caught bus #3 towards Dillweißenstein to begin the hike at the Kupferhammer guest house. Already on the bus I met my first of what would be several kind people along the way. Even before my stop was announced, a lady in the seat across from me said “the next one is Kupferhammer, you have to get off there.” This brought a smile to my face because I hadn‘t even spoken with her. I just looked like that much of a hiker. 

I got off the bus with another man who was also going hiking, and he said, “Westweg? You can come with me, I‘ll show you the way.” We talked a bit about the route on the way to the trailhead, but Badisch is not an accent I‘ve had much contact with before, so I mostly nodded and said things like, “oh yeah?”

The Gates of the Westweg

Shortly before the start, he headed off in another direction and wished me well. I took a few pictures with the first “Tor” (gate) of the trail before heading up the wide red sandstone steps. Wondering if the whole trail was going to be this wide, my question was answered as the path quickly turned into a narrow footpath at the edge of a ravine with the road loudly audible below. 

Each section of trail has a gate to go through which is made out of materials from the region. Within the gate are informational displays about the highlights on the previous and next sections of the hike.

Getting Lost x 2

I was in the woods for a while, but I could still hear this road. Then I came into Dillweißenstein and thought I would get lost like I always do when I‘m in a new town on a bicycle. The trail was well marked though and I followed the red rhombus marker over the bridge and along the river, the Nagold. Eventually I was seeing the other trail marker that had accompanied mine for a while (Drei Burgen) but the rhombus had disappeared. I got out my phone and the map to check things out and realized I had missed something a while ago. As I turned around to head back, two older ladies chatting intensely were passing by. 

I asked if the Westweg made a turn back the way I had come. The ladies assured me the turn was impossible to miss in this direction because it heads uphill at an acute angle from the path. The turn had been hard to see coming from the other direction which was why I hadn‘t noticed. Going back was a good 700-800m of mistake, but at least it was flat and next to the pretty river. 

Distracted by Pumpkins

Up the hill I climbed over Sonnenberg. I came to a house which had many varieties and sizes of pumpkins for sale in wooden crates with a locked up metal box to pay for your purchase. As I was looking, a man came out of the house and asked me to come over. He said, “for a smile like that I‘ll tell you that the way you want to go is over there.” Somehow I had missed ANOTHER trail marker. Okay, I hadn‘t missed it. The trail markers in this neighborhood had been so generously placed that I was following the ones on the left side of the road, when I needed to turn right. I would have started to look for a sign after the pumpkin, but the man got to me first (which was helpful, if not a bit creepy). 

I turned right and was back on the trail, finally in the woods again (and only about 4 kilometers from my starting point…21 to go!). From here, I followed a bike trail along the Enz River for several kilometers, with the occasional car or train passing by on the other side of the river, still noisy although hidden by the trees.

Snakes and Castles 

After trail kilometer 10, I nearly jumped out of my skin seeing a snake on the trail. But I needn’t worry, it was dead. I stopped to take out my camera and take a picture. When I packed the camera back up and turned around to put my backpack on, I nearly jumped out of my skin a second time. I practically bumped into two guys coming from the other direction. From their accents, I think they were French. I warned them about the snake and we discussed where we had come from and were going to.

Next, I stopped for a short break along the river for a snack. Afterwards, the route led uphill to the castle ruins of Neuenbürg. Yes, with umlaut! The ruins date back to the 1400’s. Just beyond the ruins, I also passed by the Schloss and then made a very steep descent into the town. It was very cute filled with half-timbered houses, although many of them seem to be empty and starting to fall into disrepair. Once in the valley, it was time to head back out on a street equally as inclined as the one I had come in on. But this time it was higher and I had a view over the whole town and palace. 

Now, I was already tired and my feet hurt, but this was only the halfway point. The other half of the trail, although getting more and more beautiful, was tough to motivate myself for. Car sounds were further away or not existent and I could start to really enjoy all the birds in the woods. A second snake slithered across the path, but I think this was a legless salamander (Blindschleiche) and not a real snake. 

Cloudy Views

In Schwann, the trail increased in altitude again and it was worth it. I was nearly in the clouds they were so low. There were windmills in the distance but I couldn’t ever see the top propeller because it was always hidden in the fog. I reached the location of a former lookout tower. In its place is a pavilion. I sat inside to take in the beautiful and expansive view. The clouds decreased visibility a bit, making the view less camera-worthy but wonderful nonetheless.  

A man walking his dog stopped by and eagerly asked me about my journey and where I am from. After he shared some stories about other hikers he has met, I could tell this is a daily routine and interest for him. He once met a woman who was hiking on her way from Norway to Sardinia! Another person brought their dog with them and it had its own backpack to carry its food. He seemed less surprised that I am doing this hike and alone. Along the way when greeting people their eyes get kind of big as if they‘re sizing me up. Like they can‘t believe this one meter-fifty (five foot nothing) tiny woman is out in the woods on her own. So far, no one has really asked, but I can see the surprise on their faces. 

Finally Arriving in Dobel

The next nine kilometers took a dramatic amount of time as I stopped on nearly every bench to rest my feet. They’re aching so much! Towards the end I try to grit my teeth and continue on so that it’s over sooner than later. On the final path into Dobel, there were signs with paintings on them of different types of angels with quotes from popes, the Bible, or writers – Dobel’s angel trail. At the end of the angels, there was, like a gift from them, a bench. I sat there to figure out where exactly my accommodation is located, as the town was less than a kilometer a way (and I was NOT walking an extra centimeter to find it). 

On the way, I passed a group of boys ranging from 10 to 17 flying model airplanes together. There didn’t seem to be an adult in charge but it did appear to be some sort of club activity. I wondered where the girls were and why there weren’t invited or welcome to fly these airplanes too. 

In Dobel, I walked on the road for a few hundred meters before finding the hotel. It‘s a bit strange and old, but at the same time renovated. A sign told me that this place has been offering hospitality since the 1600’s. My room was decorated with beer bottle caps larger than frying pans. And other parts of the hotel were decorated in other themes, none seeming to have anything in common. It’s quirky, but comfortable. The woman at the desk let me know that I could get dinner at Cafe Rathaus. After a shower and whining to myself a bit about my feet, I went over and ate pizza and tomato soup.

Originally I had wanted to camp on the Westweg, but when researching I saw that there were no campsites along the way (and wild camping is forbidden in Germany). I thought it was strange that a long distance trail was not designed with camping in mind, but I decided I would just enjoy the luxury of hotels along the way. While hiking, I learned that it is possible to sleep in the Unterstandshütten on the trail. They are simple 3 or 4 wall cabins, some with a loft or tables and chairs and others just plain. There is no running water or electricity in them. Find out more trail details here.

Day 2 – Dobel to Forbach – 26.3 km

Whaat a loooong day! But back to the beginning. I woke up to an excellent breakfast buffet at Hotel Dobel. The breakfast room reminds me of a room in a castle: dark with giant wooden beams and tables and chairs so big I can barely reach my plate. I took a picture with the next Westweg gate and was off to hike up to the lookout tower in Dobel. It started off as a very cloudy morning, so the view was great but very hazy. 

Making Trail Friends

When I arrived at the first hut, there were several people taking a break, so I walked to the next rest stop which wasn‘t too much further away and yet it was much cooler. Instead of a hut or regular benches, there were two reclining benches overlooking an incredible scene. Gaistal was the village in the valley below. Guarding the benches were two wooden wild boars. Two of the guys I had seen at the hut wandered over to take in the view. They’re neighbors from Pforzheim out for a couple of days on the Westweg together. We talked for a bit about our routes. I would leap frog with them most of the day. From then on, we always waved to each other as one of us passed the other taking a break. 

Parts of the day were on incredible dirt hiking paths but a lot of the day was on stupid forestry roads. Some of them were paved which is hard on your feet and joints and others were covered in gravel made of stones so large that the walking surface was lumpy. This began to kill my feet and become painful for me throughout the day. Every half kilometer seemed to take an eternity. 

Kaltenbronn

I began cursing on the descent into Kaltenbronn because heading downhill was most painful for my feet. I also knew that I hadn‘t yet reached the highest point on today’s hike yet, so I would have to go up in order to go down again. And the last descent would be several kilometers heading several HUNDRED meters in to the valley below. In Kaltenbronn I passed the Pforzheim pair for the last time and waved to them as they drank beers at the guesthouse there. 

Hochmoorlandschaft

The ascent out was steep, but I enjoyed it! This last phrase even surprises me as I write it because uphill used to be my worst nightmare. It was sweat-inducing but enjoyable. The top of the hill flattened out and I saw a boardwalk where several people were milling around. What could there be to see here? When I reached the wooden walkway, someone was explaining something to a group. I looked out and saw a lake. This area is a Hochmoorlandschaft, basically a bog up in the mountains. I didn’t know they could occur at such heights! I think the group was learning about forestry as I saw many of the people had jackets with some kind of badge on them.

Kaiser-Wilhelm-Turm

Soon after I reached the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Turm and as much as I wanted to kick off my shoes, I dropped my backpack and leaped up the many stairs without stopping to catch my breath. Which I should have done before getting to the top because, man, that view was breathtaking! 

Back at my pack, I occupied a bench for a good while, airing out my shoes, socks, and feet until I felt I needed to move on. Unfortunately, it would be all downhill from here. The final 7 kilometers of today’s journey ended by descending 700 meters of altitude into Forbach. I stopped to air out my feet a few more times along the way. My soles were in such agony. Each step downwards felt like agitating a bruise which covered the bottoms of both feet. 

The Descent into Forbach

On the first break, I met another hiker, Jannis, who is staying in the Unterstandshütten (wooden huts) along the trail and carrying a tent just in case. I couldn‘t believe how little he was carrying and managing to camp. He had talked to many other Westweg hikers along the way and caught me up on the who’s who.

The trail continued to switchback its way down the mountain. I switched between cursing under my breath, feeling like crying, and gritting my teeth to just get this over with. When I came out of the woods into a field before Forbach, I sat on yet another bench and peeled off my shoes and socks one last time. 

When I was ready to move on, I came to a fork in the path which gave me two options. Option 1 said 2km to Forbach and pointed up a gigantic hill. I had no qualms about going up the hill, the problem would be coming down. Option 2 said 1.1km to Forbach and pointed down the road. As I debated with myself, a Jeep parked just beyond the witch’s fountain I was standing next to. A man, looking like a farmer in his 60‘s, got out. I asked him about the ways and he said I could take the shorter one just fine. So I did. 

Forbach

The road zigzagged a few times when I entered the first neighborhood and lead me down to a busy road next to the train station. I began to go over the main bridge in town when I noticed the wooden bridge a bit further on. Because the official trail does go over the wooden bridge and my hotel lies on the trail, I decided to ignore my phone’s directions and went to the wooden bridge. While crossing, I jumped as a car came up behind me to cross too. They ruin everything. 

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Following the trail up the hill, just as I was about to turn onto my street, Jannis came up behind me with a loaf of bread sticking out of his pack. We chatted a bit more and then he headed 3km further to the hut. In Hotel am Mühlbach, I had a room on the ground floor which was fantastic because I didn’t have to walk up any stairs! After settling in, I went out to get dinner and could barely walk! My feet were soooo sore. Even after dinner I wasn’t feeling much better. I know from the Camino that hikers always feel stiff and everyone is hobbling around, but this was feeling different. I just hoped I would feel better in the morning.

Day 3 – Forbach to Unterstmatt – 19km

In the morning, my feet were not feeling great. My body‘s muscles and joints weren’t sore, but my feet were so painful! Luckily my host at the hotel was so pleasant I could smile through breakfast on the balcony overlooking the creek. Really, he was so kind, helpful, friendly, and formal, even to sweaty, smelly hikers like me. The sun came up halfway through breakfast and I enjoyed everything! Today, I could even get a lunch packet for the way (4.50€).

Spending Time with the Trail Community

After checking out, I began the ascent upwards. Today began with a very long ascent of 700m back out of the valley. As I reached the top of my street I turned around to see the Pforzheim guys coming up behind me. I stopped to take a look at the view, check out the hiking sign, and wait for them. Together, we walked the 9.5 km to the Badener Höhe at 1002 m.

Along the way, we chatted about all sorts of things. We were on some forestry roads as well as narrow footpaths cobbled with giant stones. After just 3 kilometers we reached the Wegscheid hut and met a guy who had camped there. He was from Freiburg and planning to hike the whole Westweg staying in the huts. We would meet him again later at the Badener Höhe. 

After this brief break, we continued to the Schwarzenbachtalsperre. Yes, that‘s one word. The Black Creek Reservoir. There was another hut there too. The Westweg went continued uphill so we could reach the Zweiseenblick, two lakes view, where we could see two lakes – the Schwarzenbachtalsperre and a tinier lake called Herrenwieser See. 

Over 1000m!

Then we pushed for the next two kilometers. I was getting hungry, my feet were getting more and more sore, and I was tired. We passed by Seekopf barely stopping to take a picture of the monument there to Phillip Bussemer, the father of the Westweg. This is the first time we cross the 1000m threshold, as Seekopf peaks at 1001m. Shortly thereafter we arrived at the Badener Höhe.

I immediately went up the tower while the Pforzheim guys began their break. The towers always seem shorter than they are, or I‘m too tired to go up so many stairs. At least I can leave my backpack at the bottom. At the top, the view is again amazing. It is incredible how the Black Forest can be so clearly seen from atop the tower. You can see mountains covered in dense evergreen trees and then there are flat yellow fields beyond the dark forest. 

When I came down, I again aired my shoes, socks, and feet…far away from everyone else 😉 I enjoyed my two halves of sandwich, apple, and chocolate corny bar from my lunch packet. The Pforzheim guys had even brought beer up with them. They had two each and I‘m pretty sure there were more stowed in their packs. Respect! We met the guy from Freiburg again and he came up with two other guys I would get to know later in the day.

After enough rest, I set off again, saying see you later to the Pforzheim guys. The trail was busy today with lots of hikers and bikers. I shared the route mountain bikers for a good while. Occasionally, I needed to move to the side to let them pass if it was more than one at a time. 

Oh, my Aching Feet!

I came to a road in Sand and then the path followed parallel to this road for quite some time with the whooshing noise of cars coming through the trees. I was surprised when I arrived at a ski lift at Hundseck. Lots of people were there getting a bite to eat. Continuing uphill I stopped at a bench when I couldn’t take it anymore. I took off my shoes to give my feet a break. Lots of other hikers walked past as I was laying on the bench in the sun. When I put my shoes back on, I decided to loosen the laces a bit. The effect was incredible! My feet were in significantly less pain. I hope that was the trick because the days would only get longer if I continued to be in as much pain as I had been. 

Hochkopf

The trail continued onwards and upwards to Hochkopf at 1036m, the highest point of the day and thus far. There I met a mother-daughter team out hiking the Westweg for the weekend. They had completed sections 1 and 2 years ago and were now finally making it out for the next two. In time, they hope to complete the whole trail. After chatting for a while together and enjoying the view, we hiked down from Hochkopf together. In the meadow, there was a stone-laid path. It made us all wonder who had taken the time to lay such heavy stones. When we arrived at the Hochkopfstub, I wished them well and went to get my room. 

After my shower, I came down to get a bite to eat (finally, a hotel with a restaurant!) and met the two guys I had seen with Freiburg guy at the Badener Höhe. There were no empty tables, so they invited me to sit with them. They, Yonaton and Homer, are students from Israel and have just arrived in Berlin to study a semester abroad. I ordered the Käsespätzle one of them was also eating because it looked amazing. After they were finished, they went on because they had two more kilometers to hike before they reached their hut for the evening. They have a tent and sleeping bags but no pads! Tough! (PS, that was the best Käsespätzle of my life!).

Tomorrow will be a long 28-29 km to Alexanderschanze. One of the Pforzheim guys assured me that day 3 is the worst, and then you get used to it or it gets better. So I hoped with that advice and looser shoelaces that I would enjoy the days ahead on the Westweg. Now you can find out if that was true by reading about the next three days on the Westweg from Unterstmatt to Hausach.

I planned my Westweg trip using this brochure from Schwarzwald Tourismus. For more information about the Westweg, check out my guide.