Tuscany Tour 2026

Tuscany Tour Day 1 to Day 4

Freiburg/Belchen/Todtnau Waterfalls

It was once again time for a longer trip. This time we want to explore Tuscany.

On April 28, we set off and were in Freiburg im Breisgau until May 1 to visit our son.

Together with him, we also made an excursion to the Belchen and to the Todtnau Waterfalls. The weather was perfect.

We left the city of Freiburg this time as we have already been there multiple times.

The Belchen, at 1,414.2 m above sea level, is the third highest mountain in the Black Forest after Feldberg and Herzogenhorn. At the summit of the Belchen, the boundaries of the municipalities of Münstertal, Schönenberg, and Kleines Wiesental meet. The mountain has a distinctive, almost symmetrical profile from the Upper Rhine Plain with a treeless summit. The name Belchen (Middle High German: belche 'white spot', which stands out from the surrounding dark forest) is also given to other elevations in the neighboring low mountain ranges.

The panorama from the summit encompasses large parts of the Black Forest up to Hornisgrinde, the Vosges, the Jura, and, under suitable weather conditions, the Alps from the Zugspitze to Mont Blanc. In addition, the Belchen allows for wide views into the Upper Rhine Plain all the way to Alsace.

Due to its rare flora and fauna, the Belchen was placed under protection in 1949. In 1993, the area was expanded by the Freiburg district government and is now one of the largest nature reserves in Baden-Württemberg, covering an area of 1,618 hectares.

In 1866, the first rest area was established below the summit.

As mentioned, the Todtnau Waterfalls were also on our sightseeing agenda.
The water for these enormous waterfalls comes from the Stübenbach. This is a mountain stream that originates in the area of Stübenwasen on the nearby Feldberg. The water flows downhill from there. Thus, these waterfall heights are created.
On average, 210 liters of water flow downwards per second. The area around the waterfalls is dominated by a lot of forest, as is typical for the Black Forest.

At the waterfalls, there is also the suspension bridge 'Blackforestline'. The suspension bridge is 450 meters long and about 16 meters high.

Otherwise, we spent the time enjoying each other's company, having pleasant conversations, and enjoying delicious food, before we set off again on May 1 to our next destination, Lake Maggiore.