Black Forest Trip

Destination: unknown to me

That's how it is with us now and then. I only knew that it would take a good 2 hours to reach the destination. Just before Freiburg, it became clear: we were on our way to Todtnau to the local waterfalls and the BLACK FOREST LINE. I had read and talked about this so much in the last few weeks that the love of my life wanted to travel there with me. There were mostly dark clouds in the sky; but rain only fell on the drive southward. At least it was dry then, although quite windy.

There wasn’t much activity at the waterfalls after all.
But it was cool and windy. Just set off across the wonderful suspension bridge and not think about the height. That worked quite well – until the first people came towards us, and the wind picked up significantly. Then it swayed more than expected, almost like on a small boat. However, everything remained manageable, as there were not many visitors on the suspension bridge around noon. The waterfall beneath us was a bit disappointing. But clearly, it hadn't rained enough here for torrents of water to rush down. This area was definitely worth seeing. Once we arrived at the end, we enjoyed the view a bit and headed back with even less oncoming traffic. We were glad to have taken the path relatively early. Just before we reached the station, a large school class arrived. It would certainly have been exciting to see all the students together on the bridge. Moreover, when more people walk over a bridge, it begins to sway at some point; even if only very gently – it would certainly have been noticeable.

So we make our way to the Belchen, the local cable car, and the BELCHENHOTEL.

At 1,414 meters, there was no longer any clear visibility. A thick wall of fog lay over all the treetops, and a very cold wind made it uncomfortable to hike up there. So we had to recognize from different angles that more fog had formed and remained in one direction than just a few meters further. Then the view towards the valleys was significantly better. Again, we took the gondola down, enjoying delicious cake at the BELCHENHOTEL or the local JÄGERSTÜBLE, and continued on to Utzenfeld. There we found lots of delicious treats for a Linzer torte at the FALLER manufactory.

Next stop would be Lautenbach. An overnight stay was planned at the Ringhotel SONNENHOF. But as always, we first explored the area a bit. We didn’t have much time for that; we had ordered an evening menu.
I stopped at an unusual garden, chatted with the owner, and learned about another noteworthy point for the next day. A little refreshing, and then it was time for the 3-course meal in the good room. The highlight was the tiled stove with its beautifully designed tiles. The food was very good, and I even managed to finish a dessert, including a Zibärtle (a schnapps made from a type of wild plum; usually yellow fruit). A little tour up the mountain then concluded this wonderful day.
See you soon!