Black Forest High Road

The Schwarzwaldhochstrasse was opened in stages from 1930 and runs about sixty kilometres from Baden-Baden south to Freudenstadt, keeping to the ridge at around eight hundred to a thousand metres with views west over the Rhine plain to the Vosges. It passes the Mummelsee, moorland, and several cirques below the ridge line, and much of the surrounding forest now lies inside the Black Forest national park, created in 2014, where deadwood is left in place and areas are allowed to develop without management. In winter the road is a snow route with cross-country tracks and small ski lifts along its length.

History

The name Schwarzwaldhochstrasse was first used in 1930, when the section between Hundseck and Untersmatt was finished and made the high Black Forest easier to reach, and the whole route from Baden-Baden to Freudenstadt was completed in 1952 (Wikipedia, Schwarzwaldhochstraße).

What you'll find

• The ridge run - sixty kilometres at around a thousand metres.
• The Rhine plain view - western outlooks toward the Vosges.
• The national park - unmanaged forest zones created in 2014.
• The winter use - snow route with cross-country tracks along the ridge.

When to go

May to October for driving and walking; winter for snow, when the road is cleared but conditions vary. Fog on the ridge is common and hides the views.

Things to know

Cloud sits on the ridge frequently, removing the views entirely. Some hotels along the route have closed. Winter needs proper tyres.

Nearby

Baden-Baden is the northern end; the Mummelsee lies on the route.

Key facts