Explore different landscapes
The most famous long-distance cycling tour of the Black Forest. The scenic tour offers natural beauty, charming villages, cultural heritage, romantic wine regions and historic cities.
Distance: approx. 39 kms | 282 meters uphill | 298 meters downhill.
Full of anticipation, you hop on your bike this morning and pedal effortlessly out of beautiful Hinterzarten. A few rotations of the pedals later, you head straight towards the shores of Lake Titisee. Riding right past the promenade, you follow the course of the Gutach River with gentle ups and downs. Soon, your eyes catch the sight of the famous Hochfirst ski jump, standing out on the mountainside amid tall fir trees. Following the scenic Bähnle cycle path (Bähnle-Radweg) along the railway tracks, you pass through Lenzkirch and eventually reach your destination in Bonndorf through the tree-lined Philosophenweg (Philosopher’s Path)
Distance: approx. 53 kms | 57 meters uphill | 598 meters downhill.
Today, you can give your muscles a break because just a few kilometers beyond Bonndorf, the cycle path descends, allowing you to simply go with the flow. The cycling route takes you along the wild and romantic Wutach Gorge. However, you can only explore this gorge on foot. Taking a short detour on your bike and climbing a few meters to the beautiful viewpoint called Wutachflühen is definitely worth it. From there, you’ll have a view down into the deeply carved riverbeds with their unique wildlife and plant species. Along the Sauschwänzle Railway and the Wutach River, the stage finally ends among the townhouses in the city center of Waldshut.
Distance: approx. 42 kms | 85 meters uphill | 119 meters downhill.
The High Rhine will be your constant companion for the next few hours. Just a stone’s throw from Switzerland, you can decide whether you want to cross the wide river at Dogern and cycle along the Swiss side. Along the way, you’ll encounter the town of Laufenburg, which is quite unique – it’s divided between two countries and separated by the natural border of the Rhine. Cycling beneath the shade of thick, overhanging branches, you’ll reach Bad Säckingen with its distinctive onion-domed basilica and Europe’s longest covered wooden bridge. Finally, you’ll arrive in Rheinfelden after passing through the na
Distance: approx. 66 kms | 129 meters uphill | 188 meters downhill.
On the Swiss side of the Rhine, after a few kilometers, you will pass by the impressive Roman city of Augusta Raurica, known for its numerous excavations and the impressive amphitheater. If you prefer to avoid urban traffic in the Basel area, you can also take a ship from Rheinfelden directly to the metropolis of Basel with its beautiful old town. The longest arch bridge for cyclists and pedestrians will lead you back to the German side of the Rhine.
Alternatively, today you can choose the route over the Dinkelberg from Rheinfelden, which is equally charming with Villa Rustica and the ruins of Rötteln Castle, not to mention the beer garden. This route involves a bit more elevation gain.
Who is the Black Forest Cycling Tour suitable for?
This cycling tour on the Black Forest Cycle Route is ideal for couples, small groups and individual travellers.
This trip is not suitable for people with limited mobility.
Requirements & difficulty
Which level does the trail have?
According to our definitions, it’s a level 2 trail:
2 Points = easy | distance: 30-50 kilometers | elevation gain: none (minimal inclines are unavoidable) | profile: mostly flat routes, but longer distances than Level 1
You occasionally ride your bike for leisure. You enjoy cycling on flat routes that offer a smooth ride. While you don’t mind minimal inclines, you prefer to keep them short.
Characteristics of the trail
The Black Forest Cycle Route mostly runs on cycle paths and quiet secondary roads. The route is generally downhill or flat with few short ascents. There are only minor elevation differences to overcome, with the largest one from Kirchzarten to Hinterzarten, being covered by train. The paths are well-maintained and consistently signposted.
How is the Black Forest Cycle Route signposted?
The Black Forest Cycle Route is signposted with a square blue-green-black sign on which a drawn man rides downhill on a bicycle.
The best time for travelling
We recommend this cycling tour from April to October.
Please make sure to have clothes for all possible weather conditions. The weather can change quickly in these low mountain areas and in the Rhine Valley. Especially on warm days with high humidity, the weather changes and it quickly begins to rain or thunderstorms. You should be prepared for that too.
Arrival & departure
How do I get to Hinterzarten?
Arriving by plane, the closest airports are Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Zürich (Switzerland) and Basel-Mulhouse (Switzerland).
Hinterzarten has a train station that is reachable by local trains. These in turn have connections to the long-distance train stations in Freiburg and Basel.
Parking in Hinterzarten
You can park your vehicle for the duration of your bike tour at a public parking lot in Hinterzarten for a fee, currently 15.00 € per week. (as of March 2024)
How do I depart from Hinterzarten?
As the tour is roundtrip you can depart the same way that you arrived to Hinterzarten.
Travel documents
What is included in the travel documents I receive for the Black Forest Cycle Route?
You will receive the hotel list with information about the accommodations booked, as well as contact information and important information about closed days and arrival.
Moreover, there will be some general information about the trail.
You also get the Bikeline guidebook for the trail, which is available in German only so far, but it has detailed maps and cutouts for the complete route.
On top, you can also download the GPS track in order to use it with common apps like outdooractive, komoot, etc.
For the luggage transfer you can find luggage tags for each piece of luggage registered upon booking (usually it is included one piece per person in the package price).
Highlights
Black Forest Highlands
The Hochrhein region at Waldshut-Tiengen
Basel / Switzerland
The Markgräflerland
Freiburg