The Schwarzwaldsteig in Bad Peterstal-Griesbach

main train station Bad Peterstal

It starts at the train station in Bad Peterstal (S), where you can park well, but you can also travel comfortably and stress-free by train. From the train station, follow the short access path to the portal (1) on the Rench. The adventure begins immediately, because the Peterstaler Schwarzwaldsteig leads the hiker via a short staircase directly to the lively rushing Rench. You should be sure-footed, because the path now leads over the large boulders of the stream bed upstream. This delightful excursion to lively water is a perfect start, especially on hot days. The fun ends far too quickly when the path returns to the convenient shore path to the refreshing Kneipp facility within sight. Keep to the left and after a few meters you will come to the underpass of the railway, where the first ascent into the forest begins. The first meters of altitude under the shady canopy are quickly made and an airy refuge offers a beautiful view (2) of the Rench and Bad Peterstal. With still fresh strength you can continue the steady ascent, cross the first meadow and enjoy the wonderful view of the valley. As soon as the forest has closed again, rugged rocks on the mountain slope of the light coniferous forest set special accents. On the following spruce forest passage you gain further altitude and quickly start dreaming. But watch out: the sudden branch to the right should not be missed. Now a springy forest path leads to a wood of young deciduous trees and on to the edge of the forest, where the first lounger in the shade of a tree invites you to linger and enjoy the view. Recovered in this way, the following ascent does not pose a major challenge and you will soon have great valley views again from the meadow path (3). Along the edge of the forest you arrive in Vorderbach, where the path descends to the small connecting road in the valley. On the hardly used road you walk down about 100 m, then the Peterstaler Schwarzwaldsteig rises to an impressive Schwarzwaldhof. At the Hilsenhof, turn sharply left and enjoy a wonderful passage through rolling meadows. You steadily gain altitude, but the entertaining landscape of the Bästenbachtal provides sufficient distraction. When you reach the edge of a meadow, the logos point steeply uphill to the upper edge of the forest. But there is a special reward waiting for you: the rustic sandstone rest area (4) and the neighboring heavenly lounger simply cannot be resisted ... After this rest, the path leads the hiker back into the shady forest, where the constant gain in altitude continues. After a good 4 km you can reach Holdersgrund. Here a bubbling fountain with Peterstal mineral water provides free refreshment. And this is necessary, as the steep ascent to the Braunbergkopf is due! Follow the logo of the Schwarzwaldsteig behind the farm uphill to the edge of the forest, where, in view of the great view of the valley, you cannot overlook the branch to the right onto a steep, rustic forest path. The forest passage is briefly interrupted at a crossroads with a stone cross and a bench before the path-based conquest of the mountain continues. A few meters higher, the logos point to a branch path to the right and then the time has come: at kilometer 4.9 you stand at the large spider at the saddle place (5), where a hut and rest area invite you to take a well-deserved break. By the way: here it is worth making a detour to the signposted "Renchtalblick" view (about 300 m north on the forest path)! A little to the left of the Sattelplatz, the Peterstaler Schwarzwaldsteig turns right on a narrow forest path. As soon as you have taken the first bend in the now almost heather-like environment of pines, birches and heather, the bright red rocks of the Ibacher Schliff (6) cast a spell on everyone! What a scenario: on the left the grandiose nature with red rock and Nordic-looking flora, on the right the ever increasing views over the peaks of the Black Forest. This is premium hiking to perfection! Unfortunately, this wonderful section of the route ends far too quickly when the path meets a wide forest path in a curve. But there are still great views to marvel at and so the following descent to Rollwasen flies by. Immediately after the Wiesengründlebrunnen you reach a hiking car park and 2 rest areas with a beautiful valley view of Rollwasen at the edge of the forest. Then you can slip back into the shade of the forest and continue the leisurely descent. Although one or the other change of direction and short ascent in between, the path now generally descends towards the Berggasthaus Braunbergstüble. The approach to the mountain inn offers another great experience, because first you leave the wide forest path, follow an uphill path up to the edge of the forest and finally conquer in the open wood.

The approach to the mountain inn offers another great experience, because first you leave the wide forest path, follow an uphill path up to the edge of the forest and finally conquer a knoll in the open meadow landscape. Now a grandiose panorama (7) spreads out ahead! Below is the Braunbergstüble, which invites you to stop for a break, while the Schwarzwaldsteig leads over springy meadow around a nose and always opens up new perspectives. To top this section there is also an inviting heavenly lounger.

But the subsequent forest passage to the Wendelsberg is also varied. After crossing the forest again, you arrive at the Urbanskreuz and hike downhill over a cherry tree meadow. Especially in spring this section is a real feast for the eyes and there is a lot of buzzing in the air when busy bees collect nectar.

After the descent is complete, turn right at the lower edge of the forest and return to the high forest. There the path forks a little later and the logos point to the left. Gradually the noises of the Renchtal penetrate your ears and you gently approach everyday life again. As the wide path becomes increasingly steep, you can switch to a serpentine path on the left at a bank, which loops in height and leads to a stream. Next to the stream, follow the path further down until you come to a forest path. Here the markings point to the right to the nearby Kneipp facility (8). At the next fork in the road, keep left downhill. When you reach the first house, the path bends back to the left into the forest, but at the next signpost it finally goes right out of the forest. At the bridge over the railway you come to the street, which you follow left down to the nearby train station (S).