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Looking at doing a long weekend in the Black Forest in Germany with the Mrs as its only 4 hours drive from where we'll be in Italy from July.
We're ideally looking to take the bikes and I was wondering if anyone on here has been and can recommend any routes / places to camp?
Mrs Devash is only a beginner so we're not looking for any gnar or super long climbs, just some nice rolling singletrack with decent views and a cold Weissbier at the end.
Riding singletrack is banned in Baden-Wurtemberg which contains most of the blackforest, therefore most of the marked routes or those shared on the internet tend to be fireroad/doubletrack. It is nice there, but it can be hard to find the nice rides without local help, and there is always a chance of conflict with belligerent hikers.
As an alternative, the Vosges is just the other side of the Rhine, and has lots of nice singletrack.
How about...
[url= http://www.naturpark-suedschwarzwald.de/freizeit-sport/mountainbike-schwarzwald ]This[/url]
From my understanding, Germany doesn't do singletrack as we know it (the law stipulates a minimum width which basically means a fireroad-type-thing).
With reference to the Vosges above, check out [url= http://summer.hautes-vosges.net/courses-vtt-summer.html ]This[/url]
Only camped at the Titisee which was nice, enjoy the Torte and Wiessbier 😉
(the law stipulates a minimum width which basically means a fireroad-type-thing
not necessarily true
it's one of those rule of thumb things that's been used all over continental europe, but isn't necessarily law anywhere.
each Land (federal state) within Germany sets their own rule (if any), and probabyl much the same in Canton in Switzerland, and similarly in Austria.
Hessen, was going to do a "2m rule", although 2m wasn't mentioned anywhere, but was going to be "any path or track navigable by (proper) 4WD vehicle". The rule they did implement (afaik) was "any path installed by the landowner or the land management is fair game for all, and that all users must use commonsense and must not obstruct others or put them at risk" (or something to that effect).
Sadly Black Forest is in Baden-Wurtemberg, which was going for the explicitly written 2m rule law.
From my understanding, Germany doesn't do singletrack as we know it (the law stipulates a minimum width which basically means a fireroad-type-thing).
That is just Baden-Wurttemberg, plenty of singletrack in Germany as a whole.
^
Excuse my ignorance, and happy to be corrected (forgot Germany was Federal 😳 ). Looking to revisit old haunts in the Allgau this summer with my bike for the first time so hopefully Bayern is more open to biking.
- Graubunden is probike (apparently) whereas Bern is more strict, so some time planned in Davos/Klosters too.and probabyl much the same in Canton in Switzerland, and similarly in Austria.
Lots of waymarked trails in several states. Some will be a bit "firetraily" others have purpose built "flowtrail".
Only done one of the local officially waymarked ones here (Hessen), which had some nice bits. Think another has had quite a bit of "build day" effort. Suspect the others might just be direction placards.
Never tried the Pfalzerwald ones. Been meaning to.
But on the whole, they'll all be 35km or so rides on existing paths, rather than manmade wiggles thru the trees.
I rode tour 1 in the pfalzerwald last summer. Not sure what they define as singletrack.
On the website from the bike park it says 9.8km singletrack, but from memory it was more like 2kms and the rest was fireroads and a bit of tarmac.
Obviously if your prepared to explore and use the walking trails which are singletrack trails, then you will definitely enjoy yourself.
I've read somewhere that there are some good waymarked trails in Koblenz, which is where Canyon bikes are based.
We also tried Pfalzerwald for a few days and were distinctly underwhelmed by the lack of singletrack.
Harz Mountains is good but wrong end of country.
1995 MTB Worlds were at Kirschzarten in Black Forest - don't know if there is anything around there.
We also tried Pfalzerwald for a few days and were distinctly underwhelmed by the lack of singletrack.
Harz Mountains is good but wrong end of country.
1995 MTB Worlds were at Kirschzarten in Black Forest - don't know if there is anything around there.
We went to Bad Wildbad recently. Typical spa town with a cablecar up to mountain top where there are loads of really nice trails (I think the information board said it gave access to 800k of trails!). A lot a bit fire-roady, but nice riding. Picture on tourist info website shows a nice rock garden. There is also a bike-park (not for newbies!)and plentiful cold beer.
http://www.bad-wildbad.eu/black-forest-holiday/biking/bike-touring-id_665/
http://www.bikepark-bad-wildbad.de/english/index.phppark
We camped at Kalbermuhle, nice site, 5mls down the valley (offroad cycleroute along river to Bad Wildbad)
http://www.camperstop.info/getStopPointDetail?stopPoint=46624&stopInfo=Bad_Wildbad_Kalbermuhle
We went to Bad Wildbad recently. Typical spa town with a cablecar up to mountain top where there are loads of really nice trails (I think the information board said it gave access to 800k of trails!). A lot a bit fire-roady, but nice riding. Picture on tourist info website shows a nice rock garden. There is also a bike-park (not for newbies!)and plentiful cold beer.http://www.bad-wildbad.eu/black-forest-holiday/biking/bike-touring-id_665/
We camped at Kalbermuhle, nice site, 5mls down the valley (offroad cycleroute along river to Bad Wildbad)
http://www.camperstop.info/getStopPointDetail?stopPoint=46624&stopInfo=Bad_Wildbad_Kalbermuhle
Sounds promising!
Couple of things:
If you go to the Black Forest DO NOT SPEED. Lots of unmarked cops on the roads. My 40th was ruined after two of them took 1000euros from us!
If you go to the Vosges I can highly recommend petite-st-Pierre as a place to stay. There is a really fantastic gastro hotel there and the whole area is stunningly beautiful.
professor_fate - Member
^
Excuse my ignorance, and happy to be corrected (forgot Germany was Federal ). Looking to revisit old haunts in the Allgau this summer with my bike for the first time so hopefully Bayern is more open to biking.
Bayern/Bavaria doesn't have a 2m rule in place. surprisingly liberal for the stock-im-arsch Bavarians.... where abouts in Allgau? spent my first year in the Vaterland there. Immenstadt/Mittagberg is a good starting point. Or a little further east.. lots of trials between Garmisch and Inntal (my stomping/play ground).
We also tried Pfalzerwald for a few days and were distinctly underwhelmed by the lack of singletrack.
There is loads of singletrack in the Pfalz, it is a great area. But you have to do a bit of research and find the routes.
We live in the southern Black Forest up at about 830m. Close to the bike park at todtnau and good access to feldberg and other 1200 - 1400 tops.. The riding is pretty good but it tends to be forest trails more than a tech gnar fest.
Baden wurtemburg is the last of the 16 lands to uphold the 2m rule and a 60k signature petition is challenging this soon. The advice is to ride any trail and be offensively polite, and this approach works.
There are some ace trails, the maps are good and the cake is epic.
Gpsies has a few GPS routes but they tend to be fire road but there are still good circuits, especially the higher ones...
If I can help further, ask away...
@julzm - do you have a name for the hotel in Petit St-Pierre ?
OP instead of Black Forest why not ride in some of the Swiss resorts in Graubünden, eg Lenzerheide they have a variety of marked routes inc some family style stuff pedalling around the lakes, plus some uplift style trails if you want. Much closer too.
Why not Switzerland? Maybe because of the extortionate prices?
Scheiss auf der Schweiz, say I.
My work takes me into Switzerland in the summer and I rode at Lenzerheide last year. Beautiful scenery, but the prices for basic items really pisses me off. There is plenty of equally challenging riding and scenery across the borders in Austria and Italy.
@alpin - for a long weekend I'd rather pay the extra and save on the extra driving. If you do a self catering apartment you cn take your own food/booze etc with you. You are correct in that the best plan would be to stay in Italy. If it where me I'd stay in Italy and ride/hike on the weekend in question but the OP did suggest a road trip was in order.
where abouts in Allgau? spent my first year in the Vaterland there. Immenstadt/Mittagberg is a good starting point. Or a little further east.. lots of trials between Garmisch and Inntal (my stomping/play ground)
Hi Alpin. Oberstdorf and Sonthofen (Gunzesried-Sage specifically), and would like to ride around Kleinwalsertal over to Einodsbach area. Spent a week last year hut-to-hutting in the Karwendelgebirge on the bike - awesome week!).
@ jambalaya... depends entirely upon where you are setting out from. 🙂
@ professor.. kleinwalsertal... nice place. was there a few years back for a long weekend.
not my video!
i had a guide from a german mag. will have a look for it when home if you want it.
@julzm - do you have a name for the hotel in Petit St-Pierre ?
It's called au lion d'or. Brilliant place. We were there on motorbikes and they could not have been more helpful. The food was fantastic and the view from the restaurant is something else. Looks right over the valley for miles and miles.
i had a guide from a german mag. will have a look for it when home if you want it.
...sounds good! My email's in my profile 8)