Ostweg 2020

After we ran the Westweg last year, this year we were left with a choice between the Mittelweg and the Ostweg. Since we live quite close to the Ostweg, we decided on that one.

This time, the route led from Pforzheim to Schaffhausen. With a bit more experience in long-distance hiking, we felt quite well prepared. The year was already difficult in terms of planning due to Corona anyway, so it made us and the children all the happier that the Youth Black Forest holiday camp in Hinterzarten could take place. That meant the path was clear for us as well.

The weather was lovely up until the tour started. The emphasis is on “was”, because the first few days were quite rainy. All in all, in the end we were fairly disappointed with the Ostweg. Compared to the Westweg, it lacks the real highlights. You cannot climb any proper heights, and most of the paths are broad, gravel- or concrete service trails.

The first day should be taken at a relaxed pace. You first have to get used to the weight of the backpack and the long walking. That is why we decide to spend the first night very comfortably at home and only run as far as Monakam.

We set off again at the Kupferhammer, to which we were fortunately driven. The path along the Würm is also the main hiking trail No. 5 of the Albverein, leading toward the Allgäu.

In the village of Würm itself, we are almost convinced again of a conspiracy against us when we see the closed restaurants. This time, though, it should not be a problem. The path itself is not very strenuous, and we make good progress.

We run past Liebeneck Castle toward Hamberg, where we take a short break in the “Green Forest”. They brew their own beer there and there is a first Weizen. Tastes are, as is well known, subjective, so we will leave it at that one. The food, however, is excellent.

Satiated, we continue on to Steinegg Castle and, past the Wendelinus Chapel, across the fields toward Neuhausen.

Now it is only a stone’s throw away. We head toward the Monbachtal and after the Monbach bridge we leave the Ostweg to sleep comfortably at home in bed.

20 hours of rain are forecast. So we set off with rain ponchos and gaiters. We will not remove them again until the end of the day. Because we know the stage will be demanding, we decide to skip the Monbachtal. That is normally something you should not do, because it is really one of the most beautiful sections, but we know the route in and out, so today we take the shortcut via the Kirchweg.

The Kurpark in Liebenzell is still empty so early in the morning; a little kingfisher darts along the bank of the Nagold. We continue along the Nagold toward Ernstmühl. There the path bends toward the Wolfschlucht. As we soon have to learn, the Ostweg makes many detours toward nice excursion destinations without actually reaching them. Instead of walking the Wolfsschlucht, we turn off and continue toward Calw.

In Hirsau, the path runs past the monastery. Literally: you only see the monastery from afar; you would have to take detours to actually look at it. Instead, you continue along the ridge path toward Calw. Once there, you go into the old town and onto the beautiful market square. Oh no, of course not. You also pass that and go up the hill past the school toward the Gimpelstein. Before that, though, you stop at the baker for breakfast, because who knows when there will be food again.

After the Gimpelstein we reach the Schafott and continue to Zavelstein. We briefly consider eating at the hiking lodge, but then decide to go a little further. The path actually leads through the beautiful part of Zavelstein all the way to the ruins. From there it goes steeply downhill to Bad Teinach. At the thermal bath, despite intensive searching, we lose the signpost and walk a little differently than planned. It is still raining, and we envy the bathers in the warm thermal pool.

Then it goes uphill again over Liebelsberg to Neubulach. Now we are hungry. We go to the Rössle, where there is surprise a Weizen and lentils with Spätzle. That does us good!

It is not far now, and we walk until Wart, where our hut stands. Fortunately, we know that it is suitable for one night. We are now quite wet, despite the poncho and actually good rain gear. It is not especially cold, but night is still to come. We set up camp and are asleep before 9 p.m. with sunset.

The night was cold. We set the alarm for 6:00 a.m., but we stay in bed until 6:30 because it is still too dark. Today the weather is forecast to be a little better. We start around 7:30 a.m.; packing takes a little longer, but that will get better over the course of the tour.

The first destination is Berneck, a very pretty little place with an impressive town wall. Of course, you do not see the actual historical town or the castle, because the Ostweg runs past in the valley.

The next stop is therefore Altensteig. A really beautiful place with winding lanes and lots of half-timbered buildings. Down in the village there is breakfast: cappuccino and sweet little pastries. And the sun is shining. So it is bearable!

After the meal, we continue along the Nagold and a small millrace parallel to the river toward Pfalzgrafenweiler. At the Kohlmühle, we continue along the Zinsbach until we finally arrive in the town. There we first buy a sparkling water, firstly because it tastes better than water and secondly because the fountains have been scarce so far. In Pfalzgrafenweiler there is pizza and tada Weizen. The pizzeria is about to close, so we had better hurry. As soon as we are back outside, we realize that our trekking poles are still inside the restaurant. But the shop is already closed. Fortunately, we are noticed and can still get the poles back.

Refreshed, we go through a lot of wooded area to Musbach. At the edge of the village there is supposed to be a shelter that could serve as a place to sleep. When we arrive, we see that it is a large barbecue and festival area. The shelter is somewhat larger and is probably used for village festivals. Whatever, there is no one there, and it starts raining again. The ground is good, and the benches can be pushed together into a bed.

From today on, the weather is supposed to be great. Yesterday it was said to be. Today it says: continuous rain. That already dampens the mood somewhat. On top of that, the night was again very cold.

There is nothing to be done; we set off. Soon after the start, we pass a cow pasture protected by an electric fence. The passage on the hiking trail is so narrow that you cannot get through with a backpack. That means: take off the backpack, go through, lift the 15-kg backpack over the fence, walk to the next gate, repeat the process. That gets on your nerves. The cows would not have gotten through there anyway, and so it is just harassment for hikers.

We continue and soon reach Freudenstadt. There is supposedly the largest market square in Germany. The one in Heide is just as big, so they agreed that Freudenstadt has the largest built-up market square. Which basically means: there are houses here, a wide street cuts through the square, and all in all the square seems tiny compared to Heide. Well … in Heide there really is a market on the square. I would say, clear victory for Dithmarschen.

We do a lap around the square and have breakfast at a small bakery. Then we continue uphill past a small park where beehives have been built. They look fancy, but apparently nobody knew anything about bees. Accordingly, they were not inhabited. The Friedrichsturm is unfortunately closed, so we continue through the forest to Schömberg.

There stand a few old wells that were found during renovation work. However, they are only decorative fountains; there is no water here. We continue walking as the rain grows heavier. Now it is also unpleasantly downhill. Our feet are already burning when we arrive in Alpirsbach. Our plan was to visit a small hut on the other side of the mountain. If that was not available, there would be another usable hut higher up. The hiking huts so far have often been locked or not suitable for overnight stays. Should we take the risk? Several hundred meters of altitude lie ahead of us. We weigh up our plan B and go to the tourist office. There we book a small room at the Alpirsbacher Hof. It is no longer the most modern, and the room is small, but it is unbeatable in price and absolutely perfect for us right now. There is a shower and a cozy bed, and, most importantly, we will not get wet!

We then go back to the Löwen-Post for dinner, because I had seen this brewer’s burger there and now I really want to have it. And of course there is local Weizen with it.

The night is warm and cozy this time. It does us good as well.

We eat a proper breakfast today. A quick look at the map – wow. We have set ourselves up for a lot. According to the plan, it is around 37 km. We are still a bit worn out from all the rain yesterday and decide to cheat: we simply take the bus to Aichhalden. That stretch is about 11 km and uphill. Since we have free bus travel thanks to the overnight stay, why not enjoy a little holiday within the holiday? Said and done. Our stage therefore begins in Aichhalden and takes us first to Schramberg. There it goes steeply downhill again, but we get to see a very beautiful old town. The construction sites force us to take detours, which are of course not signposted.

At the end of Schramberg it goes uphill again, and for the first time we feel something like Black Forest mountain feeling. On the high plateau above, we pass many agricultural fields on the way to Königsfeld.

On the way we pass Burg Waldau. At the entrance we pay the 40 cents admission fee, then stand 5 meters further on in front of locked gates. We continue to Königsfeld, where we get a glimpse of the Albert-Schweitzer-House.

The weather forecasts are now clear: the rain will stop! So quickly head to the post office and send the rain gear home. It goes without saying that it starts drizzling again shortly afterward.

We find two shelters – one open, the other closed but with a large roof. The latter looks much better than the open one, in which at least sometimes someone else lives. We take the nicer one and lie down on the forecourt. The sunset is beautiful; we eat a few crackers, and at 8:30 p.m. the bivy sack is done.

The day begins with a beautiful sunrise. We pack our things and set off. Right at the start, we surprise a few deer.

In Mönchweiler itself we want to have breakfast, but cannot find anything suitable and continue walking. In the forest at Uhufelsen we are greeted by a nun, who later meets us again and invites us to coffee. It is very kind, but it would hold us up too much, so we decline. Instead, there is a quick breakfast in Villingen. And of course the Ostweg does not pass through the beautiful old town here either, but outside it. We ignore the signs and at least take a look at part of the old town.

Leaving Villingen, we go uphill through a villa district to the viewpoint tower “auf der Wanne”.

We head back onto the Württemberg side toward Schwenningen, but instead go south of it through the forest past red and black wild boar enclosures. Neither red nor black wild boar could we discover.

The little detour to Zollhaus to the old customs border between Württemberg and Baden must be made, even if the Ostweg would skillfully circumvent it again. The Schwenninger Moos afterwards is worth seeing: a fantastic moor landscape.

A little further on we come to the Waldcafe. We want to eat there, but it should only be enough for one Weizen and a piece of cake. Initially, we are pushed aside by a horde of rude older cyclists from Switzerland. They are not exactly friendly to the waiter either, so he gives us the nice terrace table in the sun and sends the Swiss inside.

The rest of the way is characterized by large fields and rather unspectacular views. In the late afternoon, we arrive at the campsite at Sunthauser See, where we had already booked an overnight stay in a barrel in advance. We eat on site, shower, and enjoy the bed in the wooden barrel.

Well rested, we set off for breakfast at 8 o’clock. We are the only ones out this early(?) so we can eat in peace. In sunny weather we first walk through a holiday village near Öfingen. It is full of tiny houses on even tinier streets. It looks a bit like a model town.

After Öfingen we walk along a slope with views of the A81, before going back into the forest. Up there we find a great hut for the night, only unfortunately at the wrong time. We go downhill again under the motorway and arrive in Geisingen. It is shortly before 2 p.m. and we are hungry. A small pizzeria advertises with a “beer garden” sign. So we go through the shop and out the back onto a small terrace. The restaurant is closing immediately, but we still manage to get a quick pizza. Refreshed, we first climb the Wartenberg and then, very unpleasantly, very steep, concrete, and very straight downhill to Gutmadingen. There we hope to find a shop to refill our sparkling water. After crossing the Danube, however, we find practically nothing, and unlike the beginning of our tour it is now very warm, so we get thirsty.

After Gutmadingen – nothing. Only lots of forest. We pass the Wendthütte, but it is not suitable for overnight stays and there are too many dog owners around. But there is supposed to be another hut. So we continue to the “Neue Hütte”. Sounds promising, but turns out to be a very old and, above all, locked hut. It was built in 1927. So much for the “new”.

There is only just enough space on the small forecourt to lay the bivy sacks side by side. Before that I clean the area a little. The night is very loud: mice rustle underneath, a marten in the hut. And there are owls everywhere, apparently with a lot to say. With the last rays of the sun of the day, even a jay has to make noise.

To top it all off, it is really warm now. As soon as the sun sets, the mosquitoes arrive. We sweat in the bivy sacks and are glad for the mosquito netting at the headrest.

The night was uncomfortable. We get up early and make sure to keep moving. In the next village, Hondingen, there is no shop and no café. So we have to keep walking until Blumberg. We leave the Ostweg to buy sparkling water and a small breakfast in Blumberg.

For the first time we encounter hikers with larger backpacks. They are all taking the Schluchtensteig. I am a little glad that we do not have so many fellow hikers on the Ostweg. I quickly buy myself a T-shirt. It has just presented itself from a smell perspective.

Leaving Blumberg, I look for the correct path. We see that it is much nicer to walk along the Schleifenbach to the waterfalls there. The steel ladder is a bit difficult to climb with the weight of the backpack, and it is very slippery. The detour is worth it anyway. At last, a real nature highlight.

We continue along a small country road that winds up and down and left and right. It looks pretty and even delights many cyclists we meet. At some point the path turns right toward the Wutachflühen. By the way, you cannot see the Wutach there. Instead there is a lot of rock and a lot of forest and a difficult path to run on. With a large backpack you keep getting caught on the rocks and pulled off balance. You should not fall here, at least not with that kind of gear.

The path crosses the railway line of the Sauschwänzle-Bahn, whose terminus in Weizen is our next destination. Before that, however, we stop at the Gasthaus Wutachschlucht. Due to Corona, there is only a small selection for the beer garden, but that is enough for us.

We then reach Weizen station as planned just before the Sauschwänzle-Bahn arrives. We are looking forward to a Weizen in Weizen. But there is only pils. How can that be? Then better nothing.

Well, it is not far now to Stühlingen. On the Swiss side I could only identify one hut that might be suitable. But it is also still close to the vineyards. Is it even a hiking hut? We debate back and forth and then decide – again – to ask at the Krone for a room. We are lucky: two single rooms are still free. We take one single room for two people. The bed is large enough for both of us. In addition, the room has a small glazed balcony on which we can dry and air out our things.

All that is missing is something to eat. Right next door is a burger place that looks inviting. Unfortunately it is already fully booked. We go a little further and come to “Zum Zapfhahn”. There they serve delicious Rösti, although Kiks Rösti needs two attempts. But it tasted great!

As expected, the night is very restful. We have breakfast at the hotel and set off early anyway for our last stage. Immediately after Stühlingen we cross the border and, as expected, miss the hut on the Swiss side that we had actually planned for the previous day. The next town, Schleitheim, looks pretty, although a little run-down.

Now comes one last proper climb. We first walk past fields and meadows to the Randenturm. Of course that is climbed. From now on it is all downhill, and fairly long too, until we reach Schaffhausen. We have to search a little to avoid accidentally leaving the Ostweg. Once we arrive at the station, we are, as with the Westweg, overwhelmed by the creativity with which one can mark the end of a long-distance hike. There is simply nothing. On the Westweg there was at least a sign. On the Ostweg, they did not even bother with that.

Well. We had already booked accommodation in the old town in advance. We head there now. Once we unload our gear, we set off again immediately. Without the heavy backpacks it feels much easier. We walk along the left bank of the Rhine to the Rhine Falls. There we cross the bridge and then walk back on the other side of the Rhine toward the accommodation. We are tired and look forward to a soft bed. We still allow ourselves a glass of wine to finish the trip.

The next day there is still sightseeing in Schaffhausen. The Munot is particularly worth seeing. The return journey by local trains is much easier than from Basel, and we arrive home only slightly musty.

Our verdict: the route is not worth it. The first section from Pforzheim to Pfalzgrafenweiler is still quite pretty and has something to offer. After that, however, it is just hours of walking on concrete or service paths, mostly through cultivated landscapes, often simply through forest. I can see firs on the left and right everywhere. What the Ostweg lacks are the spectacular views that the Westweg has in abundance. Even small things like the portals are missing on the Ostweg.

The overnight stays in huts were equally difficult. There are hardly any open huts that are suitable. In addition, compared to the Westweg, you pass through villages and towns much more often. Because of the proximity to the settlements, there are also many dog walkers, cyclists, and joggers around the huts.

Only to stubbornly clock up many kilometers, there is certainly no reason to walk a long-distance hiking trail. There is still quite a bit to be done on the route layout to make the path more attractive.