Interrailing Through Germany Part 3: Freiburg & The Black Forest

The sun rises over the beautiful city of Freiburg. 1/160s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

And so, the journey continues, or at least that’s what I thought. As I headed into Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof to take the train to Freiburg, I was greeted by the increasingly familiar sight of a notice saying my train was cancelled. I got quite a big reaction from my German friends when I posted my story on Instagram and in turn, I learned a new German phrase ‘DBakel’ a combination of DB (initials for Deutsche Bahn, the main train company in Germany) and the word ‘debakel’ which needs no translation into English. Salvation came in the unexpected form of an unscheduled Italian train. Who’d have thought Italian trains would be more reliable than German ones?

The pretty cobbled streets were a big departure from Stuttgart's cold modernism. 1/100s 35mm F1.4 ISO 80.

One of the Freiburg Bächle that run through the city streets. A local superstition states that anyone who accidently steps in one is destined to marry someone from Freiburg. 1/320s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

St George is also an important figure in Freiburg and the city flag is made up of the cross of St George. 1/2000s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

As with many German cities, the central point of interest is the cathedral. It's no different with Freiburg Minster. 1/1600s 58mm F1.4 ISO 64.

Thankfully I didn’t arrive more than a couple of hours late into Freiburg and my friend was of course very understanding given the trains are a regular problem. I think Freiburg is the most beautiful city I’ve ever visited in Germany. It’s not large but I think that adds to its charm and as it escaped the worst of Second World War’s destruction it retains many of its old buildings and quaint cobbled streets. Generally, I find cobbled streets are much more numerous in Europe than they are in the UK, I suppose we long stripped out most of ours for soulless tarmac and concrete. Though the latter are better for driving on I suppose. Something that also caught my attention right away were the Freiburg Bächle, small runnels of water that flow through the city streets. Historically they formed the main water supply for the city from the river Dreisam but in modern times have been relegated to a purely aesthetic function. They did however serve an important role in putting out fires during an allied bombing raid that ensured many buildings still stand today.

A close-up view of the Freiburg Minster spire. 1/250s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

Exploring the grand interior. 1/50s 35mm F1.4 ISO 200.

The patterning and design of the spire was similar to that of Cologne Cathedral. Very alien compared to churches and cathedrals in the UK. 1/60s 58mm F1.4 ISO 64.

As you ascend to the top you can also view the minster's nineteen bells. 1/60s 35mm F1.4 ISO 1600.

The best place in Freiburg by far is Schlossberg, essentially a big hill with a steep climb that rewards your effort with stunning views not only of the city but of the Black Forest that surrounds it. For years now the Black Forest was the one place I most wanted to visit in Germany and even with just this small glimpse I was excited. The weather throughout my entire trip was very summer like, little rain, lots of sunshine with temperatures in the mid to high twenties. Not bad for October. Given the view and conditions I did trek back up Schlossberg twice more, once at sunset and another time at sunrise to make the most of the photographic opportunities. You would certainly feel very good about yourself if you lived in a city this beautiful.

Farzaneh and I had been practising our German and English together for more than a year until I finally got to meet her in Freiburg. This trip was a great opportunity to meet some of my language exchange friends in person. 1/800s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

The view from Schlossberg. 1/1250s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

I returned to Schlossberg twice during my stay, once at sunset... 1/125s 200mm F4.0 ISO 500 Three Photo Panoramic.

...and another time at sunrise. Certainly much more interesting scenery to what I am used to back home. 1/125s 98mm F4.0 ISO 125.

My good run of sleep continued as I once again had my own room and the next day I was refreshed and excited to finally realise my long-standing goal of hiking through the Black Forest. I headed to Feldberg which is the highest mountain in the Black Forest (and the highest in Germany outside of the Alps) which required a combination of a train and a bus, taking me to the sleeping ski resort named after the mountain. There’s always something a little eerie seeing the stopped ski lifts swinging in the air, waiting for the first flurry of winter snow to shuffle back to life. The peak of Feldberg stands at 1,493m tall, more than 100m higher than Ben Nevis, but hiking around the area is not too onerous. You already start out at a decent elevation and as the name of the wider area suggests, you spend most of your time walking though undulating forest. I imagine in peak summer there are many more people here walking the trails but in Autumn there was a good balance between it being peaceful and having enough friendly faces to wish guten Tag.

On my first full day in the Black Forest I headed to the highest peak of Feldberg. Feldbergsteig means 'Feldberg climb' and the words below translate as 'The way is the goal'. 1/250s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

The cable car was working here but as I didn't use it and get a joint ticket, I couldn't enter the Feldbergturm when the ticketing machine for the tower broke. 1/250s 200mm F4.0 ISO 160.

Paths leading to Neue Feldbergturm (the new TV tower) and further in the background a weather station. 1/200s 80mm F4.0 ISO 80.

When the snow has receded the area is popular for hiking. 1/250s 190mm F4.0 ISO 80.

The views here are nothing short of stunning and it more than met my lofty expectations. The tree covered peaks go on for miles though there were few signs of autumn. That was the one downside of the lingering summer. I had hoped by October I would be greeted by yellow, orange and red but most everything was still very green. Still, I’ll happily take the sunshine and warmth over the cold and wet. I had also hoped to get an even better view by going up Feldbergturm but as it turned out the ticketing machine was broken, so unless you bought a joint ticket with the cable car there was no way to go up. Undeterred I simply carried on and completed the main walking circuit that takes you around the peak and back into the village.

Though some areas have been cleared it's remarkable for someone like me from the UK to see mountains covered in so much forest. 1/250s 70mm F4.0 ISO 160.

Red squirrels were a welcome sight throughout my trip through Germany. 1/500s 200mm F4.0 ISO 500.

Black redstarts are also very rare in the UK but seemed very numerous here. 1/500s 200mm F4.0 ISO 250.

Looking towards the valley I spotted this hunting tower in the distance, though I didn't see any deer on this hike. 1/125s 150mm F4.0 ISO 160.

One of the things I really liked about Germany is seeing so many red squirrels. Where I am from in the south of the UK they have been completely extirpated by the invasive grey squirrels from North America. I didn’t see too much other wildlife while out walking but I was surprised later in my walk to find a pond full of tadpoles. Not something I expected in October, and I hoped they were able to mature in time for the winter snows. The two things that did stand out were the evocative traditional Black Forest buildings and the gentle tolling of cow bells that we normally associate with the Alps. It’s a wonderful sound of rural Europe and there’s just something about it that puts you in the right mood. There’s a magic to it. That contrasted with the amusing anti-wolf posters plastered on the buildings with perhaps the most aggressive pictures of wolves you’ll ever see. Wolves do exist in Germany in the Bavarian Alps and as their numbers rise through conservation efforts, so do the anxiety of farmers. It may not be long until they spread here.

This interesting piece of mountain road caught my eye. One day I'll have to drive on the continent. 1/160s 200mm F4.0 ISO 64.

A winding path through the forest. 1/60s 200mm F4.0 ISO 64.

I heard the cowbells long before I saw the cows. It's a magical sound closely associated with alpine Europe. 1/200s 200mm F4.0 ISO 125.

The Black Forest buildings are instantly recognisable and something straight out of the fairytale of Hansel and Gretel. 1/160s 70mm F4.0 ISO 64.

The last major stop on my walk was the Feldsee, a large mountain lake with crystal clear waters, teeming with fish life. If I remember correctly, bathing is banned here in an attempt to limit the human impact. I can only imagine how beautiful it must be when the autumn colours are at their peak, but I did try to make the most of what was there. Then came the interesting part. This time of year, not only is Feldberg very quiet, but the buses are also limited and if you miss the last one it’s a long walk back to the train station. Foolishly I had read the wrong timetable before going on my walk, the last bus being an hour earlier than expected. Thankfully I didn’t miss it and with about an hour to wait, I ran back up one of the slopes to capture the sunset over the forests. That was really something to witness in person. The only slightly sad thing is that it made me realise that this is what mountains in the UK should look like, covered in trees, not barren and stripped bare.

I was very surprised to see tadpoles swimming around in October. 1/125s 200mm F4.0 ISO 500.

Freshwater is not in short supply here and an ever-running tap was a welcome sight on a hot day. 1/400s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

This treeberg caught my eye on the banks of Feldsee. 1/60s 70mm F4.0 ISO 320.

This was as close as I got to autumn colours but these small trees still stood out amongst the others. 1/60s 200mm F4.0 ISO 320.

Sunset over the slopes of Feldberg. This photo simply can't convey what it was like to view in person. 1/60s 135mm F4.0 ISO 640.

On my final day in Freiburg I decided to head out to another, closer section of the Black Forest at Schauinsland which only requires a trip on the bus. What also piqued my interest was the longest circulating cable car in Germany which takes a full twenty minutes to get from top to bottom. My plan was simple, I’d take the cable car to the top, hike around the peak and then travel back down again. But remember, this is Germany and low and behold when I arrived the cable car had broken down and was out of service. I was beginning to wonder whether anything worked in this country. Still, I’m not one to ever grumble at a scenic hike and by slowly progressing upwards I could further appreciate the views. Though I was amused to see the cable cars running again when I was halfway up.

Another day, another hike, this time in Schauinsland. The cable car being out of action meant I got to see more as I hiked to the top. 1/160s 70mm F4.0 ISO 64.

Even before reaching the top the views were spectacular on the way up. 1/1000s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

Not long before I reached the top I was amused to see the cable car was now working again. 1/500s 70mm F4.0 ISO 500.

I am sure the view from the tower is really good but unfortunately this was also closed. 1/1600s 35mm F1.4 ISO 64.

The peak of Schauinsland is not as high as Feldberg, clocking in at 1,284m, but it still provides panoramic views of the surrounding area. These are augmented by a viewing platform, but this being Germany it was naturally closed and out of action. Looking on the map boards I was surprised to see a landmark named ‘Engländerdenkmal’ or English memorial, nearby so I decided to walk along the ridgeline to have a look. It commemorates an ill-fated hike by a group of English schoolboys in 1936 who were caught in heavy fog and snow. Sadly, the lead teacher had disregarded reports of bad weather and subsequently lied about his role to make him out as a hero. A narrative that wouldn’t be officially rectified until 2016. Given the time period this occurred it became very political, and the Nazi regime used the memorial as a propaganda piece in the run up to the Berlin Olympics. Thankfully any signs of this regime have been stripped away and new signs explain the true story of what happened that day.

A bench with a view. 1/400s 70mm F4.0 ISO 64.

The view to Feldberg from Schauinsland. 1/160s 70mm F4.0 ISO 64.

The English Memorial to commemorate the five English schoolboys killed during an ill-fated hike in 1936. 1/800s 58mm F1.4 ISO 64.

The viewpoint at the cable car station is a great spot to take a breather and take in the scenery. 1/250s 70mm F4.0 ISO 160.

With the cable car back in action I had a very enjoyable ride back down to the bottom and there is certainly something remarkable about being dangled in their air alone for twenty minutes. In the past when it was more than just a tourist attraction there was even a halfway stop for locals who needed to get on and off. The station is still there but no longer in use. Absorbing all the views of the Black Forest one last time as I gently rocked and swayed back to terra firma was a wonderful way to end my time here in Baden-Württemberg.

Taking Germany's longest circulating cable car back down to the bottom of the mountain. 1/400s 130mm F4.0 ISO 400.

The ride down capped off a great few days in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. 1/640s 35mm F1.4 ISO 80.

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