Villingen: 2 cycle tours between the Black Forest and the source of the Danube
Patrick Kunkel
· 11.07.2023
The Black Forest: wild and dangerous. The forests dark and dishevelled. The paths steep and easy. The climate is harsh. "Winter must be terrible in this region, even today, in the middle of July, we felt a longing for a warm snug on these heights," wrote a 19th century traveller to the Black Forest in a travel guide about his five-day crossing of the Black Forest: "Thunderstorms followed us constantly," he complained. And: "With every passing cloud, the roughness of the air also increased." Brrr.
Wild and romantic Black Forest
We, on the other hand, are comfortable: we pedal uphill on the immaculate tarmac of a narrow mountain road through a wild and romantic Black Forest valley. Mighty farms with low-pitched hipped roofs tower over the meadows. In the pastures, cattle pluck their daily ration of green fodder. Lush flower gardens lie by the wayside. In the forest, a breeze rustles through the treetops. And the sun caresses the bright blue sky. Oh. What an idyll!
First we cycle along the source of the Danube, the Brigach, then through the Kirnachtal valley and finally up the Kesselberg mountain before hurtling down to Furtwangen. This is exactly what we had in mind: two days of cruising along secluded side roads and cycle paths through the central Black Forest and enjoying the mountain air.
We set up our base camp in Villingen, the old Zähringer town on the eastern edge of the Black Forest. This is where not only the low mountain ranges of the Black Forest meet the Baar plateau. It is also where Baden meets Württemberg. The border runs through the twin town of Villingen-Schwenningen. It emerged in 1972 from the Catholic town of Villingen in Baden and the Swabian-Protestant town of Schwenningen. But the two still don't seem to have really grown together: there are still two town halls, two railway stations and almost every club in duplicate - but no common town centre.
Which is probably quite sensible. Schwenningen is an industrial town with little charm, whereas Villingen has grown historically with a beautiful old town centre. Villingen became an imperial town as early as 1218. Its Swabian neighbour, on the other hand, was considered the largest village in Württemberg until 1907, when it was granted city rights.
The Baar plateau is a cyclist's Eldorado
To this day, there is a few kilometres buffer between the two towns: Industrial estates, fields - but many connecting cycle paths. So on the first day, we took a relaxed ride across invisible borders from Baden to Württemberg: rolling through the gently undulating hills of the Baar plateau on a 50-kilometre loop without any significant climbs from Villingen via Donaueschingen to Schwenningen and back again.
"The Baar is an Eldorado for cyclists," enthuses Wolf Hockenjos from Donaueschingen. As a former forestry director from Villingen, he knows the region inside out and takes every opportunity to ride his bike through the fields and forests: "The Baar has the topographical advantage of flat, senior-friendly rolling routes," says the pensioner. "And depending on the weather, mood and desire, there are almost inexhaustible opportunities for more challenging tours from Donaueschingen or Villingen, either into the Black Forest, the Alb or the Hegau."
We are also drawn to the mountains on day two of our weekend adventure: right into the heart of the Black Forest, up to Furtwangen. The town and the surrounding villages are regarded as the cradle of Black Forest watchmaking. According to Hockenjos, the farmers in this barren, rugged region were once barely able to make a living from farming - which is probably why they started tinkering and inventing in order to make a living elsewhere.
The clockmakers of the Black Forest once spent long winter evenings in their parlours carving elaborate wooden clockworks, creating elaborately painted clock faces and inventing the world-famous clock cuckoo. To carry the coveted goods out into the wide world, the clock makers strapped wooden frames to their backs and, fully laden, descended over wild roads and cudgel paths into the lowlands. Arduous but lucrative - a large proportion of the world's wooden clocks were produced in Black Forest workshops in the mid-19th century. And Schwenningen also became the world centre of the clock industry.
Mystery surrounding the source of the Danube
When we arrive in Furtwangen around midday, we have quite a few metres of elevation gain in our legs. After a visit to the local clock museum, we add an extra loop up to the Brend. We can hardly resist. It's not just the view from the Brendturm that is breathtaking. At the top, the source of the Danube beckons: the first drops of the Danube's source river, the Breg, gush out of the rock between the spruce and fir trees.
Wait a minute! Weren't we at the source of Europe's second-longest river the day before? Isn't it in Donaueschingen, 30 kilometres away? In any case, we made a pilgrimage there with several other tourists around the ostentatiously walled Danube spring pot in the Fürstenberg castle gardens.
Even though every schoolchild knows that "Brigach and Breg bring the Danube", Donaueschingen and Furtwangen have been arguing for centuries about where the true source of the Danube lies. The age-old dispute now seems to have been resolved: since 2022, both towns have been officially authorised by the Stuttgart Ministry of the Interior to bear the additional designation "Danube source town".
That's fine by us. Before we crank back to Villingen, we are preoccupied with very tangible culinary issues anyway - our stomachs are growling. But at the Höhengasthaus Kolmenhof, which is conveniently located right next to the source of the Danube, the friendly innkeeper provides an immediate remedy.
He serves freshly caught trout, fried until crispy, and a cold Pilsner from the region. Is it brewed in Swabia or Baden or does the trout really come from the Danube? It doesn't matter. The main thing is that it tastes good.
The MYBIKE tour tips for Villingen
Tour 1: Spring route
- Length of the tour: 49 km
- Increase: 400 metres altitude
- max. gradient: 8 per cent
- Road surface: Asphalt and good forest roads
The Neckar and Danube have their source here, as do several other rivers and streams. So it's no wonder that the region located between the Black Forest and the Baar plateau is now marketed under the catchy name of "spring country". Cycling on this short loop through the undulating hilly landscape is quite relaxed. There are no long, steep climbs, but there is plenty of nature, far-reaching views and, of course, refreshingly cool water for hot cycling feet. In towns and villages such as Bad Dürrheim, Villingen-Schwenningen, Brigachtal and Donaueschingen, there are also many sights and cosy places to stop for refreshments right along the route.
Tour 2: Energy route
- Length of the tour: 65 km
- Increase: 1,040 metres altitude
- max. gradient: 15 per cent
- Road surfaceAsphalt and gravel
A real mountain stage! After the relaxed pedalling through the Baar plateau the day before, now it's time to really get down to business: the Black Forest between Villingen and Furtwangen has plenty of altitude metres and steep ramps. Lonely mountain roads and forest tracks wind their way through deep forests, past stately Black Forest farms and through cosy river valleys. The highlight is the source of the Danube at Brend near Furtwangen. A tour that allows you to get to know the Black Forest in all its facets!
GPS data for the day tours in the Upper Black Forest
You can download the GPX tracks for the short trip Villingen download here for free or find them in of the MYBIKE Collection on komoot.
Info & tips for a cycling weekend in Villingen
Accommodation
The venerable Gasthaus Bären is located directly in the historic old town of Villingen. The hosts are welcoming, the breakfast plentiful and good. Unfortunately, the traditional hotel moved a few years ago from the centuries-old original building to a functional building next door without any charm. The rooms are modern, clean, comfortable and functional.
Bike service
Fleig BikeKlosterring 13, 78050 Villingen-Schwenningen,
Food
In the evening: The atmosphere at Gasthaus Ott in Färberstraße is buzzing. Fresh beer is flowing and well prepared home cooking is served.
On the road: The Höhengasthaus Kolmenhof is located directly at the source of the Danube and conveniently exactly halfway up our Tour 2, making it the ideal place to replenish your empty energy stores. Excellent regional specialities are served, which alone makes the steep climb worthwhile.
Map
Topographical leisure maps: Villingen-Schwenningen (F507) and Titisee-Neustadt (F506), 1:50,000, €7.90 each.
Info
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