Black Forest Road Trip

[ShiDevil]

Road trip to Germany with some mates at the end of June.

Day 1 - heading to Baden Baden as our base. It seems a good place at the top of the Black Forest. Working out what to do after... Driving the 500 and Black Forest (any decent places to see). Looking at museum Options, massive Chateaus e.g. Hohenschwangau and German beer cellar or festivals, German beer, sausages and fräuleins serving beer if you know what I mean any thoughts

Thanks

Steve

[JMGS4]

Steve, glad to help if I can. Why not PM me with your approx itinerary and I'll send you some info. Where possible avoid the B500 as it can be crawling with police and traps on weekends. I can give you hundreds of miles of twisties without having to avoid tourists and speedtraps..

[dcb]

ShiDevil said:

Looking at museum Options, massive Chateaus e.g. Hohenschwangau and German beer cellar or festivals, German beer, sausages and fräuleins serving beer if you know what I mean any thoughts

The Black Forest area is sufficiently far west that it has quite some French influence - wine, food, language etc.

It doesn't really match up with most Brit folks' idea of Germany.

The Germany that most Brits think they know is mostly Bavaria,
one state further East.

For instance, you won't see Litre steins of beer in the Black Forest.

Same is true of most of Baden-Wurtemburg. It's got a sizeable chunk
of French influence.

Having said that, the world's 2nd largest beer fest is at Bad Cannstadt,
east of Stuttgart, in September.

For the rest, this topic has been discussed many many times.
The search option is your friend.

[sjw]

JMGS4 said:

Where possible avoid the B500 as it can be crawling with police and traps on weekends. I can give you hundreds of miles of twisties without having to avoid tourists and speedtraps..

I have used the B500 many times, to and from the Alps, both on bikes and in cars, but rarely at weekends.
And I have often read that it is policed, but I never have actually seen any speedtraps.
On the open bits, there are 70kph limits, but I have ridden or driven over that somewhat.
Am I just lucky, or are they positioned where there are junctions, where I would naturally slow down ?
Also, I have had other drivers and bikers try to slow me down, without any apparent nearby police enforcement

[JMGS4]

They use lasers and police bikes without markings and are especially active at weekends due to all the foreign bikers (F & CH) who come and tear up the tarmac at weekends, a lot with illegal pots as well! The bike deaths in BaWü have increased 30% last year due to mad so and sos. I bike but 200kph+ on our twisties is just asking for it! Also there are a lot of smaller villages asking for sticter policing due to the noise factor. I've heard bikes from over 10km away who had illegal pots when walking on the tops.

[Big E 118]

We are heading from Mulhouse to Baden Baden in June with 6 cars, we were going to head onto the B500 and take the scenic route. It's a Saturday and I know it will be busy so we weren't planning a flat out blast but a spirited drive would have been fun.

Is it best to avoid this altogether or are the police mostly concerned with bikes? Any alternate routes to take other than the Autobahn?

[JMGS4]

Mulhouse, so make sure you see the Schlumpf Collection, Bugattis (now called the French National Car Museum). There is also a super Train Museum, a Textile Museum and in Rixheim a Wallpaper Museum.
If you intend to go to Baden Baden in 1 day then the B500 would be almost the only do-able route BUT you can split it and take 2 days and have some fun roads to drive.
For example, take the french Mway to Germany, when just over the border head north towards Freiburg and take the first exit to Neuenburg/Müllheim.
Go through Müllheim, Schweighof, Neuenweg, Wembach, then North on the B317,
EITHER take the next exit west in Utzenfeld, go over the Wiedener Eck down into the Munstertal, and vist Staufen
OR turn NW in Todtnau and take the Schauinsland pass (old hillclimb circuit) and down into Freiburg
From Freiburg (lots of static Gatsos! green car haters) you can then travel east on the B31 (watch for speedtraps, frequent here almost daily) and then just before Titisee take the B500 north.
If you want to stay in the southern Black Forest, there are many very good twisties e.g.
Schopfheim-Schönau
Wehr-Todtmoos
Bad Säckingen-Todtmoos
Präg-St Blasien via Bernau
Not to be missed the Albtal road from St Blasien to Albbrück

North of the B31 don't miss the clock museum in Triberg (cuckoo clocks come from there NOT Switzerland, they're poor copies!)
Also excellent road and worth driving, the Kandel Pass, goes from Waldkirch SW to St Peter and St Märgen, rejoin B500 after this (part of the Eurohoon 2004 route)
From Triberg head west to the Triberg waterfalls, then N to Hinterprechtal, Gutach and Hausach, super road..

From Freudenstadt 2 options either via Baiersbronn to Gernsbach and back to BB
OR the B28, then the B500 to BB
For all these routes I recommend buying the Michelin road maps for the planning!
If you need more info PM me... have fun!

Edited by JMGS4 on Wednesday 25th February 08:04

[Big E 118]

JMGS4 said:

Lots of good stuff

Many thanks, very helpful!

The reason for being in Mulhouse is for the Schlumpf Collection, looking forward to that.

[JMGS4]

Big E 118 said:

JMGS4 said:

Lots of good stuff

Many thanks, very helpful!
The reason for being in Mulhouse is for the Schlumpf Collection, looking forward to that.

My pleasure...
You'll need 3-4 hours to see the Schlumpf Collection properly, and take a camera, there are some spectacular cars there. NB no tripod, as then you're considered a profesional photographer and have to pay to film!
BTW in the Black Forest there are good beers, to name 3, Waldhaus, Rothaus and Fürstenberg (not the poor GB copy), IMHO don't bother with Ganter or Lasser (my opinion only). Try and get these draught.
Otherwise drink wine, Badische Wein is world renowned although almost unknown in GB! And the food is good, research your restaurants, be prepared to pay for a great meal. Even the normal cuisine is much better than the rest of Germany, and thus also slightly more expensive, but you can get a midday menu for under €10,- without trouble.

See this youtube film for the Albtal valley run (this is S to N) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exqCQJ1qOiU
Also this one of the Wehratal N to S, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOkQmNrUeRQ

Edited by JMGS4 on Wednesday 25th February 09:27

[sjw]

JMGS4 said:

Lots of Good Stuff

Wow thanks for that.

I have spent plenty of time on the roads of the Black Forest, but your recommendations will keep me quiet for hours and hours researching on Google maps.
Think perhaps I should be a bit more careful on the B500 next time. But I am nowhere near 200kph and dont have a loud exhaust on car or bike.

We tend to use the B500 and overnight in the Black Forest, heading to and from the Alps
Going North we tend to cross the Rhine and go through Wissembourg and pass near to Kaiserslautern before an overnight halt on the Moselle or in Luxembourg
Going South East to Austria is more difficult to find a decent route, but have used the road alongside the Danube to Sigmaringen, and then the Hochalpenstrasse through Immenstadt, on to Oberjochpass

Any alternative suggestions gratefully received.

[JMGS4]

sjw said:

We tend to use the B500 and overnight in the Black Forest, heading to and from the Alps
Going North we tend to cross the Rhine and go through Wissembourg and pass near to Kaiserslautern before an overnight halt on the Moselle or in Luxembourg
Going South East to Austria is more difficult to find a decent route, but have used the road alongside the Danube to Sigmaringen, and then the Hochalpenstrasse through Immenstadt, on to Oberjochpass
Any alternative suggestions gratefully received.

Both very good routes, can't really offer a better one unless you want to do Swiss passes (Vignette €40,- for the Swiss Autobahn!) and end up on the Stelvio?
If yes, then enter Switzerland and go to Chur and stay overnight.
The next morning take the Lenzerheide Pass, then the Albula Pass, then turn SW towards St Moritz and take the Bernina Pass (top only) then turn E into Italy at the Livigno, then turn S onto the Passo de Eira, and Foscagno Pass, then turn towards Bormio and East to the Stelvio.
You can then take the Reschenpass back into Austria or the route through Schlanders to Meran, then North to Innsbruck. NB all the Austrian passes have an extra toll on top of the Autobahn Maut!
If you're biking then I recommend a rest (overnight stay) at the latest after the Stelvio..... I did 10 passes in 1 day with the 996 and was shot...

[jason1788]

I agree regarding cameras. My last trip on the B500 was in July and on a Sunday it was full of tourists, and there was a mobile speed trap a few km south of BB. New static cameras also about 1km south of the Ford / Avia garage. My previous trip I got caught by a mobile camera and got a 1 month ban, needless to say I have become more observant.