Route description
Zweitälersteig is a multi-day hiking tour with a total of five legs. The first one starts in Waldkirch im Breisgau, located east of Freiburg in the Black Forest. Altough the tour leads continuously upwards to Kandelgipfel, you will reach the summit sooner than you thought.
The tour starts at the railway station in Waldkich, which you can reach by Breisgau S-Bahn. From the market square in Waldkirch you can already see Kandelfelsen mountain. Leave the town southbound, after passing Schwarzwald Zoo. Continue towards Baumkronenweg and pass the giant tunnel slide. A hiking trail and a gravel path lead you to Schwarzenberghütte. Enjoy a little detour to the Schwarzenberg castle ruins.
As soon as you reach the long ridge between Elztal and Glottertal valleys, you have already masterd half of the ascent. Before you get to Thomashütte, the path changes from a broader hiking trail to a more narrow path, following the mountain ridge. Take a rest at the hut Thomashütte. Now you start climbing the summit until you reach the distinctive summit pyramid of Kandel mountain. Enjoy the view of Waldkirch. Only a few hundred metres now seperate you from Kandelhotel, where a cold summit beer and good food await you. Furthermore, you can watch the hang-gliders and paragliders starting at Kandelgasthaus here.
Where to eat
You can stop for food at the beginning or the end of the tour. However, you should definitely take some provisions and enough water for the tour, as it takes a few hours. If you are hungry before you start, go to Hotel-Restaurant Hirschenstube. Otherwise, enjoy a summit meal at Gummenhütte-Fensterliwirt, Berggasthaus Kandelhof, or Kandel Rasthaus.
Interesting facts
- You're traveling a distance of 9 km on this strenuous trail. The hike is therefore not too long. The average length of all hikes in Baden-Württemberg is 43 km.
- Elevated between 260 m and 1,216 m, the hike is among the 3 highest elevated hikes in Baden-Württemberg. You're facing an uphill climb of 997 vertical meters on this hike. This makes the hike one of the 5 hikes with the most ascent in Baden-Württemberg.
- The trail is one of the dog friendly hikes in the region.
- You shouldn’t forget to bring your hiking boots. There are some sections on the trail where sturdy footwear is required. There are places to buy beverages and food along the track. However it’s always recommended to bring enough water and food along with you.
Variations
If you want to stop at the giant tunnel slide, you can follow the path to the left just after leaving Waldkirch.
Getting here
By car
From Freiburg, follow B294 to Waldkirch-West/ Emmendingen. Turn right onto Freiburger Str. here, and then left into Adenauerstr. At the end of the road you get to Waldkirch railway station.
From Elzach, follow B294 to exit Waldkirch-Ost/ Kollnau. Turn right and then left at the next traffic light, into Lange Straße. Turn right into Adenauerstraße. Waldkirch railway station is located at the end of the road.
Public transportation
You can get to Waldkirch railway station from Freiburg, Elzach, Winden and Gutach on the Breisgau S-Bahn trains.
