"The Black Forest isn't really home, but it's beautiful, and it's fine with the Mondain-Beigs". She's right, our landlady.
We start in Lörrach. The first part of the tour is fully signposted as the "Black Forest Cycle Route". The Black Forest Association has done an exemplary job. However, we leave the cycle path later at Marzell, as it continues northwards as a long-distance hiking trail. It doesn't have to be, we want to get back to Lörrach without forgetting the marvellously situated Endenburg.
From Lörrach main station, we take Luisenstraße and Haagener Straße directly into the Grütt Landscape Park in the direction of Rötteln Castle. Cross the wooden bridge to the other side of the meadow and up the river to the district of Hauingen as far as Brückenstraße. Follow the signs through Hauingen to the Schützenhaus in the Soormattbach valley. Here begins one of the largest contiguous forest areas in the district, the Röttler Wald. Climbing steadily uphill, we reach Hohe Straße via Schweingrabenweg and back down into the valley to the village of Nebenau.
Contrary to the signposting, we turn right in Nebenau to climb steeply up to the hamlet of Egerten. We cycle next to the Wollbach stream up to the red rain (490 m). Then down to the entrance to Kandern . However, we do not enter the small town, but take the forest path on the right with the green signposts in the direction of Malsburg-Marzell. Be careful in Malsburg: Once in the village, we immediately turn left onto Vogelbachweg (follow the signs!). Vogelbach, 150 metres higher up, makes up for the rather steep climb with views of the Kandertal valley.
In Vogelbach, turn right at the fire station towards the cemetery (the signposts are partly hidden behind bushes) and then into the forest. There we soon leave the "Schwarzwald-Radweg" and instead of turning left, continue straight on to Marzell.
Once in Marzell , we cross the district road and continue along the tarmac road up the Kandertal valley to Kaltenbach - and take a break.
From Kaltenbach, head towards Lütschenbach, but after leaving the village, turn left onto the tarmac road up to the "Wasserhäusle". Once you reach the ridge, turn left again. Passing a large game reserve, you reach the quarry, a remote idyll with a carp pond, water wheel, bird enclosure and, if the weather is good, a magnificent view. Continuing through the forest, after a short descent (approx. 100 metres), you immediately turn left up a steep climb to the "Alte Rütte Weg". There turn right down to the "Silberbuckweg", on which we turn left to the "Stühle". Downhill to Endenburg (670 m), a view of the Alps is not uncommon on this descent.
In Endenburg , descend on the district road towards Kandern as far as the Scheideck/forest car park (541 m). The last 25 metres in altitude to the Nassen Küche are the final effort of this tour. The six kilometre "downhill" back into the Wiesental valley is a joy. In Hauingen , we say goodbye to the forest and return to civilisation.
"Wet kitchen"? The name can be explained: a good 250 years ago, the margrave's son Friedrich was travelling with a hunting party, and it was here that a good meal was prepared in which it rained unexpectedly and heavily. Friedich then decided on the name, and Landvogt von Leutrum had a huge, octagonal table carved out of stone for the place with a verse that ends like this: "But because the sky is now very wet for hunting, the place is called Naßen Kuchen." Today, the table is no longer in the forest, but in the Kandern fort house.
