The Kaltenbronn nature reserve around the tower offers an interesting network of hiking trails, some of which lead along boardwalks close to the high moorland lakes.
In winter, numerous cross-country ski trails criss-cross the Kaltenbronn area.
The Hohlohturm, formerly known as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Turm, lies at 984 metres above sea level.
The original tower from 1856 was made of wood and was 15 metres high. The new tower from 1887 was already made of stone and was 20 metres high. It was extended in 1968 due to the taller trees and now measures 28.6 metres.
Hurricane Wiebke (1991) and Hurricane Lothar (2001) swept over the Kaltenbronn and solved the problem in their own way. Today, the forest grows back naturally but the view from the tower is unobstructed in all directions.
Those who climb the tower are rewarded with a magnificent view over the Murg Valley, the Black Forest and, on a clear day, as far as the Vosges Mountains in France or the Alps.
The tower is open daily from 09:00 to 18:00.
Contact: Mr Czinder, Chairman of the Gernsbach Black Forest Association, Tel. 07083/526000
The Kaltenbronn raised bog area
The Kaltenbronn raised bog is located south-east of Gernsbach above the district of Reichental in the middle of a huge wooded area in an unspoilt landscape. It is part of the forest area of the town of Gernsbach. The raised bog, which lies at an altitude of over 900 metres, has been a nature reserve for over 60 years. The development of the raised bog can be traced back around 10,000 years. The lakes are known as raised bogs. The Wildsee is the largest raised bog lake in Germany.
The raised bog landscape
At the end of the Ice Age, impermeable layers of red sandstone caused swamping on the Kaltenbronn high plateau during periods of high rainfall. At first, a fen developed. Only through the steady growth of the peat layer did it become a raised bog (which has nothing to do with the altitude). In the meantime, the peat layer has grown to around 8 metres.
In a raised bog, the peat layer continues to grow. The upper plant layer loses its connection to the groundwater. However, only a few plant species can survive on the nutrient-poor rainwater alone, resulting in a species-poor but unique environment.
