Back to Black. Black Forest’s complete driver’s guide – part II

5 ADDITIONAL SCHWARZWALD ROADS YOU SHOULDN’T MISS

With more than a thousand Kilometers of great driving roads, little traffic (if you know where and when to go), and few and short connecting sections, the 130 Kilometers (85 Miles) area between Baden-Baden and the Swiss border is the quintessential petrol-head’s playground.

But to unlock this “drivefest” extravaganza you need the right key.
Read below.

A year and a half ago I set to write the complete driver’s guide to the Black Forest, which quickly became this blog’s most popular post. At first, I was a bit surprised, thinking not too many enthusiasts would care to read about the Schwartzwald’s less traveled side roads. Perhaps few dozens will find this piece of some value – I thought… Nothing had prepared me to the sheer volume of victors that still frequent this post every day.

Since I was apparently wrong about my first assumption, I went back to the Black Forest during the peak of Foliage (The things I have to endure for this blog…) to record and chart the other reaches of this driver’s Nirvana. When I came back several days, 1,600 Km and about 8 Petrol stops later, I had with me a list of additional 5 roads “to die for”.

A list I’m about to share.

For part I of the Schwartzwald complete driver’s guide click below:
*  The complete driver’s guide to the Black Forest – Part I

Other great driver’s guide you shouldn’t miss:
*   The complete driver’s guide to the Austrian Alps
*   Israel’s top 10 hill climbs
*   6 essential rules you must know before doing Nepal off-road
*   Crazy, pointless, irresistible
*   The world’s best corporate day
*   Scouting Malibu on an Indian
*   Steeper than ‘Frisco, zanier than NYC 

But before we move on, and if we are on the subject of “dying”, please read the below summary of essential Black Forest tips to keep you alive and well BEFORE continuing on (you can find the complete list here).
Let start with the most obvious yet frequently ignored tip.

Tip #1: Know what you’re doing

So you’re driving on an unfamiliar public road in an unfamiliar rented car – what can go wrong?…

Remember that you are driving on a public road – not a race track and that each blind curve may hold a nasty surprise behind it. Do not let your ego write checks your skills can’t pay. Don’t race anyone. There will always be someone faster than you. If you’re lucky, you’ll wind up totaling your car on a tree. If you’re less lucky, you might land into another car and your broken body into a hospital, where the German Police might have few hard questions to ask you.
Drive smart or lawyer up!

Tip #2: Don’t be a schmock!

Overall the folks in the Black Forest like motorists. You’ll see many motor clubs from all over Europe passing through towns and villages collecting nothing but smiles and cheers.

Don’t ruin it!
Drive slowly, quietly and carefully next to populated areas – and that also means stopping to let old ladies cross the road. Nobody loves douchebags redlining their screaming engines as they zoom past their carefully manicured houses.

Going into a populated area, take your foot off the pedal, upshift two gears to let the rev go down and do not exceed the specified speed limit. Speed cameras – not a common sight in the Black Forest – are sometimes placed just outside populated areas to make sure you abide. Once an urban zone is behind you, lower a gear or two and find out how much force is needed to glue that right pedal to the floor.

Also, don’t mess up with an angry and vengeful 911GT3 or a BMW M2 driver. Treat them in the same way you would like other slower drivers to treat you.

Tip #3: Pick the car that’s right for you

 

Unless you’re driving over with your own car, renting one is not the dreary, boring, awful thing it used to be. Renting ordinary gasoline-powered Volkswagen Golf with manual or double-clutch gearbox would deliver lots of fun while keeping you relatively safe. Still, if you have a knack for seriously fast cars, today’s ordinary mass rental companies in Germany such as Avis, Hertz, and Sixt offer some really interesting options. Be sure to book in advance.

Finally, if you just can’t let your fantasies (or ego) go unanswered, specialized small rental agencies would be happy to rent you the best exotica (a lot of) money can buy. Be sure though to carefully read the fine print on the contract before signing, or you may find out the arm and leg you paid upfront were just the beginning.

Tip #4: Timing is everything

Love to be backlogged behind a long line of minivans piloted by tired, nerve-racked parents with multiple screaming kids in the backseat?
If you do, July and August are just the ideal months for you. All rest be warned. Winters are not ideal either with snowy roads, blocked passageways and lots of ice.

September & October are much better choices with relatively empty roads and a wide selection of available B&Bs. Weekends are even better taking commercial traffic out of the equation. April to June are great too though June can surprise with unpleasant 37 degrees (100 F) heat waves. I know this from experience…

Tip #5: Bring a PAPER map

Remember those colorful paper things we used up to about a decade ago? It’s time to refresh your memory as no other mean of navigation delivers the same effective results.

Modern online navigation systems are not designed to be effective if you don’t exactly know where you’re going. Spreading a paper map over your hood/bonnet or over a coffee table in one of the many (and excellent) bakeries along the way will help you see the bigger picture and plan your day ahead.

Also, data coverage in the Black forest is surprisingly scattered and unreliable. You may very likely find yourself cut off at the very moment you need your Google Maps the most.

Do yourself a favor. Get a Schwartzwald map. It only cost about 5Eur and is available in almost every gas station. Thank me later.

Tip #6: Things to do when conditions are just too crappy to drive

It could happen. The weather has turned just too bad. You’re too tired and desperately need a day off. You have returned your rental and have a day to burn until the flight back home. You crashed your rental and all the liquor stores are closed. Whatever the reason, the area around the Black Forrest has some world class motor attractions. I’ve condensed here the three best I know. You’re more than welcome to add yours to the list:

• Porsche Museum – Stuttgart. Open every day except Mondays. Need a reason? You’re probably reading the wrong post.
• Mercedes Museum – Stuttgart (yes, same city). Open every day except Mondays. For a reason to visit, read the “Porsche Museum” section above.

• Collection Schlumpf – Mulhouse, France. Open every day – Mondays too. Just a short drive over to the other side of the Rhine lies what can only be described as the largest most amazing classic car collection in the world. Period. 104 Bugatti including three of the six existing Royale. An extensive line up of Grand Prix cars from the 1930’s till today, all classic Rolls Royce, Mercedes, Maybach, Hispano Suiza, the list goes on and on. You can spend a whole day and not manage to see them all.

Tip #7: Don’t waste your time on Baden Baden

If you happen to suffer from rheumatism or have passed the age of 65, you can disregard anything written below.
Baden-Baden is an elegant spa town for civilized pensioners and their seldom-used Ferraris. It also the northern entry point to the Black Forest. Most key rental agencies are based in Baden Baden, so get your car and move on.

Tip #8: The B500 is not the great driving road many are raving about

The B500 is the main North-South thoroughfare of the Black Forest. Riding on the top of the main ridge, some rank it as one of Europe’s top 10 roads I tend to disagree. Excluding the first amazing 10 kilometers climbing out from Baden Baden up to the top of the ridge (Watch out of the permanent speed camera immediately after the last house of Baden-Baden), the B500 is just too crowded, fast and risky to be fun. The famous road has all the surprises of the wrong kind. Unexpected traffic lights, pedestrian crossing, car parks and intersections appearing out of nowhere immediately after a fast blind sweeper. It’s one thing to lose control on a twisty B road. It’s another thing altogether to lose your car flying at speeds I dare not mention.

Ok, now that’s done (remember, you can always read the complete list of tips and warnings here), let’s do some driving!

Route #1 –Bad to Bad never felt so good! Total 31.7km

Bad is the German equivalent to the English word “Bath”, or spa. Going from Baden-Baden to Bad Wildbad is, therefore, the equivalent of going from one sanatorium to another. Luckily the road connecting these two popular retiree gateways is anything but geriatric. There are two sections to this drive separated by the 7.7Km connecting route 462. Start from Baden-Baden and drive the B500 south. Before reaching town limits, turn left on Beuerner Street towards Forbach. Drive for 12.9Km until you reach a “T” intersection. Turn left to route 462, a relatively fast (and busy) connecting route and drive north for 7.7Km until you pass the village of Weisenbach. Turn right to route L76b towards Bad Wildbad. Drive for 18.8 glorious Kilometers until you reach another “T” intersection. Turn left to L351 and relax on the following few kilometers until you reach Bad Wildbad.

Section 1

While Baden-Baden is boring, driving out of it is anything but. The road leading out to Forbach (also known as route L79) is a special treat. Being closed for quite some time, it was recently reopened complete with new, fresh, and grippy tarmac. This classic Black Forest route is fairly narrow, twisty and surprisingly empty. Snaking its way 400m up the ridge, it then drops sharply in a series of never-ending bends until it hits Forbach on the other side of the ridge. All you are left is wondering how 13Km ended so quickly. Resist the urge to redo the whole section again and again. Section 2’s even better.

Red Flag

Since Baden-Baden is the classic gateway to the Black Forest, Route L79 would very likely be your first encounter with Schwartzwald’s roads. Take it easy. Being narrow, and full of blind curves L79 is not a safe place for the novice. Better take it slow at first, before pressing on.

Section 2

Turn left and drive north on the 462. If you’re lucky, it won’t be too crowded making it a worthy driving section in its own right. Just don’t get your hopes set too high, we’ve driven this section many times, and it was always busy… 7.7Km later, turn right on L76b to Bad Wilderbad. Things will get better.

Road L76b is the stuff that made this area famous. Great tarmac, every imaginable type of curves and turns, great visibility ahead and – if you happen to be a passenger (and you’re fortunate enough to be immune to road sickness) – great vistas going dozens of kilometers in each direction. If you’re the driver, however, forget the view and focus on the road. You’ll need to. Like many other great Black Forest side roads, L76b demands complete concentration. It’s also long – close to 19Km end-to-end. Climbing almost 700 meters vertically, the first section is one of Schwartzwald’s best and least known hill-climbs. With only thin traffic (we did this one late afternoon) and hardly any houses to disturb the flow, L76b will leave you breathless and – given the length – probably also tired.

Red Flag

Assuming you know what you’re doing, this road shouldn’t possess any special danger. Just watch out of the grand view. It can be distracting. Since Baden-Baden is the classic gateway to the Black Forest, Route L79 would very likely be your first encounter with Schwartzwald’s roads. Take it easy. Being narrow, and full of blind curves L79 is not a safe place for the novice. Better take it slow at first, before pressing on.

Route #2 – the Short detour. 8km

“good things come in small packages” is the immortal slogan of Tiffany’s. Zooming down the 8Km stretch of K3765 will demonstrate diamonds and pearls are the only great things to come in very small sizes.
To get there drive on the B500 south of Baden-Baden for a bout 22KM. Turn right to road K3765 towards Buhl. Continue for 8Km until you reach the outskirts of Buhlertal. Turn back and ride up to B500. Repeat until you have worn out your break-pads.

This little gem of a road never seizes to amaze me. Although small in length and leading nowhere (unless you happen to call Buhlertal home), it manages to pack a surprising combination of driving experiences. The top half of K3765 is a relatively empty set of some very fast sweepers. Given the visibility, width and road construction one can reach some very serious speeds on the way down to the valley below. The lower half is a more technical, yet not less rewarding drive. Cool it as you reach Buhlertal, perform an easy and slow U-turn, and head back to B500 8Km away and 500m above.

Red Flag

I dare not tell you what kind of speeds can be reached on the top part of the road. Be careful.

Route #3 – Dead man’s dead-end. 8.2Km (Potentially 34Km with connecting roads)

A beautiful mountain climb to one of the Black Forest’s top spots in a road that can potentially be much longer than it is now.
Drive south on the B500. Pass Furtwangen and 16Km later turn right into L128 towards Sankt Peter. Continue on L128 for 14.5Km and turn right after passing Sankt Peter to L186 towards Kandel. Ignore the “no passage through to Waldkirch” signs and drive through. Please note that the turn to L186 is situated in the middle of a hairpin and can be easily missed.
Drive up until you reach the roadblock at the top of Kandel mountain. The road beyond it down to Waldkirch is closed for renovation.

That leaves us with 8.2Km hill climb that’s both fast, technical and extremely rewarding. The BIGEST plus, however, is that the road to Kandel mountaintop is a dead-end. As long as the downward side is closed for renovation there no traffic coming from the other side and very little traffic climbing up from Sankt Peter to what is now an essential textbook definition of “Nowhere”.

Doing all the drive for 8.2Km stretch might sound a bit too much. But in theory, the whole 34Km section from B500 to Waldkirch is one long and inspiring driving stage. If you have the right timing and luck. I’ve been to that area three time on three different occasions and found out that the first 14.5 Km stretch leading to L186 is chronically congested with very few overtaking opportunities. The last 11Km section leading from Kandel mountaintop down to Waldkirch is currently – as you know by now – closed for renovation. When it was opened, the descent to Waldkirch was a steep, narrow technical and broken piece of tarmac, which I found not as rewarding to drive. I’d love to re-explore it once reopened. Perhaps I’ll change my mind.

Route #4 – Belchen’s small loop. 20.7Km

“Small” is in the eye of the beholder, of course. Being the length of the Nurburgring Nordschleife and with twice the vertical variance, the small loop leading to and from Belchen’s mountain is anything but diminutive.

Drive route 317 south of Todtnau for 3.5 Km and turn right at Utzenfeld. Drive the main street of this small village for about 700m and turn right at L123 toward Wieden. The fun will start as you leave Utzenfeld. To complete the loop turn left to L142 10.5Km later and head back towards Utzenfeld. At the end of L142, you’ll find yourself back in the small village about 900 meters from where you started 20.7Km away. Stop to refuel. Repeat loop.

There two great things working towards this wonderful driving section. The first is it’s close, practically immediate proximity to Todtnau – a major Black Forest destination with lots of great places to stay and eat (Bella Italia is my own favorite). The second is its obscurity. While it was likely built to accommodate the Belchen ski resort, out of season, this 21Km loop leads nowhere. Slam the right pedal as you leave Utzenfeld (Did you remember to wait until you leave the village BEFORE checking how deep can your right foot travel?), and navigate the endless string of narrow bends as you climb from 550m elevation to 1,200m. Relax your right leg muscles as you enter Wieden, and don’t forget to turn right at the junction with L142. Continue the party as you head down back towards Utzenfeld. Really, things can’t get much better than this.

That is until you hit the last – and arguably THE BEST – driving section of the Black Forest. So good, it is actually a genuine racetrack. I kid you not!

Route #5 – Schauinsland. 11.6Km

Want to ride a tarmac of Nurburgring-like Pedigree?
How about doing it for free?

As readers of my blog you know I love hill climbs and have explored many of them around the world including in my home country. But, nothing (with the exception of Pikes Peak, perhaps) is as good as this one.

100 years ago the road to the summit of Schauinsland mountain was just another old logging track. Then in 1923 someone in ADAC (The German Automobile Club) decided it would make good sense to race the 11.6Km all the way to the top. The rest is motor history.

To get to Schauinsland. Ride the Schauinslandstraße (or Schauinsland street) out of the city of Freiburg for 6Km towards Horben and Schauinsland cable car. At the fork in the road just before the lower cable car station, turn left and summit the mountain.

The route climbs through 780 meters of height over a series of 127 never-ending turns. This road used to be the premier battlegrounds between Mercedes, Auto Unions, and Bugattis in the 30s and between Porsches and Ferraris in the 60s. It is said that top aces were able to record average (average!!) speeds of 105Kph. Even by today’s 911 and M4 standards, these speeds are almost beyond comprehension.

Today the Schauinsland Hillclimb is still the longest and most winding mountain racecourse in Germany and the venue for several European Hill Climb Championships.

On normal days, however, this is just another ordinary public road opened to everyone. Imagine that.

Things really don’t get much better.

Red Flags

Being a public road means that everyone can ride there including trucks, caravans, families on holidays and cyclists. Choose your timing wisely and avoid public holidays, mid-days on weekends, etc.

Doing the Schuainsland “right and proper” with a high octane machine would mean consuming your fuel tank at a frantic pace. Bring that into consideration since there aren’t many gas station around. Nothing is as humiliating as letting that old clunky Hyundai i20 you zoomed passed 5Km ago pass you back with contempt as you’re stranded on the curb with no gas.

Did we leave your favorite Black Forest route out of our list?
Let us know!

For part I of the Schwartzwald complete driver’s guide click below:
*  The complete driver’s guide to the Black Forest – Part I

Other great driver’s guide you shouldn’t miss:
*   The complete driver’s guide to the Austrian Alps
*   Israel’s top 10 hill climbs
*   6 essential rules you must know before doing Nepal off-road
*   Crazy, pointless, irresistible
*   The world’s best corporate day
*   Scouting Malibu on an Indian
*   Steeper than ‘Frisco, zanier than NYC