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Both routes are quite beautiful and each has its own highlights, but the western route is arguably the more interesting – and thus the more popular and busier of the two. The eastern branch is quieter, less dramatic (but not necessarily ‘easier’ in terms of altitude metres) and has more contact with towns and traffic along the way.

North to South or South to North?

Although the route is marked in both directions, almost everybody walks it from north to south – and with good reason. While the mountains are the same, the views are not. Walking from north to south, the anticipation grows as one approaches the higher hills ahead, and majestic Alpine peaks tower on the distant horizon. Basel, with its allure of cultural attractions and old-world charms, holds its own appeal as the final destination, whereas Pforzheim – well, lets just say it can’t compete. But if all one wants to do is walk a small section, or some individual stages, the direction really does not matter much.

Getting there

The Black Forest is very accessible and well served by a number of regional airports. If you are planning to start the Westweg in the north (recommended), the most useful airports to fly into are Stuttgart, Baden-Baden, or even Strasbourg, just over the border in France. If none of these are convenient, the next best international hub is Frankfurt. When you have completed the walk, rather than returning to the arrival airport it would make more sense to fly out of Basel’s Euroairport, or even Geneva or Zurich – especially if you’re walking the full length of the trail.