G3VGR SCHLUCHTENSTEIG      Schattenmühle - Fischbach      

The Hiker's bus from Bonndorf to Schattenmühle does not run on workdays. This is not really a disadvantage as it provided me with an opportunity to hike through the Lothenbachklamm to get back to Schattenmühle. The Gasthaus Sonne provided an enormous breakfast spread and the owner also handed me a roll of aluminium foil, telling me to take whatever I needed for lunch. This is a really hiker-friendly hotel. I caught the 7258 bus to to the start of the Lothenbachklamm. The 20 minute walk down to Schattenmühle alongside the tumbling waters of the stream passed some beautiful scenery. After reaching the car park, I rejoined the Schluchtensteig/Querweg and went steeply upwards through some woods. The trail continued inward towards some farm fields and I was beginning to question the logic of this route. Later, all became apparent when I reached the Räuberschlössle, a 14th century castle ruin, high above the Wutach with good views of the river far below.

The trail then descended back to the river bank and continued as on the previous day with many ups and downs as it followed the river upstream. There was a great abundance of flowers along the river bank and many small birds about. Eventually I reached the two bridges at the Haslachmünden and stopped at a rastbank to eat my lunch from the Gasthaus Sonne. The Haslachmünden is where the confluence of two rivers, the Haslach and the Gutach become the Wutach. The Schluchtensteig continued along the Haslachschlucht, which provided even more excellent wild scenery. After a couple of miles, I parted company with the Querweg near Kappel Grünwald, which headed North to Kappel as I continued westwards towards Lenzkirch.

Shortly afterwards, my trail ascended to a tarmac road which I followed until reaching Alte Mühle. There were many cyclists enjoying lunch at a rest place here, but the downward path along the Mühlenweg towards the river was too rough for them to follow me. After a nice stroll through fields following the river bank, I found myself on another tarmac road which continued for over a mile to the spa town of Lenzkirch past meadows full of dandelions. It had now started raining steadily, so I didn't linger long in Lenzkirch. However it is a pretty town with a very nice Kurpark. I pressed on uphill through a forest for a few miles until I reached Fischbach, the endpoint for the day. There is very little here, the trailhead ending at the main road near a solitary hotel. I caught one of the infrequent buses to Schluchsee, then a train to Titisee. The transportation cost me nothing as the GastKarte from the Gasthaus Sonne entitled me to free bus and train rides anywhere in the area. The rain stopped as I checked into the Action Forest Active Hotel, so I was able to stroll along the lake promenade in the evening sun. Titisee is a typical tourist trap, consisting mainly of souvenir shops, but it is nicely located. The town was quite busy with many tourist coaches there, however I did manage to find a good local restaurant away from the main part of the resort. Over dinner, I reflected this had been another excellent days' hiking


Lothenbachklamm

Lothenbachklamm

Heading towards Räuberschlössle

View down from Räuberschlössle

Stalleger Brücke

Wasserkraftwerk Stallung

Bridge over the Wutach at Haslachmünden

Lunch break at Haslachmünden

Along the Haslachschlucht

Haslachschlucht - Rechenfelsen

Alte Mühle

Along the Mühlenweg

Rathaus at Lenzkirch

Amusing signposts in Lenzkirch

Titisee

Titisee lakeshore


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