Black Forest Holiday: May 9 - Part I

The 9th of May was our first full day here, and the weather was promising for the hike we had in mind - dry but not too hot.

We left soon after breakfast, not without saying hello to the resident cat, a senior named Findus with few teeth left and only one good eye, but competely un-shy and very affectionate, always up for a stroke.

Walking up the gravel and dirt road directly behind the hotel lead us past beautiful meadows with a beck running through it and further on into the woods until we reached Schluchsee (the name of both the small town and the lake it borders). If I remember correctly, on our way there we met just one other person.

I loved this old signpost. And look how the trees were still in bloom here!

Hummelhütte means bumblebee hut. It was locked, but well cared for, and we believe that it is open for drinks and snacks on weekends and in the summer holidays.

Sumpfdotterblume (Caltha palustris)

Our aim was the viewing tower above Schluchsee, on the mount called Riesenbühl. We had our first glimpse of the tower here:

Can you spot it on the ridge behind the town?

Schluchsee

Viewing spot in Schluchsee

Following the signposts to Riesenbühl took us out of the small town and up the hill through more meadows and back into the woods.

Sometimes the path was comfortable like this...

...sometimes it was like this:

Finally, the tower!

Views from the top in all directions:

View from the top down through the staircase:

We chose a different route back via a village called Faulenfürst, hoping to stop at a café there for coffee and maybe a snack or piece of cake, but the village was like a ghost town - there was nobody about, and a sign advertising a café lead to nothing. We did not even find a bakery or other shop there, and so decided to move on and walk to Rothaus instead. This, however, will be my next post, as this one is already a bit on the long side.