Hike the Ottenhöfen in Schwarzwald - Genießerpfad Karlsruher Grat

This trail is a one-kilometer boardwalk that takes you through the regrowing pine trees in the path of hurricane Lothar. You can see the regrowth in the trees and the undergrowth and get some excellent views across vast stretches of pine forest.

This trail is very short, well-marked, and excellent for kids or older folks. It was an excellent warm-up for us as well. 

To get this trail, you can start at Kurpark train station. The trail leads past the Catholic church on a small path over the Hildahain and ends in the Markgraf-Bernhard-Straße, which you follow to the right to the end. A narrow path leads through serpentines through the forest to a clearing above the village. Here, a bench with a beautiful view of the opposite side of the valley and the Hornisgrinde invites you to linger. Continue on a natural path through the forest on the Eichkopf. Arrived at the Eichkopfhütte the way leads over the Blöchereckstraße to Holderbrünnele and in narrow serpentines downhill to the entrance into the magnificent grave waterfalls.

 After just a few meters, you reach the lower waterfalls with the so-called noble grave, a natural Auskolkungshöhle. The Gottschlägbach forms in this section several, up to eight meters high, waterfalls, and overcomes a short distance a height difference of more than 100 m. The path leads along the stream, through the nature reserve, to the "Romantic Brückle." In the further course, the valley widens, and you finally arrive after about 2 km to the drinks fountain in the upper Gottschlägtal, where a steadily increasing path branches off to the left towards Herrenschrofen / Karlsruher ridge.

 From the rock pulpit Herrenschrofen you have a breathtaking view of the deep valley of the Gottschlägt valley. Now it is only a few steps to the via Ferrata at Karlsruher ridge. Once there, there are two possibilities:

 a) via the via Ferrata to the Bosensteiner Eck.

 b) the bypass over the Dreierschrofen to the Bose Steiner Eck. This is signposted with the waymarker Genießerpfad.

From Bosensteiner Eck, the trail leads along extensive pastures to Brennte Schrofen. Here, a refuge hut built by the forest owner invites you to rest and linger. The preceding lookout cliff offers beautiful views of the town of Ottenhöfen in the Black Forest and its numerous side valleys. Following the Grenzweg steeply downhill, you reach the Kleineckwith, where you can get a perfect view of the village Seebach and the Hornisgrinde. Follow the waymarking until you turn right downhill on a meadow path. From here, you have another beautiful view of Ottenhöfen in Schwarzwald. Continue to follow the marker until you get back on the road. The way leads a few meters down the path to the signpost " Bromberg. " There, you turn right. The trail continues to the "Hotel Sternen" at the entrance ( Hagenbruck ). After crossing the Edelfrauengrabstraße and the bridge of Gottschlägbach, you come to the Theresienweg, the right hand back to the train station / Kurpark leads.