Through the Ravenna Gulch to the oldest chapels and churches in the Upper Black Forest

In the Löffeltal valley, you will pass an old rapping saw, further down you will see a high-gear saw, at the end of the Löffeltal valley there is a ropery and a farm mill, an old road bridge from 1856 is particularly interesting in its substructure. Spoons were made in the Löffeltal in the 19th century.

The “Sternen” inn probably already stood as a farm in the 12th century. It became the most important transformer station for horses, as the old road had a gradient of up to 23%. In 1770, Marie Antoinette rode her bridal train with around 60 carriages through the valley to Freiburg and Paris, where she married King Louis XVI. She was executed there during the French Revolution. Until this time, the valley was still called “Falkensteiner Tal”. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe visited the “Sternen” in 1779.

St. Oswald Chapel: The oldest parish church in the Upper Black Forest, built in 1148 and extended in 1719. The late Gothic altar was donated at the beginning of the 16th century.

Church in Breitnau: The lower part of the tower probably dates from the 13th century, the church itself from 1753. Baroque altars and sculptures can be admired here (works by Mathias Faller). The ceiling painting shows the churches of the Breitnau parish before 1799: St. Oswald, the Hinterzarten pilgrimage church and the Breitnau parish church.

Church in Hinterzarten: Originally a pilgrimage chapel in the lower part of the tower (around 1350); first church building in 1416; choir around 1722, the tower onions around 1732; current worship room 1962

The tour starts from the train station. Turn right into Freiburger Straße and walk to the railroad underpass. Here you turn left into Alpersbacherstraße, after about 200 m turn half right and follow the narrow path downhill to the road. Before the next railroad underpass, turn left into Löffeltalweg and then downhill into Löffeltal.

You walk through the tranquil Löffeltal valley, past two sawmills, until you see the road (B31). Follow this uphill to the next signpost, then turn right to the “Hotel Hofgut Sternen” (glass-blowing workshop). Continue straight ahead and after approx. 200 m you will reach the St. Oswald Chapel, the oldest parish church (1148) in the Upper Black Forest with a very beautiful late Gothic altar (approx. 1520) and an ossuary - key to the chapel at the reception of the Sternen. Now you return to the Sternen, where you walk uphill to the left, under the railroad viaduct into the Ravenna gorge, always in the direction of Breitnau. Over bridges and stairs, past a waterfall, you reach the Großjockenmühle (restored by the Black Forest Association in 1977). After about 1 km you come to the small Ketterer inn, where you can have a snack or a drink. Continue in the direction of Breitnau, always uphill, through the upper gorge over bridges and a larger staircase. Always follow the signs for “Breitnau”, but via the “Leohof” (this is the shorter option). Here you can visit the second church along the way, a beautiful baroque church, the parish church of St. Johannes Baptist, with an old tower (13th century - see also “Author's tips”), numerous baroque figures and a late Gothic Pieta. From the church, turn left past the Hotel Kreuz, leave the village road and walk downhill towards Wirbstein-Hinterzarten. Passing two old farms and continuing straight ahead, you reach the upper entrance to the Ravenna Gorge at the Hotel Faller. Cross the little road and shortly afterwards you will be on the B 500 in front of the Baschishof chapel. Now you have to decide whether to take the easy direct route to Hinterzarten along the road and over the Rössleberg -Freiburgerstraße -Rathausstraße to the Catholic church or the slightly longer, more uncomfortable but more beautiful route to the left past the Baschihof and upwards (yellow diamond) to the “Steiertenhäusle” location. Turn right there towards Hinterzarten. At the “Birkleshäusle” location, keep to the little road that continues half-left. At the “Beim Lenzenhof” signpost, the path leads downhill to the left again, then immediately to the right on a small road to the “Lafette” hotel, continuing over the “Schneck” (B31 ) to the moorland forest, turn left there and then right at the next signpost through the Hinterzarten upland moor. Cross the railroad tracks to reach the road, turn left briefly, then follow the path uphill past the pond and straight ahead to the ski jumping center of the Adlerschanze. There you can visit the ski jumps, then go to the cemetery and turn right to the Catholic church of Maria in der Zarten (onion tower). This pilgrimage church was first mentioned around 1350. A “Schwefelbrünnele” in the moor, together with a picture of the Virgin Mary called “Maria in der Zarten”, is said to have founded the pilgrimage.

However, Hinterzarten belonged to the parish of Breitnau until 1799. After visiting the church, you can reach the Protestant church in two minutes via the Adlerweg, which is worth seeing and interesting (1963). From there you can reach the parking lot and the train station in 1 minute. Continue along Adlerweg to the parking lot at the entrance to the village, reach the Kurhaus and then continue along Freiburger Straße to the end of the village.

We recommend good footwear and possibly hiking poles!

The Hinterzarten upland moor was created at the end of the last ice age around 10,000 years ago and is the largest upland moor in the Black Forest.

Ski jumping center: the first Adlerschanze was built around 1924, the expansion to the current center took place at the beginning of this century. The hill record is 112 m and a special feature is the summer ski jumping in August.

Refreshment stops: Hotel Hofgut Sternen, and numerous inns in Breitnau and Hinterzarten.