Ravenna Gorge on the Heimatpfad from Hinterzarten

What it is

It is a 7.25 km circuit from Hinterzarten that goes down the Löffeltal valley and climbs through the Ravenna Gorge, a narrow ravine with a stream, small waterfalls, bridges and steps. It forms part of the Heimatpfad Hochschwarzwald, a heritage trail that shows how the people of the plateau made a living: water-powered sawmills, mills, a ropeworks and old inns. The regional tourist office estimates 2 hours 30 minutes and 174 m of ascent, with medium difficulty.

The route, step by step

1. Start at the Kurhaus in Hinterzarten. Turn right along Freiburger Straße and look for the millwheel symbol, which marks the whole route.
2. The Löffeltal. You go down the valley beside the railway line to the Klopfsäge and, minutes later, the Hochgangsäge, two old water-powered sawmills.
3. Under the B31. You follow the Rotbach stream to the end of the valley, pass under the B31 road and go by the ropeworks and the mill-house.
4. Hofgut Sternen. You arrive at the old inn on the Höllsteig, with the house where Goethe slept in 1779, a glassblowing workshop and the old customs house. At the hotel reception they give you the key to the St. Oswald chapel, the oldest church in the Upper Black Forest.
5. Through the gorge. You pass the Ravenna viaduct, the stone railway bridge of the Höllental line, and climb through the gorge: a small lake, waterfalls and the Großjockenmühle mill.
6. Return. At the next junction, turn left towards the Ravenna sawmill. You return to Hinterzarten past the Birklehof school, or follow the millwheel over the Rössleberg and the Hinterzarten bog, a protected area, to the station.

Where it starts and how to get there

The circuit starts and ends at the Kurhaus, in the centre of Hinterzarten, where the tourist office (Freiburger Straße 1) also is. Without a car it is easy: Hinterzarten has a station on the Höllental line, which links it with Freiburg and Titisee, and the route ends beside it. By car, park in the village and walk to the Kurhaus; the route's sources do not indicate a specific car park.

When to go

From spring to autumn, with the ground dry. In summer you can see the mill and the ropeworks working: they open on the first and third Sunday of each month, from May to 1 October, from 11:30 to 15:30. In December the gorge hosts a Christmas market; check the dates on the Hochschwarzwald website.

In rain, or in winter with ice, the steps and bridges of the gorge are slippery. Some bridges and stretches have little protection. If the day is bad, leave the gorge for another time.

Difficulty, children and dogs

There are no technical passages, but there are steep steps and wet stones. Shoes with a good sole. With children who can walk it is a very entertaining route, with water, bridges and millwheels; the gorge cannot be done with a pushchair. Dogs can come, preferably on a lead on the steps and near people.

Water and food

Halfway along is the restaurant of the Hofgut Sternen (Höllsteig 76, Breitnau), with a terrace: a good place to eat before climbing the gorge. Carry water: it is the only place to eat on the route named by the tourist office.

If you want something more demanding the same weekend, the Feldbergsteig circles the highest peak in the Black Forest, near Hinterzarten.