Westweg-Etappe 05: Alexanderschanze - Hark

Forest, forest, forest. A lonely wooded ridge stretches from the Alexanderschanze to the Harkhof. The wounds of hurricane Lothar provide vantage points. There are some pretty gems along the way, such as the Glaswaldsee lake, one of the "blue eyes" of the northern Black Forest. Steep karst walls lend the lake a mystical quality. And not far away is the Klagstein, which is said to have inexplicable depressions.

The Westweg disappears into the thicket on a narrow path right by the Alexanderschanze parking lot. Behind the Wolfursprung, the trail reaches the upper edge of the deeply incised Renchtal valley again.The route now follows wide paths along the edge of the valley. The Bauernkopf offers a particularly beautiful view of Bad Griesbach in the Renchtal valley and the Black Forest mountains around the Mooskopf facing the Rhine. When the thermals are good, paragliders and hang-gliders take off from here. Just a few steps later, you reach the Graseck crossroads. This is where the detour branches off to the Teufelkanzel, a rock formation with roofs and ledges that can be climbed on an alpine rocky path. The western trail remains on the ridge and continues past the Hildahütte on a narrow forest path through a wonderfully quiet and pristine landscape to the Lettstädter Höhe (966m).

Below the broad plateau lies the magnificent Glaswaldsee lake, hidden in its cirque. If the view of the lake is not enough, descend the 200 meters to the lakeshore. On the descent to the deeply incised Freiersbergsattel, a ten-minute detour leads up to the mystical Klagstein, which towers above the treetops high above the almost untouched Wildschapach valley. A wonderful viewpoint and resting place!

At Littweger Höhe, the western trail changes to the southern side of the ridge. It only leaves the deep forest again at the clearing at Harkhöhe. At Gasthaus Hark, far away from all towns and roads, you can end a Black Forest evening in peace and quiet by the fireplace in the parlor.