Lauterbach offers several ways to explore the area: hiking trails of markedly different lengths, landscapes such as streams and raised bogs, and historical themes connected with the Memorial House and the first mountain chapel.
Hiking: a Short Loop or a Long Trail
The Lauterbacher Hochtalrunde is nine kilometres long, climbs 236 metres, and is rated easy. The Lauterbacher Wandersteig covers 35 kilometres and climbs just over 1,200 metres. The two trails can therefore be clearly distinguished by distance and elevation gain; the “easy” rating applies to the Hochtalrunde. These figures offer a concrete basis for choosing between a nine-kilometre loop and the longer trail.
Along the Lauterbacher Wandersteig, the route passes small streams, marshy meadows, biotopes, and a raised bog. These landscape features give the route a character beyond its distance alone: anyone who wants to notice different types of landscape along the way will find several specific features that help describe the trail.
The AugenBlick-Runde Lauterbach starts at the car park by Lauterbach cemetery. It runs over the Winterberg and past the RainlebĂĽhl towards MĂĽckenloch, through woodland and meadows. The starting point and the named waypoints give the loop its own sense of direction. At GĂĽntersberg, the AugenBlick Lauterbach viewpoint offers views as far as Hohenzollern Castle.
Planet Trail and Cycling Tour
The Planet Trail is also among Lauterbach’s hiking trails. At its planet locations, information boards explain facts about each planet as well as briefly outlining its history and the origin of its name. This means that factual information and short explanations of the names appear side by side along the trail. Those who like to explore a topic in greater depth while hiking can distinguish this trail from the landscape routes by its subject matter.
For mountain bikers, “Bike-Crossing-Schwarzwald” is another route to consider. It is 450 kilometres long and passes through the Sulzbachtal and over the Fohrenbühl. Its total length describes an extensive route; for your own planning, it is also advisable to check the latest route information before setting out.
North of Lauterbach lies the Sulzbachtal Landscape Conservation Area, a protected high valley in the central Black Forest that reaches an altitude of 900 metres. It is therefore a distinct natural area outside the village. The Sulzbachtal is also named as a section of “Bike-Crossing-Schwarzwald”; the route also passes over the Fohrenbühl.
The Memorial House and Historic Buildings
The Memorial House was built in its present form in 1923/24 to plans by Stuttgart architect Professor Bonatz. The observation tower was raised to 23.8 metres, and a hiking hostel was added. These architectural details make the house’s present form and the associated additions a concrete part of Lauterbach’s local history.
An earlier historical trace leads to the first mountain chapel. Dr Ludwig Stemmer, a doctor and priest, built it in 1890 from rough, unhewn tree trunks on a bare rock high above the Lauterbach valley. This date precedes the opening of the observation tower on the Mooswaldkopf, which took place in 1905, and the construction of the Memorial House in its present form in 1923/24. This sequence places the three historical details in context without conflating them into a single building.
The hiking trails, the view from GĂĽntersberg, and the historical details about the buildings offer different ways to experience Lauterbach. When planning your visit, you can consider whether you would rather devote your time to a particular trail distance, landscape features along the way, or local history.
Discover more destinations: Bösingen, Schramberg, Villingendorf, Wellendingen, Dietingen, Eschbronn, Deißlingen, Schiltach.
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