Cycle routes in Baiersbronn and the Black Forest

Explore Baiersbronn on foot alone and you miss half of it. Around the valleys of the Murg and the Tonbach stretches a network of some 1,000 kilometres of cycle routes for every kind of rider, the leisurely pedaller as much as the e-biker or the road cyclist hunting for the climbs to the Schwarzwaldhochstraße, the Black Forest High Road.

The beauty of it is that the region works in both directions. If you like it flat, follow the Murg downstream. If you want to gain height, the passes and ridges of the northern Black Forest are right outside the door. The loveliest routes, and a few practical notes for setting off from the hotel.

The region's best-known cycle route is the Tour de Murg, 67 kilometres from Freudenstadt to Rastatt, keeping to the river the whole way. Because it rolls gently downhill with the current, the route suits families and occasional cyclists too. If you would rather not pedal back, simply board the Stadtbahn, the local train that follows the Murg valley and carries bikes.

Along the way, meadow valleys alternate with rocky stretches and old mills. The Murg itself has been named River Landscape of the Year for 2026 and 2027. From Baiersbronn the tour divides neatly into stages, for instance as far as Forbach with its historic wooden bridge.

The terrain gets really interesting with a tailwind from the battery. Baiersbronn Touristik has mapped out several numbered e-bike tours, one of which starts right in Obertal. It climbs via Mitteltal and the Guter Ellbach up to the Schwarzwaldhochstraße, passes Zuflucht and the Schliffkopf, reaches the source of the Murg and returns to the valley via Buhlbach. That way, dreaded climbs become panoramic kilometres at an altitude of around 1,000 metres.

If you prefer to take the high ground in smaller doses, combine valley stretches with single climbs. The signposts give distances and height gain, so every loop is easy to judge.

For road cyclists, the northern Black Forest is honest country. Ride out of the Murg valley and you ride uphill. The effort is repaid with quiet back roads through the side valleys, long descents and the classic destination of them all, the climb to the Schwarzwaldhochstraße via the Kniebis or the Ruhestein.

Once at the top, one viewpoint follows another, and on a clear day the view reaches the Rhine plain and the Vosges. Early risers have the roads almost to themselves. At weekends it gets busier from late morning.

You do not need a bike of your own. E-bikes are ready for guests in the bike storage at Engel Obertal, and reception has route suggestions for every level of difficulty. Maps and a free tour app are provided by Baiersbronn Touristik.

To warm up, try the cycle path towards Freudenstadt. The Bike-Area Baiersbronn, open to all, lies along it too. There you can play with riding technique and balance before heading out on a big tour. And after the last kilometre, Baiersbronn's basic rule applies. Park the bike first, then into the sauna.