Scenic half-day hikes around Obertal

Two to two and a half hours on the move, a few hundred metres of climbing, and at the top a bench with a view. The half-day hike is the ideal format for a day of your holiday that should still leave room for breakfast and the sauna.

Four moderate circular routes of between 6.7 and 8.3 kilometres lead from the door of the Engel to the finest viewpoints above Obertal. Each comes with a map and elevation profile, and none of them needs a drive to the start.

6.7 kilometres · moderate · 225 metres of ascent · about 2 hours 15 minutes

From the hotel, the route climbs opposite the sanatorium to the Protestant church and follows the Kraftenbuckelweg to the Rotmurgwegle signpost. From there, follow the signs towards Kraftenbuckel and Bogenweg, then the yellow diamond along the lovely forest path to the Röhrsberghalde.

A little later you reach the Wolkenhütte, and with it a wide view over Obertal and the surrounding ridges, on a clear day as far as Baiersbronn. The route continues via Döllesrain, Hühnergatter and Rotmurgwegle back to the Kraftenbuckel and down to the hotel.

7.0 kilometres · moderate · 119 metres of ascent · about 2 hours

This circuit shows Obertal from every side. The trail begins at the Rotmurg signpost and follows the blue diamond to the Rotmurg-Schanze, then crosses the Ruhesteinstraße to the other side of the valley. Following the Murgleiter, you climb gently past the Wiedenbrunnen to the Peterles Buckel and on to the Köpfleshütte.

Via the Kohlhütte and Aiterbächle, the path joins a beautiful meadow track and drops down to the road. After the bridge at the Schloss signpost, follow the yellow diamond via Schlossweg, Uferweg and the biotope through the Kurpark and past the Weiher back to the Engel.

8.0 kilometres · moderate · 161 metres of ascent · about 2 hours 15 minutes

From the hotel, turn right into the Buhlbach valley and stroll along the tarmac path to the Glashütte car park and on to the fish farm. There the route turns off into the forest track and follows the yellow diamond past the Pflanzschulhütte to the Hänger signpost.

The way back follows the Murgleiter signs along an unsurfaced path to the Röhrsbächle, then keeps straight on along the blue diamond to the Kraftenbuckel. From there the path passes above the Protestant church and drops down to the Engel.

8.3 kilometres · moderate · 254 metres of ascent · about 2 hours 30 minutes

The most demanding of the four circuits rewards you with the finest spot for a rest. From the Weiher, follow the blue diamond past the tennis courts and then the yellow diamond steadily uphill to the Branntweinhäfelehütte. Across the Farnkopf, a wide plateau with views over Obertal and Buhlbach, you reach the Walterhütte in its rustic setting.

This is the place for a break. The view stretches over Mitteltal to Baiersbronn, and a sky lounger waits on the slope. For the return, the path drops to the Försterstein and follows the Genießer-Tour past the Tannenfels ruins, via Jägerruhe and Scharrain, to the hotel.

All four routes follow the diamond waymarks and signpost boards of the Baiersbronner Wanderhimmel. Reception lends out rucksacks and walking poles free of charge, and the Nationalparkregion app puts the maps on your smartphone.

The huts along the way are rest stops, not refreshment stops. A small packed lunch from the hotel makes the break at the Walterhütte or the Wolkenhütte perfect.