Red Deer Trail Black Forest
Red Deer Trail Black Forest Germany
Red Deer Trail Black Forest Germany
Red Deer Trail Black Forest Germany
Red Deer Trail Black Forest Germany
Red Deer Trail Black Forest Germany
Red Deer Trail Black Forest Germany
Red Deer Trail Black Forest Germany
Christophstal Wildgehege_2 (c) Freudenstadt Tourismus, Foto Heike Butschkus
Bannwald oberhalb vom Buhlbachsee_2 (c) Freudenstadt Tourismus, Foto Heike Butschkus
Vom Bannwald zur Schwarzwaldhochstraße (c) Freudenstadt Tourismus, Foto Isabel Blüher

Red Deer Trail

The Northern Black Forest is known for its remoteness. If you are really looking to get away from it all for a few days, then the Red Deer Trail maybe just what you are looking for. This is a great package if you are a real hiker and you want a remote nature experience while being pampered in 4-Star wellness hotels at the end of the day.

Location

Black Forest

Start / End

Freudenstadt

Activity

hiking

Distance

17-20 km daily

Difficulty

moderate-difficult

Duration

4 days
Inquire now

Overview

Itinerary

good to know

Map

Reviews

Red Deer Trail

spring, summer, fall
4 days

Unfortunately the Red Deer Trail Package is not available anylonger for booking due to the closure of some of the hotels on the trail. Starting 2024 we offer a Baden-Baden Trail Package which covers parts of the Red Deer Trail in the Northern Black Forest National Park.

The Red Deer Trail package is a carefully crafted selection of trails linking traditional German villages, with their unique wood-frame architecture. The trail is designed to be a pure experience of the Black Forest of Germany. You will not likely find other people along your hike through the very best scenery that the Northern Black Forest has to offer.

  • We Handle All The Details for You
  • Luggage Transfer Included
  • Premium 4-Star Wellness Hotels
  • 4 days/ 5 nights, more/less days possible
  • Detailed Route Descriptions & Maps
  • We are only a phone call away

If you want to experience the Black Forest in all its beauty and remoteness – this is the hike for you

What’s the Northern Black Forest like?

The Red Deer Trail takes you through the remote northern part of the Black Forest. You might hike for many km without encountering other people. The terrain of the Northern Black Forest is the least populated and has the most dense and contiguous forest with the most precipitation (rain, snow). The terrain of the Northern Black Forest consists of more rounded mountain peaks with plenty of moors in between.

Get pampered at night

You will stay at 4-Star wellness hotels each night, all chosen for their hospitality and cuisine and spas. One of them even featuring a Michelin Gourmet Restaurant (advance reservation required). This package is an incredible value when you consider the quality of the accommodation vs the cost. You won’t find a better value for your getaway.

Is it for me?

If you want to experience the Black Forest in all its beauty and remoteness – this is the hike for you

The difficulty level of this tour is moderate for the experienced hikers. Inexperienced hikers may consider it difficult.

Have a look at the elevation profiles for each day below. There are some significant ascents and descents.

Itinerary

Arrival Info

Arrive in the town of Freudenstadt in the Northern Black Forest either by car or train. Upon arrival in Freudenstadt you will switch to the local S-Bahn who will bring you to your first hotel. The first hotel is located 20 km away in the town of Baiersbronn.

Exploring Freudenstadt

Before heading to your hotel we recommend exploring Freudenstadt. This classic Black Forest town is home to Germany’s largest market square surrounded by historic buildings and dozens of little shops. (good to know – if you are hiking the 4 day hike you will also end in Freudenstadt and can explore a bit more prior to your departure)

Freudenstadt

Accommodation

  • Hotel Sackmann – 4 star hotel –www.hotel-sackmann.de
  • Restaurant info: this hotel has two restaurants. The gourmet restaurant (closed Mondays and Tuesdays) has one Michelin Star and reservations are required

Hotel Sackmann Black Forest

 

 

RedDeerTrail_Day1

Description of your day

The trail today takes you to the upland moors, onto a narrow trail over the plateau and down into a valley.

 

Shortcuts

  • yes (12,8 km)

Accommodation

  • Forsthaus-Auerhahn Hotel – 4 star hotel – www.forsthaus-auerhahn.de
  • Restaurant info: The hotel restaurant is open daily but Tuesday. On Tuesdays hotel guests can eat a  pre-set menu.  

hotel freudenstadt

 

RedDeerTrail_Day2

Description of your day

Leave Hotel Auerhahn and head to the Black Forest High Summit Road. A 3 km detour brings you to famous lake Mummelsee, with its amazing mirror-like surface and limitless photo opportunities. From the highest mountain of the Northern Black Forest
you have a unique view of the Rhine valley, Strasbourg and the Vosges mountains in France.

 

Shortcuts

  • no shortcuts today

Accommodation

black forest hike

 

RedDeerTrail_Day3

Description of your day

Today you will walk along wonderful forest trails through the Black Forest National Park. Have a little rest at the idyllic lake Buhlbachsee with its wild ducks. Enjoy fantastic view over the Black Forest.

 

Shortcuts

  • no shortcuts today

Accommodation.

  • Waldblick Hotel Kniebis – 4 star hotel– www.waldblick-kniebis.de.
  • Restaurant info: the hotel restaurant is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. But hotel guests can eat a pre-set menu on those days.

black forest national park

 

RedDeerTrail_Day4

Description of your day

The hike on day 4 is an easy relaxing hike back to Freudenstadt. Leave your hotel and walk to a ruined monastery. Then follow along the old border between Baden and Wurttemberg with ancient landmarks.

 

Shortcuts

  • no shortcuts today

Accommodation

hotel freudenstadt

Departure Info

Depart from Freudenstadt after breakfast.

 

 

Good to Know

  • What's included
  • Accommodation in double room with private bathroom
  • Breakfast 
  • Free public transportation pass while staying in the Black Forest
  • detailed route descriptions & maps, tour route available in app also
  • luggage transfer between hotels. Your luggage transfer is organized by us, Black Forest Tours. 
  • Welcome Bag with useful items for your tour (water bottle, etc)
  • What's excluded
  • Travel to and from Freudenstadt
  • Lunches and dinners need to purchased separately in advance
  • Travel insurance. Make sure you have travel insurance covering you against illness, injury, loss or damage to property and cancellations.
  • Personal expenses such as drinks, tips, telephone calls, extra transfers (such as by taxi or when not included in pblic transport pass).
  • reservation at a Michelin star restaurant
  • add on a rest day
  • Season. The Red Deer Trail is available from mid-May to mid-October.
  • Starting day. Our hotels are often not available on the weekends so we recommend starting beginning of the week or mid-week. 
  • Hike Length. The Red Deer Trail is available starting from 2 days to 4 days. The regular trail is 6 days long – we picked the days with most highlights. If you desire a longer hike, please inquire with us.
  • The complete Red Deer Trail is actually a 6 day roundtrip-hike. We have hiked it many times but always felt that 4 out of the 6 days are real highlights. 
  • Therefore we are offering the Red Deer Trail as a 4 day/5 night package.
  • You can certainly add-on more days and make it a complete 6 day hike. But most people choose the 4-day package. 
  • If you have limited time available you can also book The Red Deer Trail as a 2 day or 3 day package. In those cases we check with our hotels on availability and let you know which routes are available for booking.

Hotel Location

  • Most hotels on our Red Deer Trail are located in nature with no access to a town.  

Hotel Category

  • 4 star wellness hotels 
  • one featuring a Michelin Star gourmet restaurant (reservations in advance required)

Hotel Rooms

  • Double Rooms. If you are booking a double room there is one double bed with 2 individual mattresses (not 2 twin beds). If you require separate beds we recommend booking 2 separate rooms. In rare cases twin beds are available, please inquire.
  • Single Rooms. If you are traveling by yourself we charge a single room supplement. You will either be provided with a single room. Or with a double room for single use – based on availability.
  • Bathrooms. All rooms have private en-suite bathrooms.
  • Air-Conditioning. Summers can be very warm. Most hotels in Germany do not have air-conditioning. Sometimes hotels can provide a fan for your room. Usually the hotel owners will tell you to sleep with the window open during the night – this is very common in Germany.
  • Elevators. Please note that our hotels most often do not have elevators – you will have to walk a flight of stairs to get to your room. 
  • Breakfast included.
  • Lunch. We recommend adding on a lunch package from your hotel. There are often no options for food along the trail 
  • Dinner. All hotels have a restaurant on site also (not all are open every day). Since you are hiking in a remote part of the Black Forest there are often not any other restaurants within walking distance of your hotel. We recommend prebooking a dinner package. But you can also eat a la carte at most hotel restaurants.
  • sturdy walking boots and socks
  • swim suits (some hotels have a pool)
  • warm and waterproof clothes
  • a day pack
  • water bottle
  • insect repellent (ticks!)
  • sun glasses, sun hat, sun block
  • first-aid kit

You will receive detailed route notes and maps from us upon check-in at your first hotel. GPS data is also available if you are hiking with a GPS device.

Starting 2022 you have a choice between hiking with a paper map & route description. Or using our app to navigate on the trail (mobile device required, no data plan needed)

Our Route Description is highly detailed and customized, and we update it each season – not what you find online from other sources.

Have a look at the elevation profile images for each day – there is quite a bit of elevation to cover. There are some significant ascents and descents. Sometimes you have the option to shorten the route.

There is no cell phone coverage on much of this trail.

  • Mobile Phone Coverage. Please note that the Black Forest is a mountainous area. Often there is no mobile phone coverage when touring the Black Forest. 
  • Wi-Fi in hotels. All of our hotels have wi-fi but sometimes it can be spotty in your room – depending on the location of your room.
  • If you require constant online access we do NOT recommend touring the Black Forest. Consider staying in a large town like Baden-Baden or Freiburg instead.

Where you will be touring

Baden-Baden Hike

See what some of our customers say who have done this tour before:

Black Forest Tours
Average rating:  
 9 reviews
 by Theandos1
Black Forest hike

Excellent hike in beautiful countryside in the Black Forest. Organisation was very good, luggage transfer went without a hitch, hotels were of a high standard. Trail maps mostly easy to follow. Would recommend this hike.

 by Lissy
Thank you!

Dear Simone,

I want to thank you, and all the hotel staff at all the places I stayed during my self-guided tour with Black Forest Tours. It was a most wonderful experience hiking in the Black Forest and everyone I met along the way was so lovely.

I can't wait to recommend the entire experience to all my friends and hopefully come back again one day.

Alicia

 by HG
Beautiful hike

Hello Simone, The hike has been wonderful so far. We really lucked out with the weather. The landscape couldn’t be more beautiful.

Vielen Dank,

Hal

 by ingridHayek
Every single moment was a highlight. We just loved the peacefulness of the forest.

We went on a hike following the trail of the Red Deer for 6 days and it was unforgettable. The Black Forest is such a peaceful and relaxing place to be. The hotels were cozy with delicious food and friendly staff.

 by James G
A week hiking between spa hotels

Four of us spent 6 days walking through the Black Forest, with excellent hotels waiting for us every evening, and our luggage transferred ahead of us. The walking was excellent, very well sign-posted and with some wonderful views and scenery.Highlights for us were the very clear maps and directions provided by Simone, the 2-star Michelin meal one evening, and the excellent service provided in sorting out one or two issues with hotel bookings.At about 80 miles over the 6 days, we were used to walking a little further, but we got into the habit of having a leisurely breakfast, and leaving a little later than on similar hiking holidays. Note that Day 3 between Besenfeld and Schwarzenberg is the shortest of routes, but also the one with the Michelin-starred restaurant at the end if you want to splash out.

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