Our autumn hike to the Sankenbachsee in Baiersbronn
In the Northern Black Forest, I not only found my new home, but also discovered many idyllic Black Forest villages to hike and explore. In one of my recent articles, I already reported on our hike in the Murg Valley to the Forbach Goat Trail . This time, we're heading even further south, more precisely to Baiersbronn, a municipality in the Freudenstadt district.
This region of the Northern Black Forest boasts a wealth of hiking trails. In terms of area, Baiersbronn is actually the second largest municipality in Baden-Württemberg (right after Stuttgart). Lake Sankenbach and the Sankenbach Waterfall near Baiersbronn are ideal destinations for a beautiful autumn hike.
Top gastronomy in Baiersbronn
The region is also particularly well-known for its top-class gastronomy . Baiersbronn is the only place in Germany with two restaurants awarded three Michelin stars: The Schwarzwaldstube at the Hotel Traube Tonbach (in Tonbach) has held three Michelin stars since 1992 under the direction of chef Harald Wohlfahrt, making it the restaurant with the longest-standing top rating in Germany. Then there's the Restaurant Bareiss at the Hotel Bareiss (in Mitteltal), also awarded three Michelin stars since 2007 and 19 points in the Gault Millau guide (2021). And it was in this very tranquil, yet highly culinary town that our little hike to Lake Sankenbach began.
Hike to the Sankenbachsee
We started our hike to Lake Sankenbach from the parking lot at the wildlife enclosure/Lake Sankenbach (Sankenbachstraße 201, 72270 Baiersbronn). When we arrived at the wildlife enclosure around 13 p.m., there were still plenty of free parking spaces. The approximately 30-minute walk to Lake Sankenbach begins right next to a beautiful wildlife enclosure. Especially now in autumn, the play of colors in the forest was truly breathtaking.
A few basic facts about our hike
- When: end of October
- Start of the hike: 13:00 p.m
- Distance: about 6.2 km
- Duration: 2 hours
- Ascent 249 meters
Lake Sankenbach is one of the most impressive cirque lakes in the Northern Black Forest, formed during the last Ice Age approximately 10.000 years ago by the melting of the glacier. Around 3.000 years ago, however, the lake completely drained away and was only restored naturally in 1980/81 by the Obertal State Forestry Office in cooperation with the Freudenstadt Water Management Office. Both the Sankenbach Valley and Lake Sankenbach are part of the Murg Side Valleys Landscape Conservation Area.
Hike to the Sankenbach waterfall
From Lake Sankenbach, you can reach the Sankenbach Waterfall on foot . It's a two-tiered waterfall. The climb is about 800 meters long and offers a beautiful view of Lake Sankenbach. It took us about 20 minutes, but you should wear good shoes and be reasonably fit, as the climb is quite steep.
At the top, there's a small (unstaffed) wooden hut where you can take a break. Our next stop was originally planned to be the Glasmännlehütte (address: Stöckerkopf, 72270 Baiersbronn) – we'd been there a few years ago and remembered their delicious cake. It's about 4 km from the Sankenbach waterfall to the Glasmännlehütte , a hike that takes about an hour. Unfortunately, the Glasmännlehütte is closed until further notice, so we didn't stop there and hiked back towards the wildlife enclosure on the other side.
More hiking tips: If you're looking for more hikes in the Black Forest, check out my article about the hike along the Goat Trail in Forbach . Or if you're looking for a truly special hike with breathtaking views, I highly recommend the hike to the suspension bridge in the Zillertal.
