Germany Guide
The Black Forest
Burg Hohenbaden
Address: North of the centre
Opening time: May– Sept 10am–10pm
Price: Free
Aloof and magnificent on a bluff 3km north of the town centre, a 45-minute walk from central Baden-Baden, the ruins of Burg Hohenbaden, the eleventh-to-fifteenth-century seat of the Baden margraves, has long been a favourite destination for a stroll: from its usurper, the Neues Schloss, take a path which meanders uphill through deciduous woods and meadows speckled with wildflowers (or bus #215 Augustaplatz or the Caracalla Spa). Its keep perches on a knuckle of rock to the rear, guarded in front by the fourteenth-century Unterburg, but the treat of the mighty fortress ruined by fires in 1584 and 1597 is simply to explore: there are vast cellar vaults to peer into; mantelpieces cling surreally halfway up walls; and stairways begin their spiral to long-crumbled towers. Sweeping views over the Black Forest and Rhine plains make the climb worth all the effort, and a restaurant (07221/269 48; closed Oct– April) rustles up inexpensive German staples and pastas. Behind the castle a path clambers through protected woods to Battert (Battery), a cliff popular with local climbers.