winter in the black forest

Part 2

In and around Freiburg

So, I want to write a second part about winter in the southern Black Forest and what´s happening? Zum deutschen Blog. It is mid-February and the thermometer is showing 20 degrees Celsius today! Plus, mind you. Okay, I still have some snow pictures and there is still a lot of snow on top of the mountains, but down here in the valley it is already blooming and the strawberries under film are already being processed.

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Snowshoeing

This really does not work without snow, but on the first weekend of February, it is not even warm in the Rhine plain, although one or the other daisies opens its bud. But we really want to enjoy the snow again.

At the natural sports center Präger Böden we have booked a snowshoe hike course. From us, it´s about a 1 hour drive up there. Always up the mountains and down again. From about 600 m above sea level lays a decent amount of snow, the roads are cleared, of course, but without winter tires, nobody should try. The last two kilometers we drive on a single lane cleared road, which is more than a meter high lined with snow. If now someone comes to meet …! And there really is another car slowly crawling down the mountain. Under the wheels is a lot of ice and it goes steeply down the mountain. Who is going backwards? We, until we reach a recess, where both vehicles just pass each other.

On time we are on the hill, where still a few guests have breakfast. We still must wait for other fellow hikers. No sooner are they there, snowshoes are strapped to one’s winter boots. They look a bit like oversized squash rackets, but they prevent you from sinking in the deep snow.

And then it starts, first up the slope, always in zigzag, otherwise it would be too steep. Everyone is making their own way. Phew, that’s warm. I probably put on too much! As long as the sun is still shining, I get annoyed with my warm clothes, but as soon as we get up in the forest and the trees swallow the rest of sunlight, I’m glad about the warming clothes.

Here we trudge along a designated snowshoe trail. Even pedestrians seem to have been on the road here, but they have sunken at least half a meter. That couldn´t be funny…

Our snowshoe guide is in real life, that is in the summer, a forest worker and knows his way around here. He tells us a bit about his work. It is exhausting, no question, but also very close to nature. It does not look like he wants to do any other job.

Views

Then we come to a clearing. We are already pretty high up. What do I see very far behind? That’s not … Yes! I can see the Alps! Wow, they are a good 200 km away. I would not have thought that. We take our photos, but then it goes on briskly, because the weather forecast has announced rain, even up here and that is certainly not pleasant.

A bit more we hike up the mountain, then we stand on the crest and now have the view in the other direction, on the Belchen. The fourth highest mountain of the Black Forest. Above it is bald and white. With the zoom of my camera, I can see lifts, but they are motionless. It storms here and certainly there as well, so that the lifts are not in operation.

Now I feel the first raindrops, brrrr … cold. Quickly back to the forest, there we are protected. But that does not help, because to descend we must cross a huge bull pasture. In summer it is certainly a lush green mountain meadow, which is strictly forbidden to enter, as a sign says, but now it is an icy, wind turned snow wasteland. So, I’m trudging a bit faster, I want to get back under the trees!

And then it goes down really steep. So, with a sledge that would be great, with snowshoes a bit tedious, but it works.

After two hours we arrive back at the inn and as soon as we are in the car, the rain really starts. So, we have been really lucky.

Conclusion: Snowshoeing is really fun, not to wear too warm clothes and especially, it should be dry. I’ll do it again!

Freiburg in winter

Again and again, during my lunch break, I take a look at this or that corner of Freiburg, which I can easily reach from my office. This old town is pretty. On a Saturday evening in February I am all the more pleased that we catch up with our “Christmas party” with the “Hungry Birds”. What do we do?

A culinary city tour. Try many local specialties in different localities and learn bit by bit things worth knowing about Freiburg. Even my long-time colleagues will be served one or the other that they do not know yet. Culinary e.g. the Black Forest Tequilla, which Henry of the Hungry Birds serves us in Freiburg’s oldest inn down in the cellar catacombs that were actually on the ground floor. That really is not my taste! Black Forest cherry brandy, a slice of black pudding and mustard for licking.

On the way in the main shopping street, Karl-Friedrich-Str. we find out why big rectangles were marked with white stones in the wide footpaths. This should symbolize the market stalls that used to stand here.

It is already quite late, when we cross the Freiburg Cathedral Square. Outside flow the “Bächle”, which can be found in many places here. originally, in the 12. century they were built to water the fields.

Designed is the square with cobblestones. Even in the light you should watch where you step, but in the dark, this is almost impossible, since the square is hardly lit. Only the spire is illuminated with spotlights. It’s dark down here. If you are not good on foot here, you will walk cautiously from one side to the next.

I’ll show you some more pictures of Freiburg at the bottom and on my German blog. If you would like to know more about it or my travels, you can find something new on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or even on Vero.

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