From Lake Constance towards home - the Black Forest

So now I had arrived at Lake Constance after almost three months and my home was suddenly so incredibly close.

In just a few days, I would be home with my parents after walking about 2,500 km.

The anticipation was so great that I walked the distance from Konstanz to the Feldberg in four days.

Along Lake Constance the path went west and after very many rainy days in Switzerland, the rain held back in the first days in Germany. I had only one day on which it rained then but also from morning to afternoon and my perseverance was put to the test. On this day, a lot of chocolate bars had to serve...

Morning in the fog with drizzle

At Lake Constance I met Matthias, who had hiked the route from Freiburg to Lake Constance and on his way home walked a few more kilometers with me in the other direction.

He gave me the tip to pitch my tent at a barbecue area near a scout house by a castle and after I asked and was about to pitch my tent, the custodian came back out and said that he totally forgot that the whole house was empty and I was welcome to sleep inside. So I moved inside into a whole dormitory to myself and spent a very funny evening with the custodian having tea in the kitchen.

Sunrise near Blumberg in the Black Forest

On the transverse path (Querweg), which leads from Freiburg to Lake Constance, I went in the direction of Schluchsee, through the Wutach Gorge and at the latest there I was on familiar terrain. Actually, I only wanted to go as far as Lenzkirch the day before the Feldberg, but then I was so full of anticipation and energy that I hiked as far as Schluchsee and spent the last night there at the campsite before heading up the Feldberg the next morning. It was a wonderful feeling to have reached this milestone.

After a short picnic break on the summit, I descended again to Feldberg Ort. There my parents wanted to pick me up, which unfortunately did not go according to plan, because an access road was closed and I then hiked a few kilometers towards them. I have probably never walked so fast!

View from the Feldberg to the Feldsee

As nice as the reunion with my family was, I also fall back into a lazy mode very quickly. Therefore, it was good to move on after a few days then again and as luck would have it, I then went after only two days hiking to my best friend to attend a concert of her band.

From Feldberg, my route now led me north through the Black Forest, following the Westweg to Pforzheim. Until Titisee my mom accompanied me quite spontaneously and we had a wonderful day with perfect weather - which I had in the following time, similar to before, rather no more. At least no whole days without rain...