Ottenhöfen


As storybook Black Forest villages go, Ottenhöfen fits the bill nicely with its plethora of lovingly restored watermills (best explored on the 12km Mühlenweg), slender-spired church and farmhouses snuggled among low-rise wooded hills. Climbers and hikers can head up to the knobbly peak of Karlsruher Grat. The surrounding area is criss-crossed with family-friendly walking trails and mountain-bike routes.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Allerheiligen Wasserfälle

3.11 MILES

The 90m-high Allerheiligen Wasserfälle spill in silky threads over several cascades. From here, a short round-trip trail leads over bridges and up steps…

2. Mummelsee

3.17 MILES

This glacial cirque lake makes a beautiful splash on a vast tract of forest. Lore has it that a king and nymphs dwell in its inky depths – and indeed the…

3. Wildgehege Breitenbrunnen

3.84 MILES

If wildlife encounters rank highly on your wish list, factor in a stop at this game reserve to come eye to eye with stags, roe deer and wild boar.

4. Mehliskopf

7.03 MILES

Rising 1007m, Mehliskopf's slopes attract families seeking low-key outdoor adventures. You can whiz downhill year-round on the bob run, picking up speeds…

5. Nationalpark Schwarzwald

8.01 MILES

An outdoor wonderland of heather-speckled moors, glacial cirque lakes, deep valleys, mountains and near-untouched coniferous forest, the Black Forest…

6. Kniebis

9.88 MILES

Serene and family-friendly, Kniebis backs onto a terrific landscape for all manner of outdoor activities – from hiking and biking to cross-country skiing…

7. Geroldsauer Wasserfälle

11.09 MILES

Word has it that German composer Brahms and French painter Courbet had a soft spot for these wispy falls, which plunge over mossy boulders into a green…

8. Kloster Gengenbach

12.81 MILES

Amble along Klosterstrasse to check out the former Benedictine monastery. A calm Kräutergarten (herb garden), stippled with fragrant and medicinal herbs,…