Hikers can experience a great deal of Germany along the Schwarzwald-Querweg trail through the Black Forest - By Jochen Thies

The romantic German folk song "Muss i denn zum Städtele hinaus" (Do I Have to Leave Town) fits the Querweg trail perfectly - even if you sing it in English as "Wooden Heart" like Elvis Presley did.

The Querweg (cross-trail) winds through meadows, forests, valleys and over mountains. On the second section of the route, there is a string of small towns from the ancient volcanoes in Hegau down to Lake Constance. And there is a big advantage: If you get going early enough, you can cool your feet in the nice, cold water of Lake Constance in the afternoon.

The 110-mile-long hike from Freiburg im Breisgau to Constance on Lake Constance is one of the few European long-distance trails that provide swift, dramatic changes of landscape. The trail begins romantically in Freiburg: you cross Münster Square, pass through Swabia Gate and walk directly into the Black Forest.

Soon after, you have left the tourists strolling around Schloss Mountain behind and it becomes quiet. That is another one of the trail's features. On the Querweg, you will not meet many other hikers compared to the better-known Westweg - except in the tourist centers around Feldberg and the Lake Constance region.

Fortunately, you can loosen up on the first day while walking along the part of the trail that goes through broad, flat Zarten Basin that stretches from Freiburg to the feet of the Black Forest Mountains. But then the trail abruptly ascends into the mountains and, above Höllen Valley, narrows into a path for sure-footed, even-keeled hikers.

On the second day, you will have to master a change in altitude of more than 1,000 meters on the high, narrow path to arrive in Titisee-Neustadt. On the third leg of the hike, after you climb the 1,200-meter-high Hochfirst Mountain with its observation tower, the Black Forest trails away toward Baar in the south. Your descent into real adventure starts after you pass Kappel, a picturesque village on the southeastern flank of the Black Forest: Wutach Gorge.

During the two days it takes to walk steep, rocky paths overgrown by hard, thick roots and ford brooks or walk along the banks of untamed rivers, you can easily imagine that you are in the western U.S. - in Arizona or Utah. The cliffs are not as tall but they are nonetheless impressive.

Unlike arid Arizona, which is almost devoid of vegetation, the unusual plants in Wutach Gorge are fascinating. They thrive in the shadowy parts of the gorge, although you could also imagine them growing in the tropics.

After you have crossed the gorge, new landscapes that remind you how close you are to Switzerland begin to appear. After going by a small patch of forest on the other side of the small rural village of Riedöschingen, the reward for the investment of hiking the first section of the Querweg appears the next morning after leaving Blumberg.

A majestic panorama unfolds close to the post that Napoleon occupied when he commanded the Battle of Engen in 1800. It is bordered by the Swiss Alps on the right and the peaks of the Black Forest on the left. Directly ahead, the Hegau volcanoes spread out to Lake Constance, which glitters in the distance.

Several hours later, the descent to charming Engen begins. There is a fantastic panorama on the way down.

Now the trail leads along the flanks of Hohenhewen, Hohen­stoffeln and Hohentwiel, the timeworn volcanic mountains that dominate the plain. It meanders past the cornfields and orchards of Hegau, and slowly loses elevation while going through industrial city Singen, past Radolfzell to the small village of Liggeringen. This leg is very long and tiring.

Especially on hot days, hikers should normally have no problem getting to sleep on this part of the Querweg - if only the inn weren't located directly next to a church tower. Its clock, which chimes every 15 minutes, continues throughout the night.

The next morning, the home stretch traverses the Bodman Ridge, covered with wonderful groves of beech trees. A new view of Lake Überling unfolds at every turn.

And at the last minute, just as you are descending a gentle slope to reach the city limits, you can see Constance and Switzerland in the distance. In the historic City Hotel, where Emperor Barbarossa once spent the night, the drinks are especially refreshing.

The Querweg in eight days

Created 75 years ago, the Querweg goes from Freiburg through the Zarten Basin to Buchenbach (1). From there it is a hard day's journey to Titisee-Neustadt (2). However, you can call it a day in Hinterzarten, a pretty winter sport location, and save five kilometers by taking the train there. The third leg that includes the high sections of the Black Forest ends in the Wutach Gorge at the "Schattenmühle" Inn (3), the only established accommodation in the gorge. Your next destination is Blumberg (4). The hike continues on to Engen (5) and the next day ends in Singen (6). The ascents and descents become less strenuous the closer you get to Lake Constance. After a night in Liggeringen (7), set out for your final destination: the picturesque city of Constance (8) on Lake Constance.

"Light Hiking" is a specialty of the region. Tourist Information, Marktplatz 6, in 77761 Schiltach offers customized tours, provides maps and makes sure your heavy gear is where you need it, when you need it. Plan around ?55 per person/day for accommodation and breakfast in the small hotels and inns located along the trail. You can hike the day's leg with a light backpack. Wear light hiking boots with sturdy soles, long pants, a shirt and sweater and take along raingear and a supply of band-aids.

Wutach Gorge is closed in the winter, so the hiking season on the Querweg trail is from April through October.