From Hausach, you’ll first hike to Husen Castle, whose history dates back to the 13th century, before beginning on a long and very steep trail to the Hasemannhütte. The large Hasemannhütte is well suited for an overnight stay. However, be prepared for nocturnal visitors and hang your food where it is safe from mice. Don’t be afraid of the noises in the hut at night when the mice dribble across the wooden floor! During this stage, you can finally enjoy the view from the summit of the almost 969-meter-high Karlstein before you reach Wilhelmshöhe.
Gentle differences in altitude and green hills await you on the 8th stage. The Westweg leads over wooden footbridges through the upland moor around the Blindensee Lake. After around 9 kilometers, you reach the Günterfelsen, a collection of granite rocks, before the Westweg takes you to your stage destination of Kalte Herberge.
On this section, you will hike past the Weißtannenhöhe at an altitude of 1190 meters, which gave its title to the crime novel of the same name. In 1928, two young women were murdered while hiking on the Weißtannenhöhe. A memorial stone on the Westweg today commemorates the two victims. Once you reach Titisee, the Westweg divides into a western and an eastern variant. The eastern variant is around 5 kilometers longer than the original western variant. Both routes take you to Basel. The following stage descriptions refer to the western stages.
On the 10th stage, you start your hike in Hinterzarten. At the Häuslebauernhof, you can fortify yourself one last time at the drinks fountain before hiking past the Rufenholzhütte on wild and steep paths to the highest peak in Germany outside the Alps, the Feldberg at 1493 meters. From there, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Black Forest to the Alps. The Westweg continues past the Sankt Wilhelmer Hütte, where you can stop for a break and enjoy some good food. At the end of your day’s stage, after crossing the Langenbach Valley along a stream, you reach the Wiedener Weideberge, from where you can once again enjoy the view of the Alps.
From Wiedener Eck, you’ll continue on the Belchensteig trail, which takes you to the Belchenhaus, where you can stop for some food and drink after the steep climb. Around the Belchen, which lies at an altitude of 1414 meters, you will encounter alpine paths and fantastic views of the Rhine Valley all the way to the Vosges mountains, the peaks of the Black Forest, and the Alps. Following the Westweg trail, you will pass the Dekan-Strohmeyer chapel and begin your final ascent to the Hochblauen. Passing the Hochblauen, you’ll walk past the ruins of Sausenburg Castle in the direction of Kandern.
On the last stage, you’ll hike from Kandern through the Wolfsschlucht canyon, with its impressive rocky landscape, to Rötteln Castle. The history of the castle goes back over 900 years. The beer garden here is perfect to take a long break. At the foot of the castle, you will pass through the last portal on the Westweg, the Dreiländereck Lörrach. Shortly after the Ottilienkirche church, as you descend through the vineyards, cross the border into Switzerland. Now you will only see a few Westweg markings and it is time to say goodbye to the Westweg. On your final kilometers, you hike along the Wiese River to the zoo, which you cross on your way to the Baden train station in Basel. Finally, you reach the end of the Westweg.
