Schluchtensteig: Stage four
The weather forecast for this day could spoil our day. Rain is in the air. Does it make sense to run the fourth stage in the rain, which from the description seems to be the least interesting anyway? We have no desire for muddy paths or soaked shoes. So, we decide at short notice to skip that stage and walk from Fischbach to Schluchsee, then take public transport from there to St. Blasien. With our Konus card, we can use these services for free. Unfortunately, in this case, we literally made the mistake of not getting the card in advance. The day before, the hotel didn’t hand it over to us, and in the morning, no one at the reception was available who knew how to issue the card. We are a bit confused, as are the other hikers that day. After some back and forth, a hotel employee finally takes pity on us, and we do receive the desired ticket.
Schluchsee in the rain
With still dry weather, we descend from Fischbach to Schluchsee. The short hiking trail impresses us and offers a very beautiful view of Fischbach and the fascinating landscape in hindsight. However, just before reaching the town, we are caught by the first shower, which confirms that our decision to skip this stage was the right one. The first impression of the lake, the largest in the Black Forest, is rather sobering. The water level is low, the sky is gray, and the atmosphere is gloomy. Only a notice at the train station kiosk cheers us up a bit. It quickly becomes clear that this place must be very lively in good weather, and the kiosk is definitely not the tourist information office 🙂 Fun fact: Among insiders, Schluchsee is also called “Slucksee,” and there’s a reason for that.
We look for this, however, as the rain intensifies. The internet predicted that the next connection to St. Blasien would only be available in four hours. Well, what else should we do in the small town in the rain? Luckily, the tourist info can help. We learn that the next train to Seebrugg will soon leave Schluchsee station. From there, we can continue seamlessly by bus to St. Blasien. Perfect. When we arrive back at the station, the rain picks up again. Satisfied with our decision, we set off on our journey to the next destination. Everything works out wonderfully, and about an hour later, we reach the rain-soaked town of St. Blasien with its magnificent cathedral. We first check into our hotel, the Klosterhof. We are warmly welcomed and can go to our rooms right away.
Dutch rush into the cake paradise
Since our luggage hasn’t arrived yet, we want to go further immediately. First, we visit the nearby cathedral. Given the heavy rain, we try to keep walking distances as short as possible. Luckily, this is relatively easy in a town with only 4,000 inhabitants. The cathedral is impressive, no question. The dome is said to be the third-largest of its kind in Europe, with a diameter of 46 meters and a height of 63 meters. We take our time during the tour of the dome and let the size and beauty sink in. After so much art and culture, we develop a coffee craving, which we want to satisfy in one of the nearby cafés. Opposite the cathedral, we spot a pastry shop, and that’s where we head. However, upon entering the cake temple, we are overwhelmed by a bustling noise, so we quickly leave again. It seems a bus with Dutch tourists has just arrived, occupying the café completely. Luckily, a little further up the street, there’s another coffee shop. We settle in there. Fortunately, a little further up the street, there is the next coffeehouse. We settle in there. Outside, it’s really pouring, so we make ourselves comfortable inside and see what the rest of the day might bring.
Visiting Bambi
A look at the rain radar clearly shows that no improvement in the weather is expected before 4 p.m. The short walk from the café to the hotel (about 500 meters) is enough to get our pants soaked. So, we retreat to our room first and hope for drier weather. And indeed, around 4 p.m., the rain subsides. We give it a second try and explore a bit more of St. Blasien. During our walk, we come across a signpost to the wildlife park. It’s only about 2 kilometers from the town via the Muchenländerweg to the animal park. Once there, we are immediately reconciled with everything. The encounter with the curious deer and female deer is so beautiful and relaxing that we almost forget about the rain. On the way back, we look for a restaurant for the evening. Unfortunately, many places in St. Blasien are closed, so we end up at the Italian restaurant in our hotel, which turns out to be a good choice. Overall, as our summary, we made the best of this rainy day.
