





Todtnau sits thirty kilometres southeast of Freiburg im Breisgau, reached in forty-five minutes via the B317 road or bus 7215. The town is known for the ninety-seven-metre Todtnau Waterfall and trail access to the Feldberg summit. Todtnau is worth visiting if you want forested ridge hiking, mountain descents, and tavern meals of smoked ham and Kirschtorte. Look elsewhere if you want late-night bars, flat urban walking, or indoor museums.
Last updated 23 Oct 2026
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Todtnau arranges itself along the Upper Wiese river beneath steep, dark pine slopes. Life here centres on outdoor movement: morning hikes out from the market square, chairlift ascents up Mount Hasenhorn, and late afternoons in quiet Gasthöfe. It suits active travellers, trail runners, and families seeking brisk mountain air and hearty southwestern German cooking rather than polished resort luxuries.
Start early at the Todtnau Waterfall before the tour groups arrive, crossing the footbridge below Aftersteg. Ride the Hasenhorn chairlift for lunch at the mountain hut, descend via the coaster run, and finish with a slice of sour cherry Kirschtorte and local venison stew along Friedrichstrasse. Select 1 Day above to see it.
Dedicate day two to the higher plateau hamlet of Todtnauberg. Walk the philosopher Martin Heidegger trail through heather pastures, then reward the climb with fresh trout and house-cured Black Forest ham at a timbered inn, paired with a glass of crisp Markgräflerland Gutedel wine. Choose 2 Days to expand the plan.
A third day allows an unhurried ascent up the Feldberg summit or a quiet morning along the high bogs at Notschrei pass. Stop in Geschwend or Präg to explore deep glacial cirques, visiting small farm shops selling mountain cheese and fruit brandies before the evening drive.
Climb the steep ascent to the Feldberg ridge or follow the panoramic Wasserfallsteig trail through pine forests and granite gorges.
Sample local clear fruit brandies, notably house-distilled Kirschwasser and Zibärtle made from wild forest plums in traditional copper stills.
Walk the footbridge beneath the 97-metre Todtnau Waterfall, fed by Stübenbach stream, accessible from parking lots at Aftersteg and Todtnauberg.
Ride downhill courses at Todtnau Bikepark on Mount Hasenhorn, featuring technical downhill tracks, a chairlift, and cross-country valley loops.
Ski or snowshoe across groomed Nordic trails at Notschrei pass, or access the alpine runs on the Hasenhorn with views over the Wiesental.
Order plates of Schwarzwälder Schinken cured over fir sawdust, hearty Maultaschen, and Spätzle in wood-panelled Gasthäuser.
Eat authentic Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte layered with sour cherries, sponge cake, fresh cream, and kirsch at local village bakeries.
Walk the 450-metre Blackforestline suspension bridge suspended 120 metres directly above the tumbling gorge and the Todtnau waterfall.
Step inside St. John the Baptist parish church in the town square, rebuilt in neo-Romanesque sandstone after the great 1876 town fire.
Ride the 2.9-kilometre Hasenhorn Coaster, an all-weather toboggan run descending through alpine curves and switchbacks into the valley.
Stroll along the meadow paths of the Upper Wiese river, connecting the quiet hamlets of Schlechtnau and Geschwend below forested bluffs.
Catch the regional bus up to Feldberg pass for high-altitude glacial tarns, or travel south down the Wiesental to historic Schopfheim.