Old chapels and churches in the Ravenna Gorge

In the Löffeltal valley , you will pass an old rapping saw, further down you will see a high-gear saw, at the end of the Löffeltal valley there is a ropery and a farm mill, an old road bridge from 1856 is particularly interesting in its substructure. Spoons were made in the Löffeltal in the 19th century.

The "Sternen" innprobably already stood as a farm in the 12th century. It became the most important transformer station for horses, as the old track had a gradient of up to 23%. In 1770, Marie Antoinette travelled on her bridal train with around 60 carriages through the valley to Freiburg and Paris, where she married King Louis XVI. She was executed there during the French Revolution. Until this time, the valley was still called "Falkensteiner Tal". Johann Wolfgang von Goethe visited the "Sternen" in 1779.

St Oswald's Chapel: The oldest parish church in the Black Forest Highlands, built in 1148 and extended in 1719. The late Gothic altar was donated at the beginning of the 16th century.

Church in Breitnau: The lower part of the tower probably dates from the 13th century, the church itself from 1753. Baroque altars and sculptures can be admired here (works by Mathias Faller). The ceiling painting shows the churches of the parish of Breitnau before 1799: St Oswald, the pilgrimage church in Hinterzarten and the parish church in Breitnau.

Church in Hinterzarten: Originally a pilgrimage chapel in the lower part of the tower (around 1350); first church building in 1416; choir around 1722, the tower bulb around 1732; current worship room 1962/63

The tour starts from the railway station. Turn right into Freiburger Straße and walk to the railway subway. Here you turn left into Alpersbacherstraße, after about 200 metres turn half right and follow the narrow path downhill to the road. Before the next railway subway, turn left into Löffeltalweg and then downhill into Löffeltal.

You walk through the tranquil Löffeltal valley, past two sawmills, until you see the road (B31). Follow this road uphill to the next signpost, then turn right to the "Hotel Hofgut Sternen" (glass-blowing workshop). Continue straight ahead and after approx. 200 metres you will reach the St. Oswald Chapel, the oldest parish church (1148) in the Black Forest Highlands with a very beautiful late Gothic altar (approx. 1520) and an ossuary - the key to the chapel is available at Sternen reception. Now it's back to the Sternen, where you walk uphill to the left, under the railway viaduct into the Ravenna gorge, always in the direction of Breitnau. Over bridges and steps, past a waterfall, you reach the Großjockenmühle (restored by the Black Forest Association in 1977). After about 1 km you come to the small Gasthaus Ketterer, where you can have a snack or a drink. Continue towards Breitnau, always uphill, through the upper gorge over bridges and a large flight of steps. Always follow the signs for "Breitnau", but via the "Leohof" location (this is the shorter option). Here you can visit the second church along the way, a beautiful baroque church, the parish church of St Johannes Baptist, with an old tower (13th century - see also "Author's tips"), numerous baroque figures and a late Gothic Pieta.

From the church, turn left past the Hotel Kreuz, leave the village road and walk downhill towards Wirbstein-Hinterzarten. Passing two old farms, always straight ahead, you reach the upper entrance to the Ravenna Gorge at the Hotel Faller. Cross the little road and shortly afterwards you will find yourself on the B 500 in front of the Baschishof chapel. Now you have to decide whether to take the easy direct route to Hinterzarten along the road and over the Rössleberg -Freiburgerstraße -Rathausstraße to the Catholic church or the slightly longer, more uncomfortable but more beautiful route to the left past the Baschihof and upwards (yellow diamond) to the "Steiertenhäusle" site. Turn right there towards Hinterzarten. At the "Birkleshäusle" location, keep to the little road that continues half-left. At the "Beim Lenzenhof" signpost, the path leads downhill to the left again, then immediately to the right on a small road to the "Lafette" hotel, continuing over the "Schneck" (B31 ) to the moorland forest, where you turn left and right at the next signpost through the Hinterzarten upland moor. Cross the railway tracks to reach the road, turn left briefly, then follow the path uphill past the pond and straight on to the ski jump centre of the Adlerschanze. There you can visit the ski jumps, then go to the cemetery and turn right to the Catholic church of Maria in der Zarten (onion tower). This pilgrimage church was first mentioned around 1350. A "Schwefelbrünnele" in the moor, together with a picture of the Virgin Mary called "Maria in der Zarten", is said to have founded the pilgrimage.

However, Hinterzarten belonged to the parish of Breitnau until 1799. After visiting the church, you can reach the Protestant church in two minutes via the Adlerweg, which is worth seeing and interesting (1963). From there you can reach the car park and the train station in 1 minute. Continue along the Adlerweg to the car park at the entrance to the village, reach the Kurhaus and then continue along Freiburger Straße to the end of the village.

We recommend good shoes and possibly hiking poles!

The Hinterzarten upland moor was created at the end of the last ice age around 10,000 years ago and is the largest upland moor in the Black Forest.

Ski jumping centre: the first Adlerschanze was built around 1924, the expansion to the current centre took place at the beginning of this century. The hill record is 112 metres and a special feature is the summer ski jumping in August.

Refreshment stops: Hotel Hofgut Sternen, Gasthaus Ketterer in the middle Ravenna, numerous inns in Breitnau and Hinterzarten.