B500 Black Forest High Road: Motorcycle Route Guide

Kohlers Hotel Engel is in Vimbuch, part of Buehl, at the foot of the northern Black Forest. The road up the Buehlertal climbs from here to the B500 Black Forest High Road, which our B500 guide covers from Baden-Baden to Freudenstadt, so you can be on the ridge within half an hour. For the bike there is covered parking; for you, a place to dry out after rain, wifi, and tips on which roads to take. The hotel has a family-run restaurant, and the Rhine plain and Strasbourg are close if you want a change from the hills.

Hotel Landgasthof Ratz is in Rheinau, in the Rhine plain between the Black Forest and the Vosges. Baden-Baden, where the B500 Black Forest High Road begins, is about 20 km away in a straight line, and Strasbourg is a similar distance across the Rhine, so you can ride the Black Forest one day and the Vosges the next. A garage, sheltered parking and a drying area for wet gear are on offer, along with wifi and route suggestions. The plain is flat, so the first few kilometres of any ride are easy; the hills start at Achern and Buehl.

Hotel Krone is in Baiersbronn, in the northern Black Forest close to Freudenstadt, where the B500 Black Forest High Road ends. That puts the Ruhestein and the run north along the ridge towards Baden-Baden within easy reach, and our B500 guide covers it. Riders can use a garage or covered bays, dry their kit, get on the wifi and ask for route ideas. The hotel has a wellness area, which is a good way to ease stiff shoulders after a long day. Baiersbronn is spread out along several valleys, each with its own road into the hills.

This hotel is on the hill above Hornberg, in the Gutach valley in the central Black Forest. The B33 runs through the valley below, linking Offenburg and the Kinzig valley with Triberg and Villingen, and Triberg is on the route in our B500 guide. Riders get a roofed parking spot, tools for small fixes, a room for drying soaked kit, wifi, and advice on roads. The hotel name means fine view, which is fair for a place set this high above the valley floor.

Landgasthof Schwanen is a village inn at Fohrenbuehl, on the high ground above Hornberg in the central Black Forest. The B33 through the Gutach valley and the roads to Triberg, which our B500 guide passes through, are close, and the Kinzig valley is a short ride north. There is a garage and covered parking, somewhere to dry gear, wifi and route tips. A family-run Gasthof with its own kitchen, it suits riders who want to finish the day without riding again for dinner. Fohrenbuehl is exposed, so pack for cool evenings.

This Black Forest hotel is on the hillside above Muehlenbach, near Haslach in the Kinzig valley in the central Black Forest. The Kinzig valley runs west to Offenburg and east to Wolfach and Schiltach, and the B33 to Hornberg and Triberg, which our B500 guide passes, is close. There is a garage and covered parking, wifi and route tips from the hosts. The hotel has rooms for groups as well as couples, which helps when several riders travel together. Expect a quiet setting with forest views.

This Black Forest inn is in Waldau, a high village north of Titisee-Neustadt in the southern Black Forest. Titisee is part of the route in our B500 guide, and the Feldberg, the highest summit in the Black Forest, is a short ride south. You can lock the bike in a garage or leave it under a roof, hang wet gear to dry, and pick up route tips and wifi. Being a Gasthof, there is a kitchen in the house, so dinner needs no extra ride. The plateau roads around Waldau are quiet and open, with long views when the weather is clear.

This hotel is in Muggenbrunn, on the Schauinsland road between Todtnau and Freiburg in the southern Black Forest. The Schauinsland climb, the Notschrei pass and the Feldberg are all close, so some of the most popular Black Forest bike roads start at the door. The rider kit list is long: lockable garage, roofed parking, a wash point for the bike, tools for roadside-type fixes, a drying room, wifi and route tips. On sunny weekends the Schauinsland road is busy, so ride it early or midweek, and check for any local restrictions before you go.

This hotel and restaurant is in Haeusern, a village near St. Blasien and the Schluchsee in the southern Black Forest. The roads around the Schluchsee, over to the Feldberg and down the Alb valley to the Rhine are all within an easy ride. Covered bike parking, a spot to dry boots and gloves, wifi and route pointers are all part of the stay. With its own restaurant, it suits riders who want to park the bike and eat in. The southern Black Forest is high, so evenings can be cool even in summer.