As part of the "Hiking for international students" course, three guided hiking tours for students took place in the winter semester 2024/25. Despite the sometimes adverse weather conditions, each hike provided unique nature experiences, exciting discoveries and plenty of good humor.

Romantic start with fog and snow

The first hike took a group of eight motivated participants along winding paths to rocks and castle ruins - in true Romantic style. Fog and light snowfall created a mystical atmosphere that reflected the mood of the era, which was a recurring theme throughout the tour. The day was rounded off with a visit to a Christmas market.

Historic boundary stones and Black Forest gateau

Eight participants braved the gloomy weather on the second hike and were motivated to explore the area around Bad Herrenalb. The ascent towards Bernbach was challenging but rewarding: two historical boundary stones that separated Baden and Württemberg provided exciting insights into the past. The end of the tour, which was around 12 km long and covered 400 meters in altitude, was rounded off in a cosy café with cake - the Black Forest gateau was particularly popular - making the day perfect.

Sunny tour to the Gertelbach waterfalls

The third tour took place in glorious sunshine and led to the impressive Gertelbach waterfalls. The green spring landscape immediately inspired the participants. The route took them over hill and dale along the Gertelbach stream to a popular climbing rock. A special highlight was a schnapps fountain along the way, the significance of which was clearly explained. After a break with a snack, we continued to a hiking inn, where traditional food and cake awaited us. With three participants, the group was smaller, but no less enthusiastic.

Conclusion

The feedback from the students was consistently positive. Many even thanked us personally afterwards for the successful excursions. The combination of exercise, nature, exchange and small cultural highlights made every hike a special experience - not only for the participants, but also for the hike leaders.