Epic Hikes of the World ( PDFDrive )

strolling on the Westweg
Pforzheim is the gateway town to the trail, but I do not linger. I’m too eager to
strike out into the heart of the forest. And so I walk through the upland moors of the
Enz Valley, where medieval Schloss Neuenbürg stands high on a hill, and on to the
plateau of the Dobel, with views to the Rhine Valley. Soon after I stumble upon the
huge blockish boulders of the Volzemer Steine, partially hidden by forest
undergrowth. From here, a boardwalk trail cuts across the protected highland moor
of Kaltenbronn, one of the largest in Germany, so as not to disturb the fragile
wetland ecosystem. It then descends to the steep-carved Murg Valley to Forbach,
a pretty village of gabled houses with an impressive covered wooden bridge
straddling the River Murg. The surrounding landscape has a green and quiet
beauty, with traditional hay barns, or heuhütten, tucked in between forest and
meadow.