Hello friends! Once again, on a Sunday, we embarked on a new adventure. During the Easter holiday, we went to a place 40 km away from our city. This place is a mountain called "Hochkopf" or High Peak and there's an observation tower on top of it. We hadn't been there before, but it looked quite interesting from the photos, so this would be a first for us.
On our way, we passed by ski resorts and there was still a bit of snow left. As we climbed toward the mountains, we saw beautiful houses with paintings on their walls. It was lovely to see this kind of houses in the mountains.
We took a break at another stop point along our journey, this city is called Todtmoos. Here, you could see the water flowing from the mountains. This was where we began our journey. Our starting point was this city and there was a large tree in the park with the city's coat of arms on it. At the top of it was a kind of structure, which was the observation tower we wanted to climb. This tower is called Hochkopf and we started our ascent.
We walked along the way and passed a beautiful yellow-white house. The surroundings were quite clean and people here seem to take pride in decorating their homes. There were other interesting buildings in the city as well. There is a beautiful church, Wallfahrtskirche, painted in yellow and white. We decided to change our route a bit to visit this church. It's a lovely building with colorful paintings on its walls.
We could see goats along our route and they looked quite impressive with their long horns.
We continued toward the church along a narrow road. There's a sign pointing toward the church in Gothic script. Around the church, there's a stone wall and we wondered if it had once been a kind of drawbridge, perhaps functioning like a castle.
Inside the church, there was a mass taking place, so we tried to enter quietly. The interior was decorated with vibrant colors; you rarely see such beautiful decorations. They were reciting some prayers during the service. We couldn't stay long inside, but we still stopped by to experience the atmosphere.
One of the stops on our journey continued our exploration. In this showcase, old antique items were displayed; there was a milk can, a spinning wheel and a wooden washing machine. The surroundings were quite beautiful and there were various hotels. Gift shops and benches decorated with flowers were everywhere. It's a beautiful place.
The city administration is housed in such a beautiful, old building.
You can even find a Lada Niva on the roads in Germany; someone still uses this car. There are information boards around showing what tourist attractions are available. We continued toward our destination and saw the tower we would climb. There were still 12 kilometers ahead of us. It started to rain lightly.
On the side of a street, there were beautifully decorated buildings, with Easter decorations everywhere. Someone without a garage in a village house had built a tractor garage surrounded by stones. What a clever idea. The houses we encountered along the way were quite old but very charming. At one point, we saw a sign mentioning a mountain that's 750 years old. The rain started to come down heavier, but we continued onward. Trees were used to store wood and there were beautiful houses and small rivers everywhere. The building decorations were fantastic, with Easter bunnies and eggs all over.
We decided to take a break and have a small picnic. We had a few tasty snacks with us; some meatballs and hot tea. We were coming across useful information along the way, like how wolves could be seen in the Black Forest, so you should be careful. However, it seemed like a good idea to take a short break to relax. Despite the rain outside, it was a pleasant atmosphere and we were ready to continue our journey.
We had some tea and sandwiches to snack on. Birds were chirping and the weather was nice. We took a break under the trees. We were sitting under a large tree, surrounded by an incredible view: a small town in the valley, houses scattered among the mountains and a river flowing through the center.
Here, the region's flag was flying, red and yellow with a coat of arms in the center. The coat of arms had two-winged lions and a shield in the middle. We continued our journey. We were walking on an asphalt road, which made it easier because there were no stones or obstacles. But walking on asphalt continuously could get a bit monotonous.
In the distance, through the trees, we could see the tip of the tower we would climb. We had about 3 kilometers more to go and we were progressing toward that. The rain was falling lightly, but we decided to continue. Along the way, there were pine trees, small resting areas and wooden benches. At one point, we stumbled upon a large area where freshly cut wood was stored. Apparently, the wood needs at least 3 years to be ready for burning. The smell of freshly cut wood was incredible.
We reached a beautiful spot, where there was a frame, making it an excellent location for panoramic photos. The frame could rotate and there was a nice platform around it. Nearby, there was a clock, but it wasn't an ordinary clock—it was like a cuckoo clock. It had pendulums below and there were various souvenirs around.
From this point, we watched the scenery of the mountains and cities before continuing our walk. Along the way, we encountered various interesting things, learning something new with each step. This mountain journey was both calming and entertaining. Thus, we continued our journey and moved on to our next stops.
We came to the end of our adventure, spending a day filled with the beauty of nature. We traversed from asphalt roads to rocky paths, from small towns to majestic mountain views.
Throughout the journey, we encountered many beautiful landscapes. When we got tired of the smooth asphalt road, we turned toward paths and rocky trails. Along the way, there were some notable things. For example, with special seals available here, you could stamp a commemorative mark. Since we didn't have the proper paper, we stamped it on a napkin, which became a sort of evidence that we were here.
Later, we noted interesting details in nature and the creativity of people in the area. Along the way, we saw old monuments, souvenir shops, colorful houses and even an old car. In the mountainous regions, we found elements reflecting the local culture.
We arrived at the Hochkopf tower. It's one of the 20 highest points in the Baden-Württemberg region. The tower is approximately 1273 meters high and is a small observation tower that has been here since 1929. We had a bit of a challenging journey to reach the tower, but we were rewarded with a fantastic view. From the tower, you could see the city and the surrounding mountains from a bird's-eye view. There were also small rest areas and picnic spots for people to enjoy.
During this hike, we were surrounded by nature and had a fantastic day. The rain didn't affect us much because we had suitable rain gear. This hike offered a great opportunity to appreciate the beauty of nature and have a peaceful day. With the sense of satisfaction from reaching the summit, we look forward to repeating such adventures in the future.
It was a full day of impressions and interesting discoveries. Not only did we reach the observation tower, but we also delved into its history, learning about past restorations and getting a sense of the past. On our way back, we noticed a display board showing information from as far back as 1898, when a group of tourists planned to establish an observation point here, all the way up to modern-day repairs.
On the way back to the car, we encountered many surprises: beautiful natural springs, unique wooden forest-man and lumberjack statues and old houses in small villages that recalled the past. We even saw a beautiful waterfall hidden in the woods, a pleasant surprise. The peak became a small bridge where we could take a closer look at the waterfall.
The journey also included rest stops where we could have tea and try delicious homemade pastries sold by locals. At one of these stops, we appreciated the self-service concept where you could choose your sweets and prepare tea or coffee, enjoying the view of the nearby stream.
In the old villages, we noticed the silence and calmness; the streets were empty, but the charm was evident: sculptures, uniquely shaped houses with almost ground-touching roofs and well-kept, blooming apple trees creating a cozy and peaceful atmosphere.
Thus, our journey was not only a physical adventure but also a journey into the past filled with many interesting facts and discoveries. Each aspect of this trip, from the old observation tower to the fun forest-man statues, added its charm, making the day unforgettable.