Hornisgrinde
1,164 m
Germany
- Elevation
- 1,164 m
- Prominence
- 511 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Oct
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1The short standard ascent from the Black Forest High Road: from the car parks at the Mummelsee (about 1,030 m) up a rooty, increasingly rocky path past the Katzenkopf and the Mummelseeblick viewpoint to the Hornisgrindeturm and Grinde-Hütte, then across the moor plateau to the Bismarckturm on the summit. About 140 m of ascent; a 4–7 km loop with the bog boardwalk and Dreifürstenstein.
About <1% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 2 check notes
- ascent 229 m is 1.7× the net gain 139 m: the line probably detours down and back up (not a traverse)
- Mummelsee → Katzenkopf: corridor (detour; 6 m of gaps, 0.9 km)
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 4.0 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +229 m
- −91 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,164 m
- Time Up
- 1h 29m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 1h 23m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at the Mummelsee on the B500 Black Forest High Road, with large free car parks (often full by mid-morning in summer), the Berghotel and bus stops. From the lake take the path up the slope south of the Katzenkopf: narrow, shaded and rooty, then increasingly rocky. It reaches the Mummelseeblick viewing platform and the plateau at the Hornisgrindeturm, a 23 m red sandstone tower of 1910 (fee), next to the Grinde-Hütte restaurant. Cross the open moor plateau north to the 7 m Bismarckturm, the old survey signal tower on the highest point (1,164 m, free, external spiral stair). The plateau carries the SWR transmitter, a weather station and wind turbines; the view reaches the Rhine plain and the Vosges, and on clear days the Alps. Return by the boardwalk (Ruthard-Hambrecht-Weg) south-east across the raised bog to the Dreifürstenstein, the 1722 boundary stone at 1,151 m, then down a rocky path towards Seibelseckle and back to the Mummelsee past the Mummelseetor and St Michael's chapel (about 4 km and 140 m in total). The waymarked Genießerpfad Mummelsee–Hornisgrindepfad from Seibelseckle makes a 6.7 km loop with about 200–270 m of ascent in 2.25–2.5 hours. Keep to the boardwalk on the bog; the plateau is windy and often icy in winter.
Start
Mummelsee1,026 m
- Buses on the Black Forest High Road to the Mummelsee; leisure bus 7123 from Ottenhöfen station runs at weekends to the 'Hornisgrinde Turm' stop on the plateau (check the current timetable).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mummelsee → Hornisgrinde | 4.0 | 229 | 91 | 1h 29m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Mummelsee1,026 m
- Feature: Katzenkopf1,120 m
- Feature: Mummelseeblick1,028 m
- Hut: Grinde-Hütte1,155 m
- Summit: Hornisgrinde1,164 m
Key Passages
- Rooty, rocky path below the Mummelseeblick
- Moor plateau between the Hornisgrindeturm and Bismarckturm
- Boardwalk across the raised bog
Equipment
0/3 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest mountain in the northern Black Forest (1,164 m), a 2 km-long, flat-topped ridge of raised bog and heath above the Mummelsee, with two old towers, a transmitter and wide views over the Rhine plain to the Vosges. A short, easy walk from the Black Forest High Road.
The Hornisgrinde rises above the Black Forest High Road (B500) between Baden-Baden and Freudenstadt, in the northern Ortenau district. Its summit is a long plateau rather than a peak: the Mummelsee, a 17 m-deep cirque lake, lies in a hollow to the south, enclosed by the Katzenkopf and the ridge to Seibelseckle, and the east side drops steeply into the glacial cirque of the Biberkessel. The treeless 'Grinden' heaths are the result of forest clearance and grazing from the 15th century; the raised bog on the south-eastern plateau, up to 5 m deep and at least 6,000 years old, is naturally treeless and protected in the Hornisgrinde-Biberkessel nature reserve.
With about 1,930 mm of precipitation a year it is one of the wettest places in Germany, and the plateau is windy and often icy in winter. The top carries the 206 m SWR transmitter, a Telekom tower, a weather station and wind turbines, as well as two historic lookout towers and the Grinde-Hütte restaurant.
Most visitors start at the Mummelsee and climb about 140 m to the plateau, then loop back via the bog boardwalk and the Dreifürstenstein. The Westweg long-distance trail follows the ridge, and the ridge walk from Ruhestein (about 11 km) is a longer alternative.
Climbing Notes
An easy outing for anyone: allow 1.5–2.5 hours for a loop from the Mummelsee, longer with the tower visits and the Grinde-Hütte. Wear sturdy shoes, as the path is rooty and rocky, and take a waterproof: rain and fog are frequent. Stay on the boardwalk across the bog. Arrive early on summer weekends, as the Mummelsee car parks fill by mid-morning, or use the weekend leisure bus. In winter the plateau is a cross-country skiing area and the paths are often icy.
History
The Dreifürstenstein, a sandstone boundary stone of 1722, marked the meeting point of Baden, Württemberg and the Prince-Bishopric of Strasbourg; at 1,151 m it is the highest point of old Württemberg. The 7 m Bismarckturm was built around 1840 as a survey signal tower and became a lookout in 1892; the Black Forest Club built the 23 m Hornisgrindeturm in 1910. The summit became a military zone in 1938, was used for air defence from 1942 and after 1945 by the French, later also by the Bundeswehr and NATO. Military operations ended in 1994, the restricted zone was lifted in 1997 and the land passed to the neighbouring municipalities in 1999. The Bismarckturm reopened in 2000 and the Hornisgrindeturm on 29 May 2005.
Season
Best Jul–Oct- January: Possible
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Best
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Best (best window)
- November: Possible
- December: Possible
- Jan
- Snow and ice on the plateau; cross-country skiing
- Feb
- Snow; cross-country skiing
- Mar
- Snow and ice likely
- Apr
- Snowmelt; wet paths
- Jun
- Wettest month of the year
- Jul
- Busy at weekends
- Oct
- Clear autumn days with views to the Vosges
- Nov
- Fog and wind
- Dec
- Snow and ice
Access & Permits
- Fees
- Hornisgrindeturm: admission charged; Bismarckturm free
- Mummelsee car parks: free (OpenStreetMap)
- Rules
- Hornisgrinde-Biberkessel nature reserve: keep to the paths and the boardwalk; do not walk on the raised bog
- SWR and Telekom transmitter sites are closed to the public
- Getting There
Seebach
Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport (FKB); Strasbourg Airport (SXB)
- Car: B500 Black Forest High Road from Baden-Baden or Freudenstadt to the Mummelsee car parks
- Bus: services on the Black Forest High Road to the Mummelsee; leisure bus 7123 from Ottenhöfen station to the Hornisgrinde Turm stop at weekends
Hazards
- Weather
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,155 m
Grinde-HütteHutStaffed
Restaurant; OpenStreetMap lists Tuesday–Sunday and public holidays 10:30–17:30