off, a ruin rising out of the trees on the top of a hill overhanging the town. It is approached by a ziz-zag carriage-road, but there is a shorter path for pedestrians and riders. The path is delightfully sheltered with woodland trees, and seats placed at intervals enable the tourist to rest himself when so disposed. The Alte Schloss was the residence of the Margraves for many centuries, and was only abandoned by them in the fifteenth, when the abolishment of the right of private warfare enabled them to live with safety in the town where they built the new Château. The ruins lie on the northern ridge of the mountain of the old castle: the north-western point is built upon a rock of porphyry, and was probably the work of the Romans. The vegetation in these ruins is astonishing, especially on the western side. The most interesting parts are the cellar-vaults, the Knights' Hall, the galleries running round its mouldering battlements, from which you can enjoy many delightful prospects, and the high tower on the south-east side, ascended by a stone staircase; from the top you behold part of the beautiful Rhine, the mountains of the Black Forest, churches, mills, innumerable villages, clustering in delightful harmony around sylvan and winding streams. On the left you see a path leading from the gateway of the castle to Ebersteinburg, 2 miles off, and an old castle situated at the extremity of the village of the same name, upon an insulated rock, and commanding a splendid view. Good views may also be obtained from the Jagdhaus, the Y'burg, 6 miles off, and the Mercuriusberg, 5 miles off, on the top of which is a tower, and to both of which places pleasant excursions may be made. The Lichtenthal (Inns: Bär; Ludwigsbad; Löwe, apartments and pensions at reasonable rates.) The valley of the convent of the Lichenthal is approached by an avenue of shady oaks, commencing at the south end of the town. The nunnery was founded in 1245 by the Margravine Irmengard, and preserved when the other religious houses were secularised. The founder and many of the princesses of her race spent their days here in calm retirement. It is of the order of the Cistercians. The older and smaller of the two churches, ca.led the Funeral Chapel, has buried within it many of the Margraves and their families, over whose ashes are raised curious monuments, with their sculptured and carved effigies. It has been restored and redecorated with many paintings of the old German School; the most remarkable in the collection are those painted by Hans Balding, whose daughter died a nun in the cloister. The large building on the left side of the yard, is now the Orphan House, founded by Baron Stultz, the London tailor. The cloister has a very melancholy appearance, and is separated by a rushing stream from Mount Cecilia, which throws its shade over the solitary fabric; several walks lead to the top of the mount, from which a magnificent panoramic view of the hills and mountain in the direction of Baden will be enjoyed. There is an omnibus three times a day from Baden station to Lichtenthal; fare 55pf. Near Lichtenthal are the convent and village of Oberbeuren, lying at the entrance of a beautiful and picturesque valley, which stretches with its neat cottages and rural residences along the other bank of the rivulet. The valley abounds in scenes of quiet loveliness, sylvan magnificence, and the lover of nature will find himself well repaid by an excursion through it. You may proceed in a carriage as far as the picturesque village of Geroldsau, from which visitors can walk to the waterfall called the Butte, generally dried up in summer, but the walk is pleasant and worth having. An excursion may also be made over the mountains to Wildbad. Hotels: Klump, charmingly situated, first-class; Belle Vue, also very good, both well recommended; Bad Hotel; Frey; Keim; Russie. It is distant 18 miles from Baden-Baden, and may be reached by Eilwagen. The warm baths, 80° to 90°, are visited yearly by over 6,000 sufferers from rheumatism, old wounds, gout and paralysis. There is a fine Kurhaus, with café, reading room, &c., and charming walks and drives. may also be reached via Carlsruhe by railway. Wildbad A pedestrian disposed to make a tour of 12 or 14 miles might walk from Baden to Yburg, and thence to Geroldsau over the hills, returning to Baden by Lichtenthal, but a guide will be advisable for this. A carriage and two horses, costing about 15 marks, will take the traveller, not having much time to spare, to the principal objects of attraction in and around Baden, in about ten hours. He should first visit the old Schloss, occupying about three hours, and drive thence to Neu Eberstein by Lichtenthal, descending the Murgthal to Gernsbach; by Ottenau and Rothenfels, to Kuppenheim, from whence he can return to Baden or to Rastatt Station. The drive to Gernsbach and Neu Eberstein from Baden and back will occupy a forenoon; but the most delightful excursion that can be made from Baden is to the valley of Murg, which abounds in charming scenery, and is 10 leagues long. scenery is at one time mild and picturesque, at another bold and grand in its rugged wildness. The Forbach, which is 12 miles from Baden, terminates the day's excursion for parties intending to return to Baden. But it may be well to observe, that for those whose time does not hasten them on, the valley of the Murg is the door to the other magnificent valleys of the Black Forest. A few miles beyond Forbach the Rauenmünzach rushes down, over broken rocks into the Murg. At its extreme end the Murg loses all interest, but from the post station Schönmünzach, the Hornisgrinde and the Mummelsee may be visited. For these and other excursions, see Bradshaw's Hand-Book to Germany. ROUTE 30: Baden to Strassburg. Baden, see Route 29. From the junction at Oos (see page 158) the line skirts the Black Forest range, running along the level valley of the Rhine to Appenweier (Station), on the Great Baden Railway, whence a line branches off to the right to Kehl, before arriving at which we pass The Murgthal.-There are two roads, one by Lichtenthal and Beuren, the other by the Ebersteinburg, the latter is 2 miles the shorter. Pedestrians can take short cuts. The little town of Gernsbach, with several inns, a place of increasing resort, is reached in about an hour. A very prominent object is Schloss Eberstein, or the famous castle of Neu Eberstein, projecting from a rugged crag, and so situated as to have enabled its possessors in former days to command the passage of the valley and stream. It was rebuilt about the beginning of the century on the old site, and is antiquely furnished and ornamented with Gothic furniture, armour, painted glass, &c. It is the summer residence of the Grand Duke, and strangers are freely admitted to see it. The prospect is unique, both in an eastern and western direction, and there is scarcely a spot in Germany comparable to it. A zig-zag road leads from the castle gate to the Murg, giving a shorter footpath to Der Klingel, Kinzig and Schutter. It was burned and razed on or White Chapel. Behind Weissenbach, the churchyard of which peers down upon you from a shady hill, the road rises higher and higher, along over rocks with steep precipices, and the roaring river, soon lost amidst wild cliffs through which it has burst its way. The valley grows wilder and more picturesque the nearer we approach to Langenbrand. From here a short league takes us to Gernsbach, presenting all the appearance of a Swiss village. Here the road is enclosed by mountains on the left, touching on the right a chasm into which the Murg thunders its furious waters, maddened by the huge blocks of granite impeding its current. We soon arrive at the last village belonging to Baden, Forbach (Inns: Grünerhof; Krone).-Here all the beauties of the Murg pass from before us. Kork (Station). The line traverses the marshy district of the river Kinzig, which here joins the Rhine. Kehl (Station).-Population, 5,000. A small village, once a French fortress, situated on the bank of the Rhine, where it is joined by the many occasions, having been originally erected in 1688 by the French as a sort of outwork defence of Strassburg. The town was partly ruined in 1870, during the siege of Strassburg. The rail passes on to Strassburg, 2 miles distant, by a viaduct over the river. The blowing up of a portion of this viaduct by the Germans was one of the first acts in the war-which ended so disastrously for France, and made the Rhine an almost entirely German river. Between Strassburg and Kehl is a large island, the Sporen-Insel, which here divides the Rhine into two arms; on the left a bridge of boats connects the main land with the island. Kehl is 2 miles distant from Strassburg, which is reached in a quarter of an hour. Strassburg, see Route 28, ROUTE 31. Offenburg to Constance, through the Black Forest, by Schaffhausen, the Kinzigthal, and Donaueschingen. Distance from Offenburg to Schaffhausen, 102 English miles, and thence to Constance, 30 English miles. Black Forest line, Offenburg to Singen, 93 miles. Offenburg (Station) on the Frankfort and Bâle line (see Route 28). Hotels: Railway; Fortuna; Schwarzer Adler; Rheinischerhof. Population, 7,700. Here the people have erected a memorial statue to "Sir Francis Drake," as the supposed introducer of the potato into Europe. Starting on our route we proceed to the charming valley of the Kinzigthal, and pass Ortenberg with the picturesque ruins of an old castle. Here grows the most excellent red wine in the Grand Duchy of Baden. Gengenbach (Station)-Inns: Adler; Sonne. -Once an imperial town, with a late Abbey of Benedictines, now secularised. From Offenburg to this place the valley offers a great many beautiful views on either bank of the Kinzig. The town has 2,500 inhabitants, and its most remarkable buildings are the Cloister, the Guild Hall, the Merchants' Hall, the New Hospital, and the Church of St. Mark. The Church of the Cloister is a beautiful one. Behind Gengenbach, the valley gradually narrows, but at the same time begins to present a more picturesque and agreeable appearance-the mountains clothed in deep verdure, drawing closer at every step, enclose the charming meadow ground watered by the Kinzig, and forming the valley. Bieberach-Zell (Station)-Inns: Krone; Sonne; on the left bank of the river, close to Hausach. A lateral valley from here takes the tourist to Zell, on the Harmersbach, remarkable for its porcelain manufactory. Further up in the valley we come to Haslach (Station)-Inns: Furstenberg'scher Hof; Kreuz. Formerly the residence of the members of the house of Fürstenberg, to which Haslach and the neighbouring Hausach belong. Hausach (Station).-Hotels: Bahnhof; Hirsch; Krone; Engel,-Should the traveller here follow the road (instead of the rail) as more interesting, Hornberg (Station)—Inns: Post; Bär; Rossle; Schlosshold-with 1,900 inhabitants. The town of Hornberg formerly belonged to Württemberg, but is now under the sway of Baden. It lies in a narrow ravine,1,290 feet above sea, under a height surmounted by an old castle. Here the hill country of the Black Forest and the finest part of its scenery begin, among deep glens and pine woods, now traversed by the Black Forest Rail made by Herr Gerwig, the engineer of the St. Gothard line. About 3,500 men were employed on the works across the plateau of the Sommerau or water-shed of the Rhine and Danube, 2,780 feet above sea; and thirty-eight tunnels have been made, of a total length of 30,000 feet, the longest one being 5,600 feet. A fine view of the line may be had by walking from Hornberg to Triberg. The road leads up the valley of the Gutach, winding in immense curves until it suddenly carries you to the entrance of the little town of Triberg (Station)-Hotels: Schwarzwald, close to the Waterfall, is an excellent first-class establishment, managed by the proprietor and deservedly recommended. Omnibus to hotel, 60pf. English Divine Service in this hotel. Löwe; Ochs; Bellevue; Sonne, &c.-Romantically situated off the high road, and hemmed in by lofty precipices. Triberg is the principal market for the clocks of the Black Forest, and for the yellow-coloured straw hats worn by the peasantry. Over 200,000 of these clocks are yearly exported, under the name of Dutch clocks, to the various countries of Europe, and to America and China. The Waterfall will attract attention as the finest in Western Europe. It is formed by mountain brooks which unite, and from one of the precipices overhanging the town pour their waters 430ft. down into the chasm below in seven successive cascades. |