Discover Kniebis: Hiking, Nature and Monastic History

Kniebis combines the Black Forest High Road with impressive trails, a unique monastic history and a wide range of opportunities for active days away. Those looking for a holiday apartment in Kniebis will find a place where nature experiences, culture and physical activity can be combined. Depending on your travel plans, you can explore historical traces, head for viewpoints, hike along the water or use winter trails.

Between the Black Forest High Road and the National Park

Kniebis is located directly on the Black Forest High Road and approximately 6 kilometres from the Black Forest National Park. The Black Forest High Road Visitor Centre is located directly on the B 28 between Freudenstadt and Strasbourg, at the highest point. This makes it a prominent point of orientation for your stay: the Kniebis Local Heritage Trail starts here, and several signposted sports routes also begin in the immediate vicinity of the visitor centre.

Monastery Ruins and Local Heritage Trail

The Kniebis monastery ruins preserve the remains of a former monastery church. A herb garden featuring the common herbs of the 9th century has been created next to the ruins. The Kniebis Local Heritage and History Association offers guided tours of the monastery and herb garden. This allows you to discover the site not only as a starting point for hikes, but also through its historical traces and the design of the garden.

The Kniebis Local Heritage Trail begins at the Black Forest High Road Visitor Centre in Kniebis. Another prominent route is the Kniebis Monastery Trail. It leads along narrow, steep, sometimes wet and consistently uneven paths through untouched, wild nature. You should take these characteristics into account when planning your day. If you want to choose a hike, this allows you to distinguish between a historically themed route and other activities focused more strongly on exercise or the landscape.

Viewpoints and Trails for Active Days

The Ellbachsee Viewpoint offers views down to Lake Ellbach, towards Mitteltal and as far as the Hornisgrinde, the highest mountain in the northern Black Forest. The view thus connects several landscape highlights and can be a rewarding destination during a day of hiking, without requiring you to focus your stay exclusively on historical sights.

Five signposted Nordic walking routes begin in Kniebis opposite the visitor centre, behind the small car park. Signposted mountain biking routes also start at the small car park opposite the visitor centre. These clearly marked starting points make it easier to choose when you want to plan different forms of physical activity during your stay. When looking for accommodation, you can therefore consider whether Kniebis, as a starting point for your preferred activities, fits your travel plans.

A signposted hike through the Forbach Valley leads downhill from Kniebis to Freudenstadt, always following the water. There are beautiful spots by the water along the way, including Laugbrunnenweiher. This route offers a different focus from the Monastery Trail: instead of narrow, steep and uneven paths, the route along the water takes centre stage. Those who enjoy collecting different landscape impressions can include both hiking ideas in their plans.

Winter Activities and Forest Swimming Pool

Kniebis also offers specific opportunities for winter activities. There are almost 100 kilometres of groomed cross-country ski trails on Kniebis, as well as two signposted snowshoe trails. In addition to hiking, this provides further routes that change the character of your stay depending on the season. The Kniebis Forest Swimming Pool also offers swimming lanes and a paddling pool. There are also opportunities to play volleyball and table tennis there.

A holiday apartment or holiday house in Kniebis can therefore serve as a starting point for very different days away: following in the footsteps of the monastery, enjoying views of Lake Ellbach and the Hornisgrinde, walking along trails through the Forbach Valley or cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter. What matters is which of these experiences you want to shape your stay. The location on the Black Forest High Road and the facilities around the visitor centre provide you with a clear point of reference for this.

Discover More Places

If you would like to get to know other places at the same destination level in addition to Kniebis, you can expand your search to include Dornstetten, Reinerzau, Erzgrube, Glatten, Freudenstadt, Schopfloch, Empfingen or Bad Rippoldsau-Schapbach.

To the higher-level travel overview: Freudenstadt.