Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [391]
MARTINSKAPELLE
A secret even to many locals, Martinskapelle is a hot spot for cross-country skiing in winter and hiking when the snow melts. It’s named after the tiny chapel at the head of the Bregtal (Breg Valley). The steep road up to the 1100m peak negotiates some pretty hairy switchbacks, swinging past wood-shingle farmhouses that cling to forested slopes. A scenic year-round walk is the 4km woodland stroll to Brendturm (1149m) which, on cloud-free days affords views reaching from Feldberg to the Vosges and Alps. After a seasonal dump of snow, cross-country skiers glide along waymarked Loipen, including a 2km floodlit track.
Höhengasthaus Kolmenhof ( 07723-931 00; An der Donauquelle; mains €9.50-14.90; closed Wed dinner & Thu) fills up with ruddy-cheeked skiers and walkers, who pile into this rustic bolt-hole for Glühwein (mulled wine) and soul food. Despite what critics (who have argued until blue in the face since 1544) may say, the Danube’s main source is right here. This accounts for the freshness of the trout, served smoked, roasted in almond butter, or poached in white wine.
Bus 7270 runs roughly hourly from the Marktplatz in Triberg to Escheck (€1.80, 23 minutes); from here it’s a 4.5km walk to Martinskapelle. If you’re driving, take the B500 from Triberg following signs to Schwarzenbach, Weissenbach and the K5730 to Martinskapelle.
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Villingen-Schwenningen
Villingen 07721, Schwenningen 07720 / pop 81,000
Encircled by impenetrable walls that look as though they were built by the mythical local giant, Romäus, Villingen’s Altstadt is a medieval time capsule, laced with cobbled streets and handsome patrician houses. Though locals nickname it the Städtle (little town), the name seems inappropriate during February’s mammoth, weeklong Fasnet celebrations (see boxed text, opposite).
Villingen and Schwenningen trip simultaneously off the tongue, yet each town has its own flavour and history. Villingen once belonged to the Grand Duchy of Baden and Schwenningen to the duchy of Württemberg; conflicting allegiances that apparently can’t be reconciled. Villingen, it must be said, is the more attractive of the twin towns.
ORIENTATION & INFORMATION
Surrounded by a ring road, Villingen’s Altstadt is criss-crossed by mostly pedestrianised streets: north–south Obere Strasse and Niedere Strasse, and east–west Bickenstrasse and Rietstrasse. The Bahnhof and bus station are east of the ring on Bahnhofstrasse. Schwenningen’s centre is 5km east.
Post office (Bahnhofstrasse 6, Villingen)
Villingen tourist office ( 822 340; www.tourismus-vs.de; Rietgasse 2; 9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 11am-5pm Sat) In the Franziskaner Museum.
SIGHTS
Walking Villingen’s Altstadt, guarded by remarkably well-preserved ring walls and city gates, can feel like time travel. The main crowd-puller is the red-sandstone Münster (Münsterplatz) with disparate spires: one overlaid with coloured tiles, the other spiky and festooned with gargoyles. The Romanesque portals with haut-relief doors depict dramatic biblical scenes.
Right opposite is the step-gabled Altes Rathaus and Klaus Ringwald’s Münsterbrunnen, a bronze fountain and a tongue-in-cheek portrayal of characters that have shaped Villingen’s history. The square throngs with activity on Wednesday and Saturday mornings when market stalls are piled high with local goodies.
Next to the 13th-century Riettor and occupying a former Franciscan monastery, the Franziskaner Museum ( 822 351; Rietgasse 2; adult/concession €3/2; 1-5pm Tue-Sat, 11am-5pm Sun) skips merrily through Villingen’s history and heritage. Standouts include Celtic artefacts unearthed at Magdalenenberg, 30 minutes’ walk south of the centre. Dating to 616 BC, the enigmatic site is one of the largest Hallstatt burial chambers ever discovered in Central Europe and is shaded by a 1000-year-old