Ostweg

The Ostweg starts in Pforzheim on the northern edge of the Black Forest and runs south to Schaffhausen in Switzerland. The full route is about 238.56 km in this itinerary, and official Schwarzwaldverein materials describe the long-distance trail as roughly 245 km from Pforzheim to Schaffhausen.

The Ostweg is commonly divided into 10 to 12 daily stages, depending on pace and overnight stops. A widely used 12-stage breakdown runs from Pforzheim to Bad Liebenzell, then through Oberhaugstett, Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Alpirsbach, Schramberg, Villingen, Sunthausen, Geisingen, Achdorf, Stuhlingen, and finishes in Schaffhausen.

Most hikers complete the Ostweg in about 10 to 12 days. At 238.56 km with 4,992 m of climbing, it fits a classic medium-difficulty multi-day schedule, and the official stage suggestions also support a roughly 12-day crossing.

The Ostweg runs north to south through the eastern side of the Black Forest, beginning in Pforzheim and heading toward Schaffhausen. Along the way it passes places including Bad Liebenzell, Pfalzgrafenweiler, Freudenstadt, Alpirsbach, Schramberg, Villingen, Geisingen, and Stuhlingen, with highlights such as the Monbachtal, the Baar plateau, the Wutachfluhen, and the Rhine near the finish.

The Ostweg is often more approachable than the higher, more alpine-feeling Black Forest ridge routes because it links many towns and villages along the way. Even so, it is still a 238.56 km multi-day hike with 4,992 m of ascent, so it suits fit beginners with solid day-hiking experience better than complete first-timers.

A standard first stage of the Ostweg runs from Pforzheim to Bad Liebenzell. That opening day is usually listed at about 25 km and introduces the route’s pattern of valleys, forest paths, and town-to-town progress on the eastern side of the Black Forest.

In the common 12-stage division, stage 8 of the Ostweg runs from Villingen to Sunthausen. That section is usually given as about 16.5 km, making it one of the shorter days on the route before the trail continues toward Geisingen, Achdorf, and Stuhlingen.