Day 40 - Freiburg to Donaueschingen by train, then Donaueschingen! (This one is complete with captions, A wonderful day!) - Planned Spontaneity - CycleBlaze
Day 40 - Freiburg to Donaueschingen by train, then Donaueschingen! (This one is complete with captions, A wonderful day!)
Such a dream come true, it almost feels mystical
We had been planning on going to Titisee but we were unsure how to get there. Normally many cyclists take the train because of the huge climbs involved. But the train was not in service as they are rebuilding that part of the infrastructure this year. So we were looking at maps and asking at the visitor information and at the bahnhof and it came down to this: there were private companies that would take cyclists and their bikes to Titisee but they would be costing us at least 60 Eu and up. Another possibility was to take the trains by going north to Offenburg and then cut southeast, right through the black forest to Donaueschingen. Then it would be an easier cycle to Titisee.
Well, since Donaueschingen was on our to do list and a couple of really nice train rides would only cost us 34 eu total, we said why not, for sure!
So we said goodbye to our hosts, with hugs all round and bid them well as they were leaving on a 2 week cycle vacation that same morning.
We got to the station early enough to have the extra time to discover that while there was an elevator down, there was no elevator to get back up to the correct platform. Just then, guess who shows up but Martin and Elisa, saying "Hey guess what, we are on the same train as you!"
It was really great for us as Martin was able to help me schlep the loaded bikes up the stairs.
Here we are all together again, on the train to Offenburg
Here's how it works in this province of Germany: No charge for bikes on trains after 9 AM. So with one of the main bike-busy trains down for the year, a lot of cyclists were taking the same detour as us and everyone seemed to have targeted the 9:03 AM departure. Martin and Elisa were trying to make the same connection as we were and so were several other cyclists. The connection only had 6 minutes and it would be necessary to go down and up again on elevators plugged with cyclists and others with luggage. Since Martin and Elisa were trying to make 2 more connections after this next one, we suggested that we would do anything we could to see them off the train in a hurry and we would hold back because we didn't care if we had to stay an extra hour in Offenburg. It worked, by the time we made it up the second elevator, the train was gone and so were our friends. The next train was much less crowded and we really enjoyed the ride as we worked through the big hills of the black forest.
Beautiful landscapes as we approach the black forest
While on the train, it was hard to get any good pictures. The hills and the tunnels keep popping up in the way for one thing. But we had glimpses of absolutely beautiful valleys and villages.
We really had not decided what we were going to do when we got to Donaueschingen. I had prepared a route and loaded it on the Garmin in case we decided to go for Titisee. But we really wanted to have time to explore now that we were here. So we headed up into town and found the visitor information. They were extremely helpful and phoned a b&b for us that was 60 eu per night with breakfast and Frau Rottweiler saying come by right now and check in (only 1 PM at this point).
Erika absolutely loves this bed and this kind of place in general.
The B&B is well appointed, she has collected a lot of really beautiful wood carvings among other things and keeps the whole place immaculate. In the morning she serves a really lovely breakfast. But while getting settled in she explained to Erika about the KONUS card program that she belongs to. Anyone staying at her B&B get the card for the days they are there and all transportation (buses & trains) are free in the entire Schwartzwald, as well as discounts on most tourist attractions. After a bit of thought we said "We'll stay 3 nights"
And off we go to explore Donaueschingen and the beginning of the Donau radweg.
These are the pine cones that cuckoo clock weights are patterned after
This is where the waters of the Breg river and the Bregach river join. From here on the river is known as the Donau in Germany and the Danube in Austria. This is the stuff of dreams !!
Gardens around the burbling pool of water that is considered the "source" of the Donau. It is what is known as a Karsch spring and it runs into the Brigach and subsequently becomes the Donau. The gardens in the back ground are the gardens of Furstenberg Castle.
