Wednesday 10

To the Black Forest

We drive south through the Rhineland Palatinate to our first stop at Johanniskreuz an ancient cross roads and meeting point dating back to the Celtic times - today it is a 'Bikers' Treffpunkt and the roads are made for bikes and MGFs after coffee we take the road through the Elmsteiner Tal (Valley) which is closed to Motorcycles on Sundays and Bank Holidays as they (the bikers) have a habit of trying to 'kill' themselves.
After this little diversion it south to Annweiller and Burg Trifels here in the Imperial Castle of Trifels is where the Emperor, Henry VI, kept King Richard Lionheart of England prisoner from 1193 to 1194. We can stretch our legs as we take a walk up to what was once on of Southern Germany's most important castles.
Then we drive down to Bad Bergzabern, an attractive old town, for refreshments.
Continuing southwards we briefly cross into France over the Maginot Line and the fortress Schoenenbourg before crossing the Rhine to get to the old town of Rastatt which in former days was a Royal Resort, here we pause for afternoon coffee then into the Black Forest proper and a drive along the Hochstrasse a road built before the second world war which runs along the crest of the hills - most of its time at more than 3000 feet above sea level we pause at Der Mummelsee for a quick break and then it just a short drive to our hotel at Schapbach in the Wolfach Valley a few minutes drive from Wolfach.

A journey of less than 200 miles today.