Schwarzwaldhochstrasse (Black Forest High Road)
Germanyscenic

Black Forest High Road (B500)

Cuckoo clocks, dark-wood villages, cake, and a high road that floats above the canopy

Distance
98 mi
158 km
Driving
3 hr 12 min
excl. stops
Suggested
2 days
balanced split
Stops
4
curated

Distance and driving time are measured along the mapped route through the 4 stops listed below. Officially signed versions of famous routes often quote a longer figure, since they include promoted detours this line doesn't take.

Schwarzwaldhochstrasse (Black Forest High Road) · Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Day by day

Distances are measured along the actual road geometry, not straight-line. Drive times exclude stops, traffic and ferry waits.

What the drive is like

It's split between the L96, the B500 and the B33, with no single road carrying more than 31% of it.

There's real climbing in this one: the road gets up to roughly 1,021 m near Baden-Baden, with something like 2,141 m of ascent over the whole drive.

The bigger places on the way are Wolfach and Hausach, handy for fuel and food between the stops.

Part of the drive follows the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse (B500).

  • L9631%
  • B50029%
  • B3322%
  • L4047%

How high it goes

~1,021 m near Baden-BadenBaden-BadenFreudenstadt · 155 km
Height above sea level along the driving route, measured at about 50 points. Total climb roughly 2,141 m.

Passes and famous roads

From the 500-plus roads drivers collect in the Plan Your Road Trips app.

Famous road · On the route

Schwarzwaldhochstrasse (B500)

Before you go

Best time to drive it

May to October

Open all year, but snow is common on the high section between November and March. Autumn colour peaks in October.

Indicative costs

  • Fuel (40 mpg petrol)€20
  • TollsFree

Fuel prices move constantly: treat these as a range, not a quote.

Driving rules

Emission zones, mandatory equipment and licence requirements change country by country, and in 2026 several of them changed mid-year.

Driving in Germany

Every stop on the Black Forest High Road (B500)

  1. Baden-Baden

    Start

  2. Mummelsee

    +27 km from the last stop

  3. Triberg

    +72 km from the last stop

  4. Freudenstadt

    +56 km from the last stop

Worth a detour

Curated places within 25 km of the road.

Show 4 more

  • Allerheiligen Waterfalls

    waterfall

    Seven cascades plunge through a wild rocky gorge beside a ruined monastery in the northern Black Forest near Oppenau.

  • Altes Schloss Hohenbaden

    castle

    Ruined twelfth-century castle walls crown a forested ridge above spa town Baden-Baden with sweeping Rhine valley views.

  • Hexenlochmühle

    cafe

    An 1825 mill with two working waterwheels deep in the 'witches' hollow' ravine between St. Märgen and Furtwangen, now a Black Forest café known for gateau, schnitzel, house-smoked ham and cuckoo clocks.

  • Schwarzwaldhochstrasse (B500)

    famous road

    The Black Forest High Road along the ridge from Baden-Baden to Freudenstadt, flowing curves through spruce forest.

Common questions about the Black Forest High Road (B500)

How long does the Black Forest High Road (B500) take?

The driving itself is about 3 hr 12 min across 98 miles (158 km). Most people spread it over 2 days: the day-by-day breakdown on this page splits it into balanced stretches rather than equal ones, so no single day is all driving.

How many miles is the Black Forest High Road (B500)?

98 miles, or 158 km, measured along the actual road rather than straight-line between towns.

When is the best time to drive the Black Forest High Road (B500)?

May to October. Open all year, but snow is common on the high section between November and March. Autumn colour peaks in October.

What does the Black Forest High Road (B500) cost in fuel?

Roughly €20 in fuel for a petrol car averaging 40 mpg. Motorways on this route are toll-free. Indicative only: fuel prices move.

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