Furtwangen im Schwarzwald

Furtwangen im Schwarzwald is a small town in the Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis district of Baden-Württemberg. It sits between roughly 850 and 1,150 metres above sea level in the central Black Forest. The town calls itself the highest in the state, and about 9,000 people live across its main settlement and outlying districts.

Three things shape the place: a clockmaking history that produced the German Clock Museum, the Breg river that carries the Danube’s longest headwater, and Hochschule Furtwangen University. Its students fill the town during term time.

Travelers who plan around those three threads get a clear, workable day here: a walk to the Breg source near Martinskapelle, a climb up the Brend for the view, and a drive through the Hexenloch valley. The Clock Museum remains closed for renovation and is expected to reopen in 2027.

Key Takeaways

• Furtwangen sits in the upper Bregtal of the central Black Forest, about 25 kilometres west of Villingen-Schwenningen.
• The Breg rises near Martinskapelle at 1,078 metres and is the hydrological source of the Danube, while Donaueschingen holds the named Donauquelle.
• The German Clock Museum is closed for renovation until an expected 2027 reopening, so check current access before visiting.

Where Is Furtwangen and What Defines Its Setting?

Furtwangen lies in the upper Bregtal of the central Black Forest, inside the Schwarzwald-Baar district of Baden-Württemberg. It sits roughly 25 kilometres west of Villingen-Schwenningen and about 35 kilometres east of Freiburg. Four outlying districts spread across the surrounding high valleys.

The Upper Bregtal in the Central Black Forest

The town fills the valley of the upper Breg, one of two headstreams that form the Danube. Spruce-covered slopes rise on both sides, and the valley floor narrows as it climbs west toward the watershed.

Furtwangen falls within the Naturpark Südschwarzwald (South Black Forest Nature Park). The wider Black Forest region stretches south and north from here.

Districts and Surrounding Localities

Furtwangen covers 82.57 square kilometres and includes four districts:

• Linach — a small valley settlement north of town, near the Linach reservoir dam
• Neukirch — a state-approved climatic health resort (Luftkurort)
• Rohrbach — a rural district on the northern side of the municipality
• Schönenbach — the most remote of the four, set in a quiet side valley

Furtwangen itself carries the designation Erholungsort (recognized recreation resort). Vöhrenbach lies downstream along the Breg, while Gütenbach sits west across the ridge.

A High-Elevation Town on the European Watershed

With elevations from 850 to 1,150 metres, Furtwangen is one of the snowiest inhabited places in Germany. Snow cover lasts well into spring on the higher ground.

The main European watershed runs just west of the Breg source. Water on one side flows to the Black Sea by way of the Danube. Only a few hundred metres away, water drains north through the Elz to the Rhine and the North Sea.

What Is Furtwangen Known For?

Furtwangen is known for clockmaking, the German Clock Museum, and Hochschule Furtwangen University. The two are linked: the school that grew into the university began as a clockmakers’ training institute in 1850. Its founders wanted to improve the quality of Black Forest clock production.

Clockmaking and the German Clock Museum

Black Forest clock production spread through farmhouse workshops from the 18th century, and Furtwangen became one of its organizing centres. The German Clock Museum holds one of the world’s largest collections of timekeeping objects, from wooden-geared farm clocks to industrial-era pieces.

The museum is currently closed for Sanierungsarbeiten (renovation work), with reopening expected in 2027. Anyone planning a trip around it should confirm the status with the museum before booking.

Hochschule Furtwangen University and Modern Education

Hochschule Furtwangen University (HFU) is a Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften, a university of applied sciences. It teaches engineering, computer science, media, business, and health subjects across campuses in Furtwangen, Villingen-Schwenningen, and Tuttlingen.

The Furtwangen campus shapes the town’s rhythm. Several thousand students arrive during term time in a place of roughly 9,000 residents, which helps explain the range of cafés and student housing.

Industry, Design, and Local Cultural Figures

Precision manufacturing replaced clock assembly as the economic base. Local firms work in medical technology, plastics, and electronics, drawing on the same tradition of fine mechanical work.

The town’s cultural record includes the painter Johann Baptist Kirner (1806–1866), born here and known for genre scenes of Black Forest life, and the architect Hugo Eberhardt. Furtwangen also produced a run of Nordic combined and ski jumping athletes, among them Martin Schmitt, Georg Hettich, Thorsten Schmitt, Alexander Herr, and Manuel Faißt, along with the tennis player Dominik Koepfer. The writer Christabel Bielenberg spent part of her wartime years in the nearby Bregtal.

How Does the Breg Connect Furtwangen to the Danube?

The Breg rises about six kilometres northwest of Furtwangen and flows 46 kilometres to Donaueschingen, where it joins the Brigach to form the Danube. Because the Breg is the longer and larger of the two headstreams, hydrologists treat its spring as the true source of the river.

The Breg Source Near Martinskapelle

The spring sits at 1,078 metres near the Martinskapelle, a small chapel on the ridge road above the valley. The site is protected as a natural monument and marked by a stone basin and signage.

It lies about 100 metres southeast of the European watershed. Roughly 900 metres away, the Elz rises in the same longitudinal valley and runs the other way, toward the Rhine.

Why Furtwangen Uses the Donauquellstadt Designation

Furtwangen describes itself as Donauquellstadt (city of the Danube source) on hydrological grounds: the Breg contributes the greater length and volume. Donaueschingen maintains the ceremonial Donauquelle, a walled spring in the palace park fed by the Donaubach. Tradition and monuments have treated it as the named source for centuries.

Both claims rest on different definitions. The confluence east of Donaueschingen is where the river takes the name Danube, and neither town disputes that point.

The Route From Furtwangen to Donaueschingen

The Breg leaves Furtwangen heading east through a broader, more settled valley toward Vöhrenbach, then turns southeast through forest. The old Bregtalbahn railway line once followed this route; today, its trackbed carries a cycle path.

Past Bräunlingen, the river leaves the Black Forest and crosses the open Baar plateau by way of Hüfingen. Average discharge at the Donaueschingen gauge is 5.95 cubic metres per second.

Which Sights and Outdoor Experiences Are Worth Planning?

The Brend summit, the Günterfelsen rock formation, and the Hexenlochmühle water mill form the core of a day outdoors around Furtwangen. All three sit within a short drive of town, and marked Wanderwege (hiking trails) connect them.

Brend and the Aussichtsturm Brend

The Brend rises to 1,149 metres northwest of Furtwangen and is the highest point in the immediate holiday region. A road reaches a car park below the summit, and the walk up takes about 15 minutes.

The Aussichtsturm Brend, a steel observation tower at the top, offers views across the central Black Forest toward the Feldberg and, in clear weather, the Alps. A mountain inn stands beside it.

Günterfelsen and Forest Walking Routes

Günterfelsen is a granite outcrop near the Brend ridge, reached on foot from the Martinskapelle area. The stacked blocks stand out from the surrounding spruce forest and mark a common waypoint on ridge walks.

Several circular routes link the chapel, the Danube source, and the rocks. Distances run between 5 and 12 kilometres, with moderate climbs.

Hexenlochmühle and the Valley Landscape

The Hexenlochmühle sits in the narrow Hexenloch gorge on the road between Furtwangen and St. Märgen, close to Gütenbach. It is the only Black Forest mill with two working water wheels, and it houses a shop and a café.

The gorge road is scenic but tight, with limited parking near the mill. Arrive before mid-morning to avoid the worst congestion in summer.

Hiking, Cycling, and Winter Activities

Furtwangen works as a base year-round:

• Hiking: waymarked trails to the Danube source, Brend, and Kesselberg; longer routes connect toward the Feldberg
• Cycling: the Bregtal cycle path follows the old railway toward Donaueschingen, mostly downhill eastbound
• Winter: cross-country tracks along the ridges, small downhill lifts, and reliable snow cover thanks to the altitude

The town’s ski boarding school has trained several national-level Nordic athletes. German hiking culture shapes how these trails are signed and maintained.

How Should You Plan a Visit?

Furtwangen has no passenger rail station, so most visitors arrive by car or regional bus. Freiburg, Triberg, and Donaueschingen all work as gateways, and each drive takes under an hour.

Getting There From Freiburg, Triberg, and Donaueschingen

From	Distance	Approx. drive	Public transport
Freiburg	~35 km	50 min	Train to Kirchzarten or Titisee, then bus
Triberg	~20 km	30 min	Regional bus
Donaueschingen	~30 km	40 min	Bus via Vöhrenbach
Villingen-Schwenningen	~25 km	35 min	Direct regional bus

The engineer Robert Gerwig, who designed the Black Forest Railway through Triberg, also directed the Furtwangen clockmaking school. Those two careers reveal a lot about how the region opened up during the 19th century.

Weather, Altitude, and Seasonal Conditions

At 850 to 1,150 metres, Furtwangen stays several degrees cooler than Freiburg in the Rhine valley. Snow usually remains from December into March, and mountain roads such as the Hexenloch route require winter tyres.

Summer daytime highs usually sit in the low 20s Celsius. On autumn mornings, fog fills the valley while the Brend rises above it in the sun.

Current Access, Renovation Updates, and Local Information

The German Clock Museum remains closed for Sanierungsarbeiten until its expected reopening in 2027. The Danube source, Martinskapelle, Brend tower, and Hexenlochmühle remain accessible, although the Brend inn and mill café keep seasonal hours.

Stadt Furtwangen posts current notices on its official site, while Schwarzwald Tourismus GmbH covers regional trail and lift conditions. Wider Baden-Württemberg coverage on Everything About Germany can help place Furtwangen within a longer route. The site’s trip planning basics also cover transport passes and timing. Check bus schedules and opening times with operators before setting out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Furtwangen im Schwarzwald located?

Furtwangen sits in the Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis district of Baden-Württemberg, in the upper Bregtal of the central Black Forest. It lies about 25 kilometres west of Villingen-Schwenningen and roughly 35 kilometres east of Freiburg. With an elevation ranging from 850 to 1,150 metres, it is the highest town in the state.

What is Furtwangen im Schwarzwald known for?

Furtwangen is known for its Black Forest clockmaking history and the German Clock Museum, which holds one of the world’s largest horological collections. It is also home to Hochschule Furtwangen University, a university of applied sciences that grew from the town’s 1850 clockmaking school.

The nearby Breg source gives Furtwangen a third claim to fame as the hydrological starting point of the Danube.

Which river flows through Furtwangen?

The Breg flows through Furtwangen, running east from its spring near the Martinskapelle. At 46 kilometres, it is the longest and most voluminous headstream of the Danube.

It joins the Brigach at Donaueschingen to form the Danube proper.

Is the German Clock Museum in Furtwangen open?

The German Clock Museum is closed for renovation, with reopening expected in 2027. Visitors planning a trip around the collection should check the museum’s official announcements before travelling.

Other Furtwangen sights, including the Danube source and the Brend tower, remain open.

Is Furtwangen Baden or Swabian?

Furtwangen belongs to the historic region of Baden and sits within the Low Alemannic dialect area, which differs from Swabian. The Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis district formed in 1973 by combining Badenese and Württemberg territory, bringing Baden and Swabian traditions together in one administrative unit.

People in Furtwangen speak in line with Alemannic patterns.

💡 Essential Travel Tips

Explore the historic Old Town (Altstadt) on foot and use the local S-Bahn/U-Bahn network.

🥨 Local Insights & Food Culture

Purchase a 24-hour transit day pass (Tageskarte) for unlimited city travel.