Walking Through the Nagold Valley - Germany

Hello friends. I decided to walk from Nagold to Calw recently. I was a bit surprised to see that it was 27 kilometers. I thought it would be much shorter. But at least there was a river here and I wanted to try walking along it. Nagold is actually an interesting town. I've been here a few times before. Its unique feature is that it's located in a valley between tall mountains. Well, not tall like the Alps, more like hills. So it's situated in a basin surrounded by hills. On top of those hills, there are quite tall buildings too. While walking I saw apartment blocks with five to nine floors.

I reached a place called Promenade and that’s actually its name. The plan to walk all the way to Calw was a bit ambitious. But the good thing was that I could follow the river. That meant almost no hills. Of course, it’s not always possible to walk directly by the river. Not everywhere has a riverside or bike path. Or rather, bike paths are usually there, but sometimes they veer away from the river. So at times, you need to climb up.

The river here is called the Nagold River. There was the sound of flowing water and the weather was quite hot. Still I didn’t regret wearing a sweatshirt. Some people were in t-shirts. It actually helped while walking because it was cooler near the river. There’s a decent bridge crossing over the river here. What stood out was that the water level seemed lower than normal. After walking for a while, I got caught in the wind. Yes, the sweatshirt helped a second time. Actually, it served double duty. Slowly, the cityscape became clearer. There are small houses on the hills. That’s the nature of the city. You don’t see many tall buildings, but there’s a beautiful church along the way. The sunlight was hitting it just right, making it a pleasant sight.

Overall there are mostly newer houses. When I first came to Nagold, I thought it would be a nice place to live. You can still reach Stuttgart, even if it takes a few transfers. Either via Pforzheim or, like I did that day, through Herrenberg. Though that route takes longer. This area is officially part of the Black Forest.

Near the river somewhere close to the town center, I got curious about the rental prices. There was a 100 square meter apartment with panoramic windows. The price was around 2500 to 3000 euros. In Stuttgart, a similar apartment would probably cost about the same. The pricing system is strange overall. Even in small towns and Nagold is relatively small, rents are sky-high. I think around 20,000 people live here, yet rents are through the roof. Property prices must also be high. I guess it's because of its proximity to Stuttgart.

So if you want to live in places like this, you can’t really save money. And you’re also a bit removed from the city. If you’re in a rural village where the bus comes every two hours, a car becomes essential. Otherwise, you can’t go anywhere. There might not even be a proper market. Maybe just one large store serving the whole neighborhood. In that case, yes, rent might be a bit lower.

When I first came here, I arrived on foot from Herrenberg. That’s the last stop of the express bus. The place I left from today is almost the other end of the same route. So last time I walked from one end to the other. That day, I decided to go straight through the town. It’s more like the outskirts because there aren’t any tall buildings. I was going downstream along the river. But when I saw the distance to Calw, I was very surprised. I thought it was about 10 kilometers.

I didn’t have food, water or a backpack. I left them out on purpose. Walking 27 kilometers is about 35.000 steps. The weather was still cool, not too hot. I wasn’t thirsty at first, but after walking 10 to 15 kilometers, you naturally get thirsty. I thought maybe a gas station would appear along the way.

Some taller buildings appeared ahead. There were nine-story ones. That’s how it is around here. The promenade here, the riverside path, is actually quite good by general standards. Usually you don’t find proper walking paths by rivers. Either it's an old car road, probably built in the early 20th century, patched a dozen times and no longer walkable. Or the path is 100 meters away from the river. No elevation difference, but you can't see the river. This river is usually very calm because of dams. Sometimes there’s a small waterfall sound. But most of the time, it’s still like a lake.

After a while, I saw pretty little hills and blooming dandelions. When I turned right, a field appeared. The river flows right behind that field. The road also passes through there. But I was no longer walking directly along the river. Still, it was beautiful. Along the way, there were pine trees and more dandelions.

I still wanted to find a proper walking route along a river. There was a roughly 15 km path. It was possible to walk downstream from Waiblingen. Fifteen to twenty kilometers is doable. I had been there once. The river isn't that wide, but it's still nice. Not like this place though. This area feels almost like the Alps. There are hardly any people. I don’t know why. Probably only locals walk here and only on weekends. It was Sunday that day, but there was almost no one. Maybe I always choose the quiet routes. Still, it’s surprising that on such an obvious walking route along a river through a forest no one was around. People in Germany do like hiking after all.

I was now outside the city limits. The next settlement was at least three kilometers away. There were some signs showing directions to small villages. Overall, the road turned out to be quite pleasant. I walked under the highway, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. Very few people were around. On foot, I only saw one woman walking her dog between two settlements. No other pedestrians. Just me, walking by myself.

The river was clean. I passed by a few wells, small huts fenced off with wire. According to the labels, they were drinking water wells. So people here drink that water. Not directly from the river of course, but from underground sources. It’s Black Forest water, so it's good quality. Naturally it gets treated.

I occasionally heard cars, but it wasn’t disturbing. The walk was comfortable. There were no climbs, just slight elevations. The path was flat and easy. Sometimes bugs hit my face, but they were probably happy bees full of nectar. The smell of flowers was very pleasant. Not just dandelions. Other flowers had bloomed too. Most of the trees were some kind of pine.

A train passed overhead. An RB train, probably coming from Horb. By the way, there are no electric trains here. This line is a single-track in both directions. Only one train can pass at a time. And it’s not electric. It runs on diesel or petrol. Not very eco-friendly. I think it runs once an hour in each direction. But that’s an advantage for us. If we get tired, we can just wait an hour and go back.

Eventually I saw fruit orchards up in the hills. I estimate the altitude here to be around 370 meters. I started the descent from Nagold at 530 meters. So there’s a height difference of about 150 to 160 meters. I wonder what happens here during floods. On previous routes, floods had occurred. I think it was at the end of 2021. Many towns were underwater back then. I don’t know exactly where, but it really happened. It makes you wonder what happens in a bowl-shaped town like Nagold when it floods. Because everything coming down the mountains passes right through the city. It literally flows between the houses.

Then I came across a nice bridge. That’s why I love walking in Germany. Here, everyone can go outside. There are countless trails, paths and areas to walk. There are endless alternatives for walking routes. And each time, you see something new. No matter how much you walk, there’s still so much left to discover. If we wanted to, we could go all the way to Lake Constance. There are huge walking areas by the lake. You can even see the Alps in the distance. Not everywhere, but in some spots they’re clearly visible. I wouldn’t call it spectacular, but it’s certainly charming.

Baden-Württemberg is also beautiful. Compared to Bavaria, of course, it's less impressive. Bavaria has the Alps, alpine lakes, especially in the south. Majestic landscapes. But Baden-Württemberg is really great for walking. It doesn’t require the hardcore hiking that Bavaria does. During a past holiday, we went to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and stayed for three nights.

I arrived at a treatment facility. I’m not exactly sure what they’re treating. Maybe sewage, or maybe they’re just chlorinating water. There was no smell of soap, no chemical odor, nothing else really. You sometimes see structures like this along rivers. There was one on the Körsch too, the river that runs right through Stuttgart.

There were dried pine trees around here. Sad to see. It even looked like something had been burned. Probably something central and controlled. Maybe the forest got sick and they burned it in a managed way.

Then I caught another whiff of flowers. I call them mimosa, though they’re not really mimosa, but the scent is similar. There were large farm animals too. There’s a big fence here, so they can’t attack or anything. Everything feels safe. Honestly, I don’t see animals like this very often. Even cows are rare. The fenced-off area looked like part of a farm.

Up to this point I’d walked maybe six or seven kilometers. I’d passed just one village and only on the outskirts. There was a mill on the river, so I had to climb a bit since it was private property. I went up a 15 meter slope and came down again. There aren’t many villages out here. That also means very few public water stations or bakeries selling snacks. Not that I planned to buy anything. But I liked the idea that if there was some sign of civilization nearby, I could at least grab something. A pastry or so, if needed. By the way, bakeries in Germany can be open on Sundays, yes, but usually only until noon or maybe 2 pm. That’s a bit of a problem. Then your only option is gas stations. Not all of them are open either. The smaller ones near residential areas can be closed.

Further ahead I saw a colorful structure. As I got closer, it turned out to be another small dam. I thought it might be a sign of civilization, but not really. A few cyclists passed by. Not a bad number, but still low by German standards. It was a Sunday, after all. Usually everyone’s out on their bikes. For example, between Feuerbach and Mönchingen in Stuttgart, there are beautiful paths through the fields with great views. It gets crowded, almost like a bicycle highway. Out here, not so many people. Then again, the population is lower. Still, I think quite a few people drive here just to cycle.

I arrived at a hotel. The Wildberg Hotel. An interesting place. I wondered where you’re supposed to pick up the keys. It’s built right along the riverbank. Fenced off, with the river flowing below. It’s open, but unclear whether it’s a hotel or more of a summer house. There seemed to be a train stop too. I’d seen a sign for it a few kilometers back.

I kept walking. There was a campground around here, which meant suddenly lots of people. I’d been walking alone for a while before that. There was even a small shop. Finally, for the first time in a long while, I saw a place where you could actually buy something. Ahead, there was a gas station right by the train tracks. By that point, I’d walked 11 kilometers, so I had about four more to go. I reached the gas station. It was open. A few people were inside. Looked like they were serving hot coffee too. At the entrance there was an ice cream freezer. Next to it drinks, chips... the usual gas station convenience store setup. Small but useful.

The train line was running right beside me. Trains don’t come that often, but they do pass a few times a day. That’s important for these small towns. Someone traveling from Wildberg to Stuttgart can get there in about an hour. Close to nature, but still with decent transportation. People can live without being in the city. Though of course, more job opportunities are in the city.

The path I was walking was totally flat. No incline or decline. It didn’t strain my feet. I had a backpack on, but it wasn’t heavy. On hikes like this, the most important thing is your shoes. If they’re not comfortable, you won’t even manage five kilometers. That’s why I always wear proper hiking shoes. Even on asphalt, they protect your knees and ankles.

This region is known as the Schwarzwald. The Black Forest. It really lives up to the name. Dark and dense. But also enchanting. There are trails through the woods, some marked, some not. But it’s hard to get lost. You usually follow either the river or the train line. One way or another, you end up back on track.

I entered the forest again. I didn’t know what would come next. But that’s exactly why I love hiking. It’s full of surprises. This area is peaceful and pleasant. Everyone is here. Cyclists, the railway, cars. It feels like the only proper route through the region. But at least walking is easy. No serious climbing. Maybe in a few places you go up and down 10 meters, that’s it. On the left side there was a dense pine forest. I think you could find some good mushrooms in there. The climate seems suitable. The river probably gets foggy in the mornings, especially between summer and autumn. And the temperature changes are pretty sharp. In the shade, wearing a thick top feels fine. But the moment you step into the sun, you’re sweating within five minutes.

A black bird flew past me. Maybe a cormorant, not sure. Interesting that it lives in such a shallow river. The depth here is no more than 50 cm. In some places only 10 to 30 cm. I can’t understand how those big trout grow in this water. Cyclists were heading uphill but didn’t seem to struggle too much. This is Baden-Württemberg. There are always small hills. That’s why, for long walks, it makes more sense to follow the riverbanks. Otherwise, it’s up and down constantly. The goal, after all, is to cover as much ground as possible and see new things.

Of course, when you go up and come down quickly, your legs do get tired. One other great thing about this walking route: plenty of shade. It was around 3 pm. The sun wasn’t right above me, but it was still hot. When I walked from Herrenberg to Nagold, there hadn’t been much forest. Mostly fields. Walking in summer without sunscreen, a hat or a cap would be tough. It can reach 35 degrees here in summer and the sun is really strong.

I really liked the route. It was almost entirely paved. Just a bit of gravel and dirt road, but even that was smooth. No mud, so no ticks either. At one point, something flew into my ear. Turned out it was just a pine needle. For a moment I thought it was a caterpillar. Then I came across an interesting village. I guessed there were about 20 or 30 houses. I passed a few more. Maybe it stretches up the slopes. People still live in places like this. Far from the city and civilization, but still living. There was an automatic lawn mower, some sheep roaming around, an old tractor by the side. People live everywhere. Wherever you go, someone’s living there. And they all seem pretty civilized. This was a village, but there were parked Porsches and everything.

I still had 10 kilometers to Calw. Fascinating places around here. Then I passed through a campground. It was quite organized and official-looking. You can’t usually camp anywhere you like here. It takes up too much space and can disturb people. Some were staying overnight.

I continued walking through the Nagold Valley. Not many villages here. Ahead was a small settlement of about 40 houses, called Zzenthal. The next village, Kochlerstal, was about a kilometer away. Very few pedestrians. Only some cyclists and a few hikers. Most of the time, it had just been me. Near Wildberg there were a few others, probably locals. They were walking along leafy paths. I was still on my own.

Another small settlement appeared. The village was tiny. Just a few houses. The sound of the river was loud. No dam, just the river itself rushing along. This village was even smaller than the last, I think. No abandoned houses or anything. It looked more well-kept. There were sheep too, kept within designated areas.

There are really cool spots around here. Bicycle routes are all over Baden-Württemberg. If you see hiking signs, you can be sure there’s a proper trail ahead. Just outside the village there was a newly built bridge. A few more houses, then the village ended. After that, I had to walk alongside a highway.

Google Maps said it would take 53 minutes to reach Calw. I figured I’d do it in 47 or 48. Navigation suggested a slightly longer but safer route. Through the trees, the rooftops of Calw started to appear. I’d never walked in this town before, though I’d been there twice. Calw is a small and charming city. They say the population is around 25,000. But the town feels larger. There are shops, markets, even big-name stores. Civil life is lively. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes to get to Stuttgart by train or bus. The diesel train line here is a bit slow, but the scenery is lovely. I had reached my destination. It was a tough walk, but also very rewarding.