DonauWelle Klippeneck Climb

Donauwelle Klippeneck-Steig Start: Grube hiking car park near the Schützenhaus. 🔺Weiße Bruck. 🔺Studentenweg/view of Spaichingen. 🔺Stations of the Cross to the Dreifaltigkeitsberg. 🔺Dreifaltigkeitsberg. 🔺Paragliding area. 🔺St. Joseph's Chapel. 🔺Nothelfer Chapel with Stations of the Cross. 🔺Schützenhaus. 5-star tour ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Moderate climbs up to km 3.34. But then it gets tough, steep up to km 5.04, from 760m to 960m Special feature: Lots and lots of rest areas. There are always opportunities to sit down and take a breather on the Klippenecksteig. Restaurant on the Dreifaltigkeitsberg Opening hours: Tue-Sun, 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Kitchen: 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. (as of January 30, 2025)

The Klippenecksteig is the shortest tour of the Danube waves. The route is quickly explained. From the hiker's car park, a station path first leads through beautiful forest, then a somewhat steeper forest path up to the cliff corner, from there it's a forest path with beautiful views on the ridge to Trinity Mountain and from there, also on a way of the cross, back to the foot of the mountain. The final stage stretches across sunny meadows along the former Heubergbahn railway line to the starting point. With this wonderful winter weather, running is a pleasure almost everywhere, plus the beautiful views, the pretty church and the nice excursion restaurant on the mountain - the best ingredients for a perfect trip.

So, the second tour started in Denkingen, below the Klippeneck, a small parking lot for hikers in the first serpentine up to the mountain. Right at the beginning it was really bitter, it was more flowing water than road, all the rainwater ran out of the Swabian Alb. But when the way slowly screwed up, it got much better. After a few "waves" to warm up, along the stations of a crossroads, the great ascent came. First very steep, then two loops to calm the hiker, then stairs, a lot of stairs, up to the Trinity Chapel. Here, of course, good activity and great views. From Dreifaltigkeitsberg it went, at times on the HW1, always along the edge, to the Klippeneck glider airfield. This section is very beautiful, quiet wet forests, great viewpoints. Directly at the glider airfield it goes back down to Denkingen, but the descent is easy to do. Incidentally, along a different way of the cross, for me as a "believer in the desert" (Protestant) a completely new experience. :-) Nice path, I can only recommend it, it should be dry for 3 days beforehand.

The tour was ok. But I would have expected a little more. It was relatively short. But the prospects are great. You can do it again.

Today we were able to go hiking again. It was quite early towards Heuberg. The starting point was near Denkingen on the hiking car park opposite the Keippanlage at 24 grand. At first it went along quite wide paths. These branched off again and again across the meadows. This of course made the distance a few meters longer. A surprise followed at picture 24 (🐿 at breakfast). After about 3.5 km it got really interesting. The ascent to Trinity Mountain on the Way of the Cross. Approx. 420 steps, one section of the path was completely closed (images 48, 51). Now it was time to climb. From the Dreifaltigkeitsberg you have a magnificent view of the Black Forest. Worth seeing is the pilgrimage church, the fountain house and the crib exhibition (free of charge). There is a refreshment stop and public toilets (free of charge). It continues about 2.5 km in a northerly direction along the eaves. Again and again there are wonderful views in a westerly direction to the Black Forest. This was followed by the descent via the Norhelferkapelle, the Way of the Cross past the Waldgasthof Schützenhaus. There we strengthened ourselves after the temperatures rose above 30°C. To the surprise, 3 alpine horn players played there today 👍. These came from the region of Schaffhausen. The bad weather fronts slowly made their way. Now it was only a few meters past the Kneipp facility to the starting point. Conclusion: Very nice and varied hike. Highly recommended in today's temperatures as most of the route runs through the forest. However, some passages are quite overgrown (danger of ticks)🙈. The last storm also contributed to some climbing🤩.

Nice, pleasant but unspectacular circular route with distant views and refreshment stops

Nice tour with the perfect weather. The Way of the Cross, which leads to the Trinity Mountain, lives up to its name, with 250 vertical meters and 420 steps to be overcome over a distance of 1.4 km. Once at the top, the effort is rewarded with a wonderful view.

This Danube wave is one of the shorter Danube circuits and at 9 kilometers it can be walked in half a day. Strictly speaking, you don't see anything of the river that gives it its name, the Danube. But you get great views on the high path between Klippeneck and Dreifaltigkeitsberg, you can explore two Ways of the Cross and two chapels and marvel at the church at the top of the mountain. The restaurant on the Dreifaltigkeitsberg also takes care of your physical well-being, and a nativity scene exhibition and an art trail round off the diverse offering. However, you have to be prepared for the fact that you are not alone up here, unless you are there at mid-morning, like I was this morning. The moderate climb, right at the beginning of the tour, leads from the hiking car park through the forest, initially on a way of the cross to the Nothelferkapelle. Then another short climb and you will soon reach the Klippeneck with its glider airfield. There is still fog here this morning, but it will soon clear and I can enjoy the great path right on the edge of the slope with its wonderful views. The Josefskapelle at the barbecue and rest area was newly built this year and offers a nice, quiet space to pause. When I reach Dreifaltigkeitsberg there is still peace and quiet and I enjoy the view and the wonderful rays of sunshine, which are very unusual for November, falling on the still green meadows and through the golden yellow leaves of the trees. On another Way of the Cross the path leads me back to the foot of the mountain and across meadows and along the edge of the forest I complete the loop to the starting point. I also pass the old Heubergbahn railway line, of which the remains of the white bridge can still be seen. Conclusion: A wonderful and varied round that I really enjoyed.