Discover the Upper Black Forest with a historic steam train.On the road with the Zügle
news articleThe historic steam train of the 3-Seenbahn
Full steam ahead!
If you want to experience the thrill of steam, we recommend a trip on the historic steam train of the 3-Seenbahn railway. The Höllentalbahn branch line is considered one of the most beautiful railway lines in southern Germany.
On public holidays in May and from July 1 to September 9, 2018, the museum train runs three times a day on weekends from Seebrugg via Schluchsee to Bärental. The members of IG 3-Seenbahn e. V. value authenticity. That's why all the remaining vehicles that ran through the Black Forest between 1945 and 1960 are used. This year, a P8 passenger train locomotive provides the necessary steam.
Tickets cost between €10 (adults, one-way) and €32 (family ticket, return) and can be purchased directly from the conductor on the train. This season's turning point is Bärental, the highest station in the Deutsche Bahn network at 967.1 meters above sea level. Due to construction work, the museum railway will not be able to run on the section between Bärental and Titisee station again until the "winter steam" season in December.
The highlight of the steam season is the historic station festival in Seebrugg in August. The museum station, with its station building and track area, has been preserved in its historical entirety, and the association members present transport vehicles and loading techniques from the 1950s.
With the Zäpfle train from Titisee to Hinterzarten
The Zäpfle-Bähnle train takes you through the Black Forest without any steam, but in almost as much comfort. From April to October, the streetcar (i.e., without rails) runs daily every 90 minutes from Titisee via Neustadt to Hinterzarten and back again. The journey starts at the "Pferdestall" restaurant in Titisee and takes around an hour. If you like, you can get off halfway and walk back – a lovely walk of around an hour.
The 25 km long route, which the Wutachtal Museum Railway has been traveling since its recognition as a technical cultural monument in 1977, is one of the most extraordinary railway lines in Germany. It runs through the southern Black Forest and connects the Baden Black Forest Railway with the Upper Rhine Railway. It got its name, "Sauschwänzlebahn," because of its winding course and the Stockhalde circular tunnel (360° circle), the only one of its kind in Germany.
The journey begins at Blumberg-Zollhaus station, on the eastern edge of the town of Blumberg, and leads through numerous tunnels, over bridges and the 264-meter-long Epfenhofen viaduct to Weizen. A total of 231 meters of elevation are covered between Zollhaus and Weizen, with the gradient of the route never exceeding 1%.