The Höllental (Valley of Hell)
Photo: A bronze statue marks the 'Hirschsprung', the spot where a stag is said to have leapt over the Höllental. It is difficult to imagine now, but the place is considerably wider than in the past because of blasting during road construction.
Information in brief
- A narrow valley between Freiburg and Hinterzarten
- An important east/west connection for road and rail in the Black Forest
Description
The Höllental is approx. 9km long and partially enclosed by crags with a height of up to 600m. Nowadays traffic can easily cross the Black Forest between Freiburg and Donaueschingen via a railway line and a four-lane Federal Highway, but some stretches used to be impassable or very dangerous at the least. French soldiers didn't give the valley the name "Val d'enfer" for nothing, a name which it has kept to this day.
Towns and villages in the Höllental area
Photo: in the Ravenna gorge
Photo: Viaduct of the Höllental railway