Wutachschlucht

Useful Information

Location:	Gemeinde Wutach. (47.842715, 8.319094)
Open:	no restrictions. [2022]
Fee:	free. [2022]
Classification:	Gorge
Light:	n/a
Dimension:	Obere Schlucht: L=9 km. Mittlere Schlucht: L=7.5 km. Untere Schlucht (Flühen): L=3.5 km. Gauchachschlucht: L=4.5 km.
Guided tours:	self guided V=100.000/a [2019]
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Ferienregion Wutachschlucht, Martinstraße 5, 79848 Bonndorf im Schwarzwald, Tel: +49-7703-7607, Fax: +49-7703 7507. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1840	Bathhouse of the Lords of Tannegg, Bad Boll (sulphur brine).
1890	Development with hiking trails by the Black Forest Association.
1894-1913	Bath owned by the Bad Boll Fishing Club Ltd. London.
1904	Construction of the Ludwig Neumann Trail along the Muschelkalk Gorge by the Black Forest Association.
1908-1910	Urgesteinschlucht and Flühe-Schlucht made accessible.
1978	Seven public geological tapping sites created.
1992	Demolition of the bath by the state of Baden-Württemberg.

Description

The Wutachschlucht (Wutach Gorge) is a very narrow V-shaped valley, not quite as narrow as a gorge. In total, this gorge is 33 km long, without side valleys, and between 60 and 170 m deep. The area is a designated nature reserve, part of the Southern Black Forest Nature Park and the Wutach and Baaralb European Bird Sanctuary. The Upper Gorge, Middle Gorge, Lower Gorge or Wutachflühen, and the side valley Gauchachschlucht are particularly worth seeing. The individual parts are usually separated by somewhat wider valleys.

The Obere Schlucht (Upper Gorge) is located in the bedrock of the Black Forest. The Gutach and Haslach rivers from the eastern Black Forest cut into initially small, often narrow gorges with a sudden increase in gradient. In the granite, dark, impassable gorge sections alternate with short valley widenings. Finally, the less stable red sandstone layers are reached and the valley widens.

The Mittlere Schlucht (Middle Gorge) cuts through the Hauptmuschelkalk, fossil rich limestone of the Middle Triassic (240 to 230 Ma). This part was first developed for tourism and is still the most interesting part of the gorge for tourists. The Ludwig Neumann Trail, one of the most elaborate trail systems of the Schwarzwaldverein (Black Forest Association), crosses it. Originally, the path had various bridges, but they were all destroyed by floods. The central resting place is the Schurhammer hut in a valley widening. There is also karstification in the limestone. At the lower end of the gorge, the Wutach used to disappear in a sinkhole, the Alte Wutachversinkung. However, this was filled in by a landslide in 1953.

The Untere Schlucht (Lower Gorge) is also called Wutachflühen and also runs through the main Muschelkalk. The Muschlkalk layer dips into the depths, but here there is a fault where the rock has been lifted and so the main Muschelkalk again forms rocks at the upper edge of the gorge. This is where the name comes from, Flühen is the Alemannic word for rock faces. The most spectacular is a steep slope with a 350 m difference in altitude. The gorge itself, however, is less varied. A special feature is the Wutachtalbahn (Wutach Valley Railway) that crosses it.

The Gauchachschlucht (Gauchach Gorge) is a very steep gorge cut into the banks of the Upper Muschelkalk. The confluence with the Engeschlucht of the Tränkebach is spectacular. Here, too, are sinkholes in the stream bed and at low water the stream bed from here to the Wutach is dry because the water seeps away completely.