Our Motorhome Trip to the Top of the Kandel, Germany

We decided to take the motorhome up to the Kandel peak in the Black Forest, Germany. The drive up the mountain was a bit tricky, as the road was full of very sharp bends, steep inclines, and tight hairpin turns. Driving a large vehicle like a motorhome up those windy roads meant taking it slow and staying focused, but it was a straightforward drive once we got into a rhythm.

When we got to the top, we pulled into the main parking area. Right next to the car park is a large building called Bergwelt Kandel. It is built with stone and timber, and is a restaurant and hotel.

Our first stop was the paragliding launch spot. There is a large open grassy slope near the top that looks out over the entire valley. The weather was clear, so there were several paragliders setting up their gear. We stood around on the grass and watched them unpack their long, colourful parachutes, check their lines, and wait for the right breeze.

Once the wind caught, they ran down the slope and lifted off into the air. We spent quite a bit of time just watching them float around amongst the clouds.

After watching the paragliders, we followed the trail up to the main summit lookout, often referred to as the Kandel-Pyramide lookout. The lookout is a round wooden tower built on top of a massive pile of rocks. Built originally in the 19th century, it serves as an observation tower and features a memorial plaque for those who fell in World War I. At the base of the rock structure, a inscription reads "Friede den Toten, Friede den Lebenden", which means "Peace to the dead, peace to the living."

To get to the top of it, you have to walk up a set of concrete and stone steps built into the rock face with a metal handrail on the side. The pooch made easy work of it as he scampered up the steps. We followed him up albeit slowly to the top of the wooden tower.

Inside the tower you get a clear view looking out over the entire surrounding countryside, the towns in the valley below, and the mountain ranges in the distance.

On the way back down the hill, we noticed the St. Pius Chapel (St. Pius Kapelle) with its distinctive green metal spire tucked in amongst the pine trees.

It had been another hot day but it was a great spot to take in the landscape before we headed back down to the motorhome for the slow descent down the hill.