The Feldberg is the highest mountain in the Black Forest and in Germany outside the Alps, at 1,493 metres, and it behaves like a real mountain. It is a broad, bald dome of grass and heath rising above the surrounding forest, with a radio mast and an observation tower on the summit and, on its eastern flank, the dark cirque of the Feldsee, a small lake in a glacial bowl. During the last ice age, the Feldberg carried its own ice cap, and the valleys around it still show the carved, U-shaped marks. The climate is rough, with wind, fog and snow lasting well into spring.
On a clear day, usually in autumn or winter, the views are extraordinary. You can see across the Rhine plain to the Vosges in France, and when the air is very dry, to the long line of the Swiss Alps. The cattle on the high pastures are Hinterwälder, a small, hardy local breed, and the heath is full of arnica, gentian and other mountain plants. The summit area is protected, and many paths are closed to cyclists and dogs, so respect the signs.
The roads around the massif give a taste of Black Forest riding at its best. From Todtnau, in the Wiese valley to the west, the B317 climbs through forest in a series of lively bends, above a town known for its waterfall, and then emerges onto the heights, with the pass road topping out around twelve hundred metres. It is steep and sometimes narrow, and fog can make the descent slow. From the east, the road from Titisee through Hinterzarten and along the B500 is quicker and busier. Weekends bring a procession of motorcycles, cars and cyclists, and the police enforce limits, so aim for a weekday.
Todtnau, with about five thousand people, is the nearest town with petrol and supermarkets, and Titisee-Neustadt is the other option. The mountain inns near the top serve soup, sausage and cake, and in winter the car parks fill with skiers. If the weather is poor, ride on and leave the summit for another day, because an hour in cloud is not a good way to spend a mountain.
Early and late in the season, the hills turn amber and the first snow lies on the top.