South of the old town, this route takes you into the hart of one of the city’s most popular residential areas called Wiehre. Local cuisine with a hint of French savoir-vivre and Italian barista culture sounds tempting, doesn’t it? Everything is close by here and life is refreshingly relaxed.
The route is flat and suitable for all ages. It’s possible to cut the walk short and return to the starting point from the Alter Wiehrebahnhof checkpoint on public transport (Tram Line 2: get on at Lorettostraße and get off at Holzmarkt). If you’d like to make a day of it, walk on from the Holbeinstraße tram stop to Günterstal, or head into the Sternwald forest and visit the picturesque Wasserschlössle water tower.
Start/end: Martinstor gate Checkpoint: Alter Wiehrebahnhof Length: 3.7 km | 1–2 hours Suitable for wheelchairs and prams/pushchairs
On the way
Ristretto, tapas and boule
From the Martinstor gate, carry on straight to the Kaiserbrücke bridge. Head down to the river bank and walk with the Dreisam River on your right until you reach the Luisensteg bridge. Cross the bridge and the main road called Schillerstraße to get to Turnseestraße. Once you’ve passed this point, you’ll start leaving the water, traffic and noise of the city behind you and the buildings will spread out as you head further from the centre.
When you reach the junction of Turnseestraße and Talstraße, you’ll be able to see the Johanneskirche Catholic church on your right with its sandstone towers stretching up 60 metres into the sky. Walk just another 100 metres down the street and you’ll come to the Christuskirche Evangelical church. Don’t be put off by its smaller size because it still has plenty to offer inside and out. With a bit of luck, you’ll hear the chimes of church music as you walk on past.
Arts, crafts and graffiti
Keep going down Turnseestraße until you come to Erwinstraße, where the window displays will draw you into the shops. You won’t want to miss out on the Italian delis or the arts café called Artjamming either. Günterstalstraße is home to lots of shops and local crafts businesses, but once you have crossed it you’ll move away from the hustle and bustle and find the famous graffiti house waiting for you.
At the next junction, turn left onto Kirchstraße, where you’ll find plenty of places to stop for a bite to eat. Alternatively, you could find a bench on Annaplatz square and simply soak up your surroundings. For some grander and leafier surroundings, carry on along Kirchstraße and then turn left onto Lorettostraße, which will lead you back to Günterstalstraße, which you have to cross once again to get onto Urachstraße.
Walk along the gravel path until you reach the former train station Alter Wiehrebahnhof. Time for a break! How about heading to Kaffee-Kiste? This hip coffee cart with legendary specials on its menu is just a few hundred metres further down Urachstraße, on the corner of Dreikönigstraße and Peter-Sprung-Straße. If you’re more in the mood for an ice cream and you’re partial to an exotic flavour, Förster Max is the place for you! And you should be able to see it from this point on the route.
On the corner of Zasiusstraße and Dreikönigstraße, there’s an old cemetery hidden on a hill, shrouding the past in tranquillity and modesty. The children who play here now are symbolic of the peaceful times contrasting starkly with the Baden Revolution. Back to the walk, as you carry on down Zasiusstraße, don’t forget to admire Wiehre’s signature architecture.
As your adventure comes to an end, you’ll turn left onto Brombergstraße, a right onto Talstraße and then a quick left onto Uhlandstraße. Cross over the Mariensteg bridge and then go back down to the riverbank. And this route really does save the best till last... Sit on the Dreisamschaukel swing and dangle your feet over the river before heading back into the city.
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