6 Mini Adventures by the Water in Southwest Germany

A punting trip in the Taubergiessen Nature Reserve at the Upper Rhine always follows the same route, but each season, there is always something new to discover. Sometimes nature is in full bloom, sometimes the mist is wafting over the wetlands. What remains is the incomparable calm that wraps around you as the wooden boat glides through the waters of the Blinde Elz River. The silence is only broken by occasional calls from the animal population in the nature reserve near Rust. The boatmen know them all by name - and are happy to introduce them to their guests. 

In Todtnau in the Black Forest Highlands and in the Murgtal Valley in the Northern Black Forest, where the rivers still follow their original course, you do not simply take a walk next to the river. Instead, canyoning or riverbed hiking takes you straight through. The first adrenaline rush comes when rappelling from a height of 15 metres. Sturdy shoes are a must to avoid sliding around. Or go on a soft rafting trip and plunge into the rapids. 

Glide through the ‘Odenwald Everglades' like a trapper in a canoe on the Neckar River and distil your own moonshine gin: is the workshop at the at the Englert Distillery will give you that Wild West. ‘Moonshine’ was the name given to illegally distilled liquor with a high alcohol content made during the Prohibition period in the USA. It often had nasty side effects. Fortunately, there are experts on hand at the distilling workshop and the individual selection of botanicals produces really special creations you can take home and enjoy without regret.