The second stage begins at the valley station of the historic, newly restored Merkur mountain railway. The valley station can be easily reached with the bus lines 204 and 205 or by car. A free parking lot is available.
If you would like to take a short break before starting the hike, you can choose between the gastronomy of the Waldcafé at the foot of Baden-Baden's local mountain and the gastronomy of the Merkurstüble on the summit of the Merkur.
The walk continues towards "Häslichmatte", a sun-kissed lawn for sunbathing in the middle of the forest. Along the shady forest paths you reach the so-called "Eckmatte", where a turn-off leads to the Wildlife Reserve. It is the home of mouflon, fallow deer, red deer and wild boars. The trail continues uphill towards Eckberg.
Along the historic corner courtyards you can enjoy wonderful views of
Baden-Baden and the Lichtenthal Monastery, founded in 1245. A short
detour to the Marienkapelle (St. Mary's Chapel) is a must, as forests, sunny vineyards and a wonderful view meet here – perfect for taking a break.
Afterwards, the paths lead through idyllic orchard meadows
and lush greenery, where you will meet peacefully grazing highland
cattle. The tour ends at the fish culture of the former TV location "Forellenhof" (Trout farm). The hotel of the same name "Waldhotel Forellenhof" invites you to stay and enjoy its gastronomic offer.
Author's recommendation
For spring: Floral scents along Lichtentaler Allee
Before you start the second stage of the Panorama Trail, treat yourself to a lovely walk along Lichtentaler Allee. Start at the Baden-Baden Kurhaus and walk past the charming Kurhaus colonnades to Lichtentaler Allee. Pure spring fever awaits us there, as delightful flowery scents linger in the air along the Oos and Japanese ornamental cherries in white and delicate pink as well as magnolias offer a lush flush of blossoms among the shrubs.
Arrived at the Stadtmuseum, cross the street and follow Lichtentaler Allee to the Gönneranlage. From the beginning of May until October, over 10,000 rose bushes in 400 rose varieties bloom here - each more beautiful than the next.
Say goodbye to the lovely, rosy scent and follow Lichtentaler Allee until you reach the Klosterwiese on the right. Directly at the meadow is the entrance to the Obstgut Leisberg (Fruit Farm). Stroll across the meadows past the 280 fruit trees and enjoy the huge sea of blossoms from April onwards. If you can't get enough of the different spring scents, we have more for you: cross the Klosterwiese again and follow the Lichtentaler Allee to the Dahlia Garden. Here, a cheerful carpet of blossoms awaits you in spring - not with dahlias, however, but with tulips, pansies, lilies and forget-me-nots. More than 7,000 tulips in 64 different varieties present their diversity - from the elegant lily-flowered tulip to the extravagant parrot tulip, and from the classic Triumph tulip to the fringed Crispa tulip.
Continue on to Kloser Lichtenthal (Lichtenthal Monastery), founded in 1245. Stroll through the monastery courtyard before starting the second stage of the Panorama Trail.
Note: With this suggested route, you start the second stage in the opposite direction to the one suggested. The starting point the Forellenhof.
In this variant, the second stage begins at the Forellenhof - the fish culture of the former TV cult location - in the Baden-Baden district of Oberbeuern. From the Lichtenthal monastery, you can get there by bus (line 201 towards Oberbeuern). You walk the tour in the opposite direction to the suggested walking direction, which is why the end point of this variant is the Merkur valley station. To get back to the city centre from there, you can either take a relaxed bus ride (line 204 or 205) or take a nice walk back via the Paradies water art complex and the villa district on the Annaberg.
