The first stage climbs straight out of the Freiburg plain into the Black Forest. After the final city streets, the route passes Gundelfingen and enters the Glottertal, where meadows, farmhouses and wooded slopes set the rhythm. St. Peter adds monastery towers and wide views, followed by St. Märgen with high pastures, fir trees and cooler air. Higher up, the road becomes open and quiet before rolling across the Black Forest heights towards Donaueschingen — where the Brigach and Breg form the Danube.
