Between the Kaiserstuhl hills and the Black Forest, the journey opens with just over 120 mostly flat kilometres. Leaving Freiburg-Lehen, the route passes through Umkirch, Hugstetten and Nimburg. Above Hecklingen, the ruined walls of Lichteneck Castle stand over vineyard slopes, while the route keeps to the plain below. Beyond Kenzingen, fields and small waterways separate the villages. The lowlands south of Kehl lead into the Hanauerland, where timber-framed houses line village streets. To the east, the wooded Black Forest hills trace the edge of the plain. Lichtenau and Hügelsheim mark the final part of the ride into Rastatt, where the River Murg runs close to the old centre and the Baroque palace was built for the margraves of Baden-Baden.
