Run off. Leave behind. Begin anew.
Roots, mist, metres of climbing. And at some point just your breath and the next step.
Not faster. Further.
On the trail, pace doesn’t count. What counts is what happens to you along the way.
The Southern Black Forest is made for this: deep valleys, open heights, paths that reinvent themselves around every bend. And in between, two houses that know what runners need.
Here you’ll find everything gretyl has in store for trail runners – from the first morning run to the crossing from house to house.
Run, not made up.
Every loop is a real path we’ve run ourselves. No leaderboard, no timing – just the question of what you need today.
The mist loop
Out before the valley wakes up. A short loop through the Alb valley, while the mist still hangs between the fir trees. Back when the coffee’s ready.
- Clear head
- Discovery
- Daring
The cathedral loop
Five trail-running minutes to the cathedral, then steeply up into the forest. At the top, a look back at the dome – and at the place where your day began.
- Clear head
- Discovery
- Daring
The Alb climb
Always towards the Alb, upstream in the direction of Menzenschwand. When you’ve had enough, hop on the bus – with the KONUS guest card the ride back to base camp is free.
- Clear head
- Discovery
- Daring
Feldberg
Above the tree line, the Black Forest suddenly opens up. Wind, wide views, the Alps on clear days. And the knowledge: you can’t go any higher here.
- Clear head
- Discovery
- Daring
The waterfall loop
Two kilometres from the mountain house, the water plunges into the depths. Wet rocks, steep steps, spray in your face. This is where you learn to trust your feet.
- Clear head
- Discovery
- Daring
On every run: Clear head · Discovery · Daring
House to house
In the morning you close the door of Villa Waldeck behind you. In the evening you open the door of Berghaus Walden. What lies in between belongs to you alone.
The run
One day, one direction. Breakfast at base camp, trail lunch in your backpack – your luggage travels ahead comfortably by car. Arrive, sauna, living room.
There & back
Two days, two houses, twice the Feldberg. Over on the first day, back by a different route on the second. For everyone for whom once isn’t enough.
As a running group
Bring your running group. The mountain house has room for up to 20 – with a large living room, fireplace and enough table for all the stories of the day.
Young trails
Joy first. Then form. Personal bests come all by themselves – or they don’t.
Young trail runners don’t need a training plan from competitive sport. They need terrain, good technique and someone who shows them how much fun a steep, root-covered path can be.
- Uphill, downhill: stride, posture, poles
- Sure footing on roots, rock and wet leaves
- Navigation with map, watch and gut feeling
- Eating, drinking, breaks – energy that lasts all the way to the finish
- Respect for the forest, wildlife and other people on the path
Taster day
A day out in the terrain, parents welcome.
Trail camp
A weekend at the mountain house – running, cooking, campfire.
For clubs
For running groups, schools and sports clubs by arrangement.
Your own AI coach
We don’t build it for you. We build it with you.
Off-the-shelf training apps know a lot about the average runner – and little about you. Your own AI coach knows your knees, your calendar and your goal. And it explains why it suggests something.
Half a day at the table in the base camp, half a day out on the trail. At the end, your coach is up and running – and you know how it ticks.
The AI calculates. The forest decides.
More about the second forest: TechMagic1 · Collect your traces
What does your watch know about you? We gather your runs, heart rate data and climbing metres – and add what no watch measures: how it felt.
2 · Set up the coach
Goals, limits, old injuries, available time: you give your coach its rules. Clearly worded, traceable, changeable at any time.
3 · Plan & feedback
It suggests the coming weeks. You run, it analyses, together you fine-tune. A loop that gets better with every run.
4 · Out you go
The first plan is tested that very afternoon. On a trail that pays no attention to algorithms.
Everything runners need. Nothing they don’t.
No spa, no frills. Instead, everything that makes you want to run again tomorrow.
Trail-running breakfast
Early, if you want to set off early. Hearty, regional – and light enough for the first climb.
Trail lunch
Something for your backpack before you set off. So that at the summit you don’t have to think about energy bar number three.
Route tip
A loop that suits your form, your weather and your mood. With GPX on request.
Recovery
Carb drink, sauna, recovery boots & co. So your legs forget faster than you do.
MicroChallenge
A small task. Somewhere out there. For runners who want more than kilometres.
KONUS guest card
Buses and trains in the Black Forest included. Perfect for runs that don’t end where they began.
Dogs welcome
Your four-legged running partner stays at the villa free of charge.
Room to think
Some runs only end in your head. Time to reflect, sort things out and arrive.
We are guests here.
The forest was here before us and will remain after us. Four rules to keep it that way.
Stay on the path.
Shortcuts destroy soil and plants. The trail is the adventure – not cross-country.
Leave nothing behind.
No gel wrapper, no tissue. What you carry in, you carry out again.
Say hello. Make room.
Hikers, cyclists, foresters, deer: we share the path. A smile doesn’t cost a second.
Leave the stones where they are.
If you find a marked stone by the wayside, it’s meant for you. What the Gretyl Stones are all about.
Lace up your shoes. The rest will follow.
Questions about runs, coaching or your AI coach? Write to us – we’ll reply with everything you need to know for your next trail.