In the morning, we hiked from our accommodation in Oberprechtal back to the Way of St James (uphill) for a short reflection and to sing a few songs.
We set off along the Way of St James towards Gutach im Breisgau.
On forest paths in the Black Forest
Occasionally there are viewpoints over the valley. We ignored the little bench.
Path at the edge of the forest
Another view of the valley
In the Black Forest
We are back in the valley. Here are the first houses in Prechtal.
We pass a few farms on the way to Elzach.
Town hall in Elzach
Elzach was first mentioned in a document in 1178. From the 13th century, it was subject to the Lords of Schwarzenberg, who granted Elzach town rights around 1290. From the end of the 14th century, the dominion of Schwarzenberg was a fief of the Habsburgs, as part of Vorderösterreich. This remained largely unchanged until the dissolution of the Holy German Empire. In 1806, the town came to the Electorate of Baden along with the Breisgau region of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which soon became the Grand Duchy of Baden.
Elzach
Elzach
Fountain with motifs from the Alemannic carnival.
The Nikolausbrunnen is a fountain in the heart of Elzach's old town, named after St Nicholas, the patron saint of the town. The St Nicholas Fountain was built in the early 17th century. The fountain was last extensively renovated in 2012.
Catholic Church of St Nicholas: The church in Elzach belonged to the monastery in Waldkirch in the 12th century. The patron saint of St Nicholas of Myra has been known since 1437. The late Gothic choir was built from 1522. The tower is from the 19th century.
The sacrament house is unique. 10 glass paintings on the windows are based on designs by Hans Baldung Grien (~1484-1545). The high altar is baroque. The right side altar depicts St Catherine, St Francis Xavier, St James and St Barbara. The left side altar is dedicated to Brother Klaus and St Wendelin.
The path continues partly along the edge of the forest and partly along the Elz river.
Oberwinden near Gutach im Breisgau
We were very well accommodated here at the Hotel Silberkönig in Gutach.
Wolfach - Oberprechtal
Gutach - Waldkirch-Buchholz
