A Scenic Waterfall: Bad Urach on our way to Baiersbronn

Intro

We are still on our drive from home to the Black Forest. Instead of tackling the four-hour drive all in one go, we planned some scenic stops along the way. In the previous post, I described our first stop in Ulm, which set a pleasant tone for the journey.

Our second stop led us to Bad Urach, a charming place my wife discovered in a “Must-See in Baden-Württemberg” guide. Intrigued by its mention, we decided we wanted to see it for ourselves. During the drive, I also came across a cave, Tiefenhöhle, an interesting potential stop. Unfortunately, due to time constraints and road closures, we couldn’t fit that in as well.

Maps © Thunderforest, Data © OpenStreetMap contributors

To the Waterfall

After arriving at the recommended parking place, we prepared to set off for our hike. The heat was quite intense, making the shaded areas of the forest particularly appealing. I was grateful I had my hiking hat on, as it offered some much-needed relief from the sun.

I packed my photography backpack with lenses and filters, strapping my tripod to it in hopes of getting some long exposure shots at the waterfall. I’ll be honest; I was a little worried. Although it was noted to be a cool location, the light conditions were far from promising. Nonetheless, I was ready to see what we could capture.

We started our trek, walking about one kilometer along the stream. We made an effort to stay in the shade of the trees to avoid the heat, and with each step closer to the stream, we felt the refreshing cooling effect of the water.

Waterfall

I believe we heard the waterfall before we saw it. The distant roar of cascading water excited us as we made our way along the trail. Before we spotted it, we saw glimpses of the falls peeking through the lush canopy. My scouting instincts kicked in immediately; each time I caught a glimpse of the waterfall, I thought, “Is this a view I should capture?”

Once we arrived at the foot of the falls, I was captivated. Excitedly, I set up my camera for the first shots. However, I quickly remembered our previous photo sessions: the view might improve with each step. So, we made the decision to approach the waterfall first, scouting out the best viewpoints. We planned on stopping to take good shots on the way back.

This approach proved to be wise. I could savor the experience of the walk up, enjoy talking with my wife, and scout for photography opportunities along the way.

As we progressed along the trail, we noticed that the steps were flooded early on! Thankfully, we both wore waterproof hiking shoes; sandals might have been a fun choice, but we didn’t bring some. This unexpected surprise added an element of adventure to our journey! We didn’t approach the waterfall completely, stopping at the point where we felt the view wouldn’t get any better, especially as the water deepened.

Meeting an Excursion

While I began evaluating proper compositions by moving around, we noticed a couple of teachers higher up on the trail. They were leading a group of about twenty kids, likely around ten years old, navigating the flooded stairs. It was apparent that the trek for these kids was quite the adventure! Each teacher held one child by either side, helping them down carefully.

They paused next to us to take photos of the kids, capturing the excitement of the moment before continuing their way down. One teacher took off his shoes to navigate barefoot, while the other wore hiking boots that looked completely soaked. I asked her if her boots were keeping her dry inside, and she confirmed they were fine, despite their soaked exterior. However, many of the children ended up with wet feet, turning their trek into a memorable experience. Actually, it made an experience for all of us as it was fun watching them, too.

# Finally… Photos

While all this was happening around us, I began taking my initial photos. I recalled a tip I had seen recently regarding photographing water: take multiple shots with different exposure settings, then select the best later. That’s precisely what I did. For each composition, I adjusted the shutter speeds, ranging from 1/400s to 2s. I felt fortunate to have my ND filters with me, which allowed for creative long exposure shots.

As we slowly made our way back down the trail, we were careful to navigate the now slippery, flooded stairs. I took additional photos on our descent, happy that we had opted to scout the photo opportunities while heading up. Once back at the foot of the path, I set up my tripod for one last time.

A sense of awkwardness washed over me as I noticed many people passing by, taking quick snaps with their phones before continuing on their way. It was a stark contrast to my approach—walking around with the phone to scout for the right angle, setting up my tripod, and investing time into achieving long exposure shots.

Departure and Final Arrival

We were both genuinely content with the whole experience. If I managed to capture a few good photos, that made it even better.

Eventually, we returned to the car and set off for our final destination: our hotel in Baiersbronn. Reluctantly, we decided against visiting Lichtenstein Castle due to time constraints. In retrospect, skipping that stop turned out to be a wise choice, as we hadn’t accounted for the evening rush hour.

Fortunately, we arrived just in time for the last check-in at our hotel in Baiersbronn. After unpacking the car, we decided to take a leisurely stroll through the town to unwind after our day.

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All posts from our trip to the Black Forest in 2024: