In the Wutach Gorge

The Wutach is considered one of the most beautiful rivers in Germany. The Wutach Gorge, carved by the river into the rocky landscape, is especially well known among hikers and nature lovers. The Wutach is 91 kilometers long in total. It consists of three sections, each with a different name. Its source lies below Seebuck on the Feldberg. In this section, it is called the Seebach. The Seebach plunges down a waterfall into the round Feldsee and then flows eastward, first through Lake Titisee. From Lake Titisee onward, the river is called the Gutach. The name is said to have originated because here it could still be described as a “good stream” flowing peacefully along.

After it joins the Hasslach, it is called the Wutach, meaning “raging stream.” The water then rushes through several gorges and, when the water level is high, can sweep away anything in its path. This section is known as the Wutach Gorge.

The river owes its origins to a huge glacier that formed east of what is now Feldberg during the last Ice Age. The glacier’s meltwater initially flowed towards the Danube and thus to the Black Sea. During the Ice Age, which ended only about 10,000 years ago, the river was diverted to the southwest. Today, the Wutach flows into the Rhine. This process is called the Wutach diversion. Since then, water from the Wutach catchment area has flowed not to the Black Sea, but to the North Sea. Because the Rhine lies much lower, the steep gradient gave the Wutach great force, and it quickly carved its way through the rock. As a result, several deep gorges formed along a 30-kilometre stretch, and they are very popular with hikers. Many rare plants and animals live here. The gorge also exposes various layers of rock that were deposited here over the course of Earth’s history.