See A Carriage Ride Through the Back Forest
July 24, 1878: The Clemens party started out on a three-day carriage trip through the Black Forest. They stayed at inns along the route.
The party more than likely took what Bædeker describes as the direct route to Forbach:
The Direct Route from Baden is Forbach (12 M) diverges to the right from the road to Ebersteinschloss at a finger-post 3/4 M. beyond Oberbeuern . Bædeker describes the foot path to Gernsboch, the path Sam and Joe would take in August. But the present party would travel directly to Forbach, a thriving village , with a church picturesquely situated on an eminence.
Twain wrote in his journal: Stopped at Forbach at noon—trout under a grape arbor, & 3 Germans eating in general room. The village assembled to see a tinker mend a tin boiler. School where they sang—something like our singing geography—one monotonous tune of ½ doz. notes.”
The next leg led to Schönmünzach.
From Baedeker: Beyond Forbach the Murgthal, although more secluded, continues grand and beautiful, resembling some of the wildest Swiss valleys. About halfway to Schönmünzach the Rauhmünzach falls into the Murg; 1 M. above the confluence the former is augmented by the Schwarzbach.
Twain notes after arriving in Schönmünzach: Through fine gorge scenery by a brook to Post-inn at Schonmünd or some such name. Nice pictures on walls, nice paper, hand crocheted counterpanes. How can they have such nice inns in the woods.
Bædeker writes: Schönmünzach, the first village in Wurtemberg, consists of a few houses. The brook of the same name falls into the Murg here. (Bathing-place in the latter on the l, bank, 1/4 M. above the Post.) [The brook is, at least currently, named Schönmünz]
Baedeker discusses two routes from Schönmünzach. The quickest heads west to Zwickgabel, then along the Langenbach to Auerhahn. From there it goes on to a point near Mummelsea, joining the second route to Seebach. This is probably the route followed by the Clemens party.
Baedeker's description of this route: To the Hornisgrinde and Mummelsee the most frequented road from the Murgthal ascends from Schönmünzach to the W. on the r. bank of the Schönmünzach to Zwickgabel , crosses the brook, and ascends to the r. along the Langenbach, which at Zwickgabel unites with the Schönmünzach ; passes Vorder-Langenbach, where there is a timber sluice, and at Hinter-Langenbach, ascends to the l..
The road now ascends more abruptly to the Eckle, a strip of wood on the mountain, where a stone marks the boundary between Wurtemberg and Baden, and a view of the Vosges is obtained. The road to the l. descends to Seebach, situated on the new road through the Murgthal; a footpath only leads to the Horniserinde.
There is no mention of the Clemenses visiting Mummelsee or the Hornisgrinde. They likely continued on to Allerheiligen].
Baedeker notes that Travellers coming from Seebach need not proceed as far as Ottenhöfen, but should diverge to the l. at the Hagenbrücke, 3/4 M. from Seebach, and enter the Gottschlägthal. Although Twain notes in his journal on the 25th: An infernal cuckoo clock in hotel where we took dinner Offenbosen 1 1/2 hour before Allerheiligen. This hints that they may have gone to Ottenhöfen.
The carriage-road from Ottenhöfen to Allerheiligen ascends the Unterwasser-Thal towards the S. to the Neuhaus (Erbprinz). Here the new road describes a wide curve in the valley towards the l., while the old road ascends the steep slope on the r., on the summit of which the roads again unite. Fine retrospective views from the new road: 1 1/2 M. from the Neuhaus a way-post indicates the way to the Edelfranengrab by Blöchereck.
From the top of the hill the road descends in windings to Allerheiligen, the first glimpse of which is very striking. The grand ruins of the Premonstratensian Abbey, founded by the Duchess Uta of Schauenburg in 1196, secularised in 1802 and partly destroyed by lightning in 1803, occupy almost the entire breadth of the wooded dale.
Twain's journal for the 25th is a bit confusing. He labels it as "Allerheiligen" but he remarks on locations other than the abbey.
25th Allerheiligen
Hotel with nobody visible—one (very nice) room-girl for 3 floors—& an awful bell to call folks to supper
I wish I could hear myself talk German.
Pretty girl here. An infernal cuckoo clock in hotel where we took dinner Offenbosen 1 1/2 hour before Allerheiligen,
2 young ladies who walked 9 1/2 to 12 hours a day.
Plenty crucifixes,
Maps in railway carriage—very useful.
Green theatrical fine forest before Allerheiligen.
Steep slope clothed in green velvet—before theatrical forest.
Saw a small deer here.
Superb view from Teufelstein, <Luisa R>Luisaruhe & Engelkanzel.
C went down & visited the waterfalls.
A ruin where a Kloster was built 700 yr ago. Leave the monks alone, every time, to pick out the loveliest spots.
People gardening high above our heads before Allerheiligen,
Beautiful bright green grass everywhere,
Lovely valley & quaint thatched houses in Thal before Seeberg or some such name.
Drenching rain all down the Schlectes Weg which approaches All. Bright holly bushes,
The Büttenstein Falls:
Immediately below the monastery is a rugged cleft in the rocks, formed apparently by volcanic agency, through which the Grindenbach is precipitated over blocks of granite in seven falls, termed the ‘Sieben Bütten’ (Seven cauldrons), or *Büttenstein Falls, some of them 50 ft. in height, into the valley beneath. A good path, cut through the rock at places, or supported by ladders, descends by the falls to the (20 min.) bottom of the valley, 300 ft. below. From the second ‘Rondel’, or platform, the double fall is best surveyed. The waterfalls, which are chiefly remarkable for their picturesque accessories, are seen to the best advantage in ascending from the valley below.
Twain notes that C "when down & visited the waterfalls." This was apparently Clara. She would have been four years old so was obviously accompanied, probably by their nursemaid Rosa Hay.
At the finger-post by the bridge beyond the falls the carriage-road from Allerheiligen is reached and it now follows the bank of the Lierbach (as the Grindenbach is now called) high on the slope of the hill. At the Kreuz Inn, near Oppenau the road to Freudenstadt and Antogast diverges to the r. At (6 M.) the busy little town of Oppenau (*Stahlbad ; Post) 'Kirschwasser' is largely manufactured.
July 26: Return to Baden from Allerheiligen. Openau to Appenweier & change - then to Ofenberg & change. There was a direct rail route from Appenweier to Baden-Baden, but Twain evidently intended to include Offenberg in the tour and take the train to Baden-Baden from there.
Bækeker The Rhine from Rotterdam to Constance (1873) Route 46