Strümpfelbach valley near Althütte
The Strümpfelbach valley is a relatively short, pristine valley near Althütte, just under an hour north-east of Stuttgart. Although there is a path along the stream that crosses it several times with the help of bridges, this path is not cleared of weeds or fallen trees. This also applies to the stream bed, of course. At the entrance to the relevant section, there is even an explicit warning that even sure-footed people should be careful.
The drive there was somewhat challenging, at least during my visit, as some of the surrounding mountain roads had been turned into single-track roads. It was not really clear whether this was permanent. It's best to use Google Maps or something similar to guide you. The parking lot is quite small and offers space for 3 or 4 vehicles. However, this is not really a problem early in the morning or during the week. It's not worth arriving too late anyway, as the sun starts to shine through the canopy later in the morning, which means you can only take decent photos when the sky is cloudy.
The most interesting section is only about one kilometer long, but has so much to offer photographically that you could spend quite some time there.
However, it is worth following the hiking trail a little further. Next to another waterfall, you will find an old pump house along the way. On the way back, you can also pay a visit to the Strümpfelbach viaduct. You just have to descend a small slope from the hiking trail to reach the viewpoint. Unfortunately, no trains will be running there until 2026, as the track still needs to be repaired after landslides.
