Dream Drives – The B500

When it comes to top driving roads you’ve no doubt heard many, many people bang on about Germany’s legendary B500. We’re guilty of it ourselves having featured it as part of our Five Great Driving Roads article way back in 2021. But there’s good reason for that, because the B500, simply put, is absolutely bloody brilliant.

With the surrounding landscape evoking Grimm’s Fairy Tales of old, the B500 – natively known as the Bundesstraße 500 federal highway – is not only a driver’s paradise but it’s also an area of outstanding natural beauty, with the road winding its way across sweeping, undulating hillsides, over pine forest carpeted mountains, past mirrored lakes and through picturesque villages, all the while offering some of the best black top in the whole of Europe.

Construction of the road began back in the 1930s as a way to connect the mountainous region’s remote towns and villages, and the route, now a favourite with tourists who come to drink in the stunning views, actually runs all the way from the spa town of Baden-Baden in Germany’s south west, down through the achingly beautiful Black Forest National Park parallel to the French border, before terminating at Waldshut, just a stone’s throw from Switzerland. But the Schwarzwaldhochstraße (Black Forest High Road) section between Baden-Baden and Freudenstadt, is generally accepted as being the best bit because, well, it is.

We recently had the pleasure of traversing this iconic route again having previously visited back in 2011, but the difference between seasons has a profound effect on the overall experience, as we found out, because this year we decided to eschew the usual Christmas shenanigans of borderline gout and family arguments in favour of a ten day, fourteen hundred mile road trip across Europe spanning five countries – with the B500 being an integral part of the plan. And the steed of choice? Our trusty Volvo 940 Turbo of course…

Image: Ultimate Driving Tours

Now you may think that something like a BMW E39 M5 or perhaps a classic Porsche 993 would be the perfect car for such a trip, but think about it for a second and you’ll see that the turbo brick makes a lot of sense. Our particular car, a 1997 ‘CD’ estate, was the top of the range upon release and that means full leather heated seats, cruise control, air conditioning and a decent set of speakers, all of which make a long slog through Europe a rather comfortable proposition.

Our 940, complete with wardrobe in the back because Volvo estate. (No, we didn’t take it with us…)

Not only that but we’ve fettled our hunk of Swedish metal to make it much more fun to pilot than your standard Boaty McBoatface Volvo wagon. We’ve upgraded all of the suspension and installed polybushes where possible, we’ve fitted better brakes and we’ve increased performance via a boost controller and supporting mods. And let’s not forget the sheer carrying capacity of said steed. While personally I was happy to chuck a few pairs of pants in a carrier bag and call it packed, being away for ten days with the girlfriend meant multiple suitcases, myriad bags, enough outfit changes for a month on the road and what seemed like fifty pairs of shoes, all of which the Volvo was able to swallow with plenty of room left over for booze, souvenirs, stray cats and whatever else we decided to pick up along the way.

But anyway, back to the B500. Beginning, naturally, in Baden-Baden, the road begins to climb immediately and there are a few technical sections before it opens up as you approach the highest point and the Hornisgrinde nature reserve overlooking Lake Mummelsee. This is peak photo territory but being the middle of winter and therefore peak ski season we did encounter a bit of traffic heading up past the various resorts but as soon as we had the myriad skiers, tobogganists and hikers, all clamouring for a place to park and decamp, in our rear-view mirror, the road cleared and we could really start to enjoy the B500’s more sweeping sections.

 
And that’s one of the route’s greatest features: its width. Unlike other mountain passes of this ilk you really can push on and exploit the wonderfully smooth tarmac, all the while drinking in the glorious views of the Rhine valley without fear of too sheer a drop either side or passing other drivers a little too closely for comfort. Visiting in winter is perfectly safe too, as the road is kept clear to encourage tourists regardless of the weather. Not only that but driving through the snow covered pines with sunlight stippling through the branches and past the glacial lakes and cosy villages offers a very different but equally rewarding experience to that of a summer jaunt, and if you’re a after a true “winter wonderland” experience you could do a lot worse than the B500 at Christmas.

Pushing on up, down and through the Schliffkopf and Kniebis mountain ranges we bypassed Freudenstadt – many a driver’s end destination – instead continuing on down through the Black Forest past Triberg and Schluchsee, as well as many other quaint little villages and towns along the way, eventually stopping for the night in Sankt Blasien with huge grins on our faces before heading into Switzerland the next day for the next leg of our adventure.

With Stuttgart only an hour’s drive east of Baden-Baden, not to mention the Nürburgring just three hours to the north, the B500 could easily be incorporated into a larger German adventure and there are a number of tour operators that can help if needs be, but we would advise steering clear in peak holiday season. The views and scenery will still be breathtaking but there’s nothing worse than finally embarking upon your dream drive only to find it busier than Paddington Station at rush hour.

The B500 then is definitely one to add to the bucket list of dream drives if you haven’t already, and it offers an entirely different experience depending on what time of year you visit. Having enjoyed the route both in the summer and the winter it’s difficult to say which we preferred – the road may remain the same but the scenery hits very differently so it really will come down to personal preference. Whenever you choose to visit, you’ll be treated to a unique and incredibly rewarding drive through one of the most magical landscapes Europe has to offer. So grab a classic and hit the road!