Kandern lies in southwestern Germany, at the foot of the Black Forest. North of Kandern is the Blauen or Hochblauen, one of the highest mountains in the Southern Black Forest. The Hochblauen lies at the end of the Kander Valley and is the source of the Kander. Through Kandern runs the well-known Westweg, a hiking trail through the Black Forest from Pforzheim to Basel. Nearby is the Sausenberg and its castle.