Green slopes, picturesque towns and villages with dollhouses, lakes and waterfalls are just some of the beauties of the German Black Forest. Although its name suggests something “dark” and mysterious, the forest of the Black Forest is a fairytale natural landscape with countless beauties and attractions, such as waterfalls, rivers, pines and firs, but also exciting paths and villages.
The beautiful “Black Forest”
The Black Forest covers an elongated area of about 150 km from north to south and 50 km from east to west in southwestern Germany, between the Rhine River to the west and the Danube springs to the south. Although it also has many ” open ” spots and fields, the Black Forest takes its name from its dense trees that block sunlight inside, although it also has many “open” spots and fields. And while some parts of it are very touristy, a 20-minute walk, even from its busiest places, can take you to quiet areas with huge traditional farmhouses and crowds of friendly cows.
The start of your tour
You can use three places as a “base” for your visit to the area: Schiltach, Triberg and Titisee. If you travel again by car, you will be able to wander the hills and valleys, stopping where you want. One of the main tourist routes is the Schwarzwald-Hochstrasse (B500), which leads from the spa town of Baden-Baden to Freudenstadt and from Triberg to Waldshut, as well as the A 5 (E35) motorway.
We mention the car as an option because it is the only way in which you can discover all the great parts of the Black Forest, with ease, comfort and without any restrictions. You can hire a car from the company Enjoy Travel which includes a branch in the country, providing you with reasonable offers for a wide variety of vehicles that will transport you safely to all these beautiful parts of this vast forest.
Activities in the forest
The Black Forest is developed for tourism and there you can engage in various activities, such as hiking, cycling, skiing etc. In fact, some of his paths were among the first to be defined. The European Highway E1 crosses the forest following the routes of other local trails. The whole network of trails amounts to about 23,000 kilometres and is maintained and supervised by a volunteer body.
Also, the Black Forest is famous for its famous watchmakers who make traditional cuckoo clocks. Most of the mechanical watches are now sold as antiques, as many factories closed after the First and Second World Wars.
The famous German Clock Route (Deutsche Uhrenstraίe) is a 320 km road that connects the villages of the Clockmakers and is considered one of the most beautiful in Germany. It passes through picturesque cities such as Rottweil, St. Georgen, Schramberg, Triberg, Furtwangen (with a huge variety of wood-carved clocks and the local Deutsches Uhrenmuseum Clock Museum) etc. and some of the most impressive landscapes of the Black Forest.
Cities & villages in the Black Forest
The largest city on the edge of the Black Forest is Freiburg, with its traditional breweries and flea markets where you can find local specialties such as fine meats, wines, fruit and the famous Kirschwasser liqueur. It is even characterized as the “environmental capital of Europe ”, due to the exploitation of ecological practices it uses. In MunsterPlatz, the grand cathedral steals the show, while the city’s famous University is one of the oldest in Europe. Be sure to take the cable car up Mount Schauinsland (15 km southeast of the city) to admire the astonishing views of the city. Of course, do not miss to visit the famous spa town of Baden-Baden, a favourite of the European aristocracy since the early 19th century with its casinos and luxury hotels.
