Germany Guide
The Black Forest
As the setting of countless Grimm Brothers' fairytales, the Black Forest happily plays up to its image as a land of cuckoo clocks, cherry gâteaux, outlandish traditional garb, hefty half-timbered farmhouses and hill after hill of dark, even fir forest. But even a brief exploration soon reveals more of the character of a region that's part of the state of Baden-Württemburg but shaped as much by its history as a long-disputed borderland between Germany, France, and Switzerland – and where something of each is in evidence.
Relative to its fame, the Black Forest region is not terribly big – about 150km long and maybe 50km wide – and so easily explored by car in just a few days, though of course that rather misses the chance to drop down a gear and enjoy the heart of one of Germany's treasured regions where good scenery is matched by many time-honoured traditions. Dozens of small attractive towns and villages make slower touring a delight, but arguably the best way to explore is to base yourself in one of the two largest towns and strike out from there. Easily the most genteel base is Baden-Baden, the grand old nineteenth-century spa town in the north of the region, a place for dignified recuperation and pampering. If you're heading south, then the way to travel from here is along the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse, a scenic drive par-excellence, which will introduce you to some of the best scenery the Black Forest has to offer. The drive leads into the heart of the central Black Forest and the head of the attractive Kinzig Valley which, along with the adjoining Gutach Valley, offers an easy glimpse of traditional village life. South of here, the Black Forest is dominated by the attractive and upbeat university town of Freiburg. Exploring its usually sun-soaked narrow streets is fun, but its main attraction is as a handy base from which to hike and bike and explore the entire southern Black Forest. The area includes first-rate wine-growing areas on the French border and the minor ski and lake resorts of the Feldberg region just to the south, where deep valleys are flanked by rounded peaks that top out at around 1500m.
Highlights
1 Baden-Baden Avoid losing your head in the elite company of Baden-Baden's casino, and then let the town's spas rejuvenate you.
2 Triberg Home to the world's largest cuckoo clock, and a good place to buy your own piece of timeless Black Forest kitsch.
3 The Schwarzwälder Freilichtmuseum Peep into the region's rustic past in this open-air museum.
4 Freiburg Ascend the Schauinsland cable car for incredible views, then walk or mountain-bike back to Freiburg on fine woodland trails.
5 Todtnau Ski, mountain-bike or rattle down a summer bobsleigh track at this all-season resort.
6 Europa-Park Germany's biggest amusement park offers myriad rides to keep the kids entertained.