Black Forest travel guide
The best-known of all Germany’s upland massifs, the Black Forest or Schwarzwald extends for about 160km (100 miles) southwards from Karlsruhe to the Swiss border. Its blackness is attributed to its dark forests of spruce and fir, but as well as woodland there are mountain pastures, rushing streams and crashing waterfalls, magnificent timber farmhouses and living folkways.
The highest point of the Black Forest is the Feldberg at 1,493m (4,898ft), a flattened mountain whose summit can be easily reached from the car park. On clear days the view extends to the far-away Bernese Alps. A drive along the scenic route called the Schwarzwald-Hochstrasse is one way of getting to know the area, but the Black Forest is best explored on foot from any one of the numerous highland resorts such as Titisee or the elegant spa town of Baden-Baden.
Places to visit in the Black Forest
Stuttgart
The thoroughly modern Stuttgart offers a surprising contrast to much of the region. Read more here...
Heidelberg
Visit Heidelberg and its romantic castle. Read more here...
Titisee
The most popular resort in the Black Forest is the invariably crowded Titisee, beautifully sited on the lake of the same name.
Deutsches Uhrenmuseum
Satisfying one’s natural curiosity about Black Forest cuckoo clocks – and about timepieces of all kinds – can be done at the excellent Deutsches Uhrenmuseum (National Clock Museum).
Schwarzwälder Freilichtmuseum Vogtsbauernhof
The area’s distinctive building heritage can be seen everywhere, and in concentrated form at the Schwarzwälder Freilichtmuseum Vogtsbauernhof (Black Forest Open-air Museum), where traditional farming techniques are also demonstrated.
Freiburg
The Black Forest’s western edge drops abruptly to the broad plain of the Rhine. One of the best panoramas is from the 1,284m (4,213ft) high Schauinsland viewpoint, reached by cable car from the ancient cathedral and university city of Freiburg. Overlooked by the tall spire of its superb Gothic Münster (Minster), Freiburg is a well-preserved town, with a wealth of old buildings, museums, and places to eat and be entertained. Its relaxed lifestyle may have something to do with the vineyards clothing the lower slopes of the Black Forest and the nearby Kaiserstuhl (Emperor’s Seat), an ancient volcano sticking up out of the plain. When strolling around, visitors should watch out for the town’s Bächle, narrow water channels threading through the streets.
Baden-Baden
Baden-Baden is another useful gateway to the Black Forest and is the queen of all spa towns. Set in a lovely wooded valley, the town’s springs were discovered by the Romans, and one of the spas – with state-of-the-art buildings and facilities – is named after the Emperor Caracalla who spent time here. Baden-Baden’s heyday was in the late 19th century, when it was known as the ‘Summer Capital of Europe’, attracting the continent’s royalty and aristocracy and their hangers-on. The town has succeeded in keeping much of the allure of that golden age, with an opulent casino, immaculately maintained parks and famous horseraces.
Discover more...
• Visit romantic Heidelberg for a traditional Black Forest excursion
• Visit thoroughly modern Stuttgart for a contrasting experience in the Black Forest
Read more from the travel guide to Germany
