The Black Forest.

EUROPE/GERMANY/48.3000° N, 8.2000° E

Fog sits low over stands of silver fir before lifting to reveal steep sandstone gorges and clear trout streams. Across 160 kilometres from Pforzheim down to the Swiss border, granite peaks flatten into pastoral highlands where dairy farmers still turn raw milk into Bergkäse. The region runs on quiet forest tracks, three-star Michelin dining rooms in modest timber villages, and clocks carved by hand since the eighteenth century.

Last updated 3 Sept 2026

Field notes

Photographs · Wikimedia Commons
Europe / Germany48.30°N 8.20°E
The Black Forest — Spring Pasture near Bernau in the Black Forest)
Spring Pasture near Bernau in the Black Forest) · Wikimedia Commons
The Black Forest — Carle Hessay - (West Coast) Rain Forest
Carle Hessay - (West Coast) Rain Forest · Wikimedia Commons
The Black Forest — Black Forest Village (NBY 417537)
Black Forest Village (NBY 417537) · Wikimedia Commons

What The Black Forest is about

Twelve ways to read the region. Pick a town below and you can turn any of these into a timed 1, 2 or 3 day plan.

THERMAL BATHS

Soak in the historic Friedrichsbad or Caracalla Therme in Baden-Baden, where mineral springs have bubbled up since Roman times.

FOREST HIKING

Walk the 285-kilometre Westweg ridge trail from Pforzheim to Basel through high moors, dense spruce woods, and granite peaks.

REGIONAL GASTRONOMY

Baiersbronn holds an improbable cluster of Michelin stars, serving venison, chanterelles, and river trout in quiet valley dining rooms.

CRAFT TRADITIONS

Watch woodcarvers shape cuckoo clocks in Triberg and Furtwangen along the historic Deutsche Uhrenstraße.

WINE & VINEYARDS

Sample Spätburgunder and crisp Gutedel along the sunlit slopes of the Badische Weinstraße near Freiburg and Staufen.

SMOKED MEATS

Cured over fir branches and sawdust, authentic Schwarzwälder Schinken cures for weeks in mountain smokehouses.

FRUIT BRANDIES

Small farm distilleries press sour morello cherries into dry, fiery Kirschwasser across the Ortenau foothills.

MOUNTAIN LAKES

Row on glacial waters at Mummelsee along the high ridge or walk the quieter pine shores of the Schluchsee.

GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE

Climb the 116-metre open-work spire of Freiburg Minster, built from local red sandstone across three centuries.

TIMBER VILLAGES

Stroll half-timbered market squares in Gengenbach and Schiltach, lined with seventeenth-century merchant facades.

WINTER SPORTS

Cross-country ski the groomed loipes around the 1,493-metre summit of Feldberg and the rolling snowfields of Hinterzarten.

CAKE & BAKING

Slice into authentic Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte layered with sour cherries, whipped cream, and chocolate sponge.

Where to go in The Black Forest

The bases worth booking. Each one has its own field guide with 1, 2 and 3 day itineraries.

  1. 01
    Freiburg im Breisgau

    BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG / GERMANY

    Its sun-warmed cobblestone alleys and medieval Münster anchor the region's southern edge.

  2. 02
    Baden-Baden

    BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG / GERMANY

    Grand nineteenth-century colonnades and thermal baths offer an unhurried, restorative soak.

  3. 03
    Baiersbronn

    BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG / GERMANY

    A modest timber village in the Murg Valley turned global capital of refined forest cooking.

  4. 04
    Gengenbach

    BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG / GERMANY

    Preserved half-timbered towers and narrow stone lanes frame the western Kinzig Valley.

  5. 05
    Staufen im Breisgau

    BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG / GERMANY

    Pastoral wine town with castle ruins, Faustian legends, and excellent Gutedel cellars.

  6. 06
    Schiltach

    BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG / GERMANY

    Steep gabled houses crowd the Kinzig riverbanks in an authentic timber-framing hub.

  7. 07
    Triberg

    BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG / GERMANY

    A deep gorge town famous for thundering waterfalls, clockmakers, and wood-carvers.

  8. 08
    Feldberg

    BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG / GERMANY

    The Black Forest's highest peak offers windy ridge hikes and wide panoramic trails.

  9. 09
    Calw

    BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG / GERMANY

    Hermann Hesse's birthplace features quiet market lanes and classic northern timberwork.

  10. 10
    Hinterzarten

    BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG / GERMANY

    A tranquil highland base for cross-country skiing and walking near lake Titisee.

  11. 11
    Bad Wildbad

    BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG / GERMANY

    Tucked into the Enz gorge with an ornate Moorish bathhouse and elevated treetop trails.

What to do in The Black Forest

The Black Forest forms an elongated granite and sandstone massif stretching north to south along the Rhine plain. Days here split evenly between strenuous ridge walks and long, unhurried lunches of trout, venison, and crusty rye. It rewards independent travellers who appreciate quiet forest trails, historic spa culture, and honest cooking without urban rush.

When to go to The Black Forest

May to October offers ideal hiking weather and active village markets, though July and August draw heavy crowds to lakes. Autumn brings wine harvest in the western foothills and clear ridge views. Winter brings reliable snow above 1,000 metres around Feldberg for skiing.

Getting around The Black Forest

The regional train network connects main hubs like Freiburg, Offenburg, and Baden-Baden efficiently. The Schwarzwald Plus and KONUS guest cards provide free local transit for hotel guests. A car proves helpful for reaching isolated Murg Valley trailheads and farm inns.