The Black Forest
The Black Forest, synonymous
with cuckoo clocks, folklore and primeval woodland punctuated by
charming, gabled fairy-tale cottages, is one of the most popular tourist
centers of the countryside.
The northern region, crossed
by broad, densely wooded ridges, thickly forested slopes and small
picturesque lakes, such as the Mummelsee and the Widsee, includes the
270-km (167 miles) Black Forest Spa Route, linking many of the spas in
the region, from Baden-Baden to Bad Wildbad. A trip to the area would not
be complete without a soak in their warm waters. The lovely Nagold River
is also here, as well as the ancient towns of Bad Herrenalb and Hirsau
and the magnificent abbey at Maulbronn, near Pforzheim.
The Central Black Forest is
home to the Simonswald, Elz and Glotter valleys as well as Triberg and
Furtwangen, which have interesting cuckoo-clock shops and museums. The
area around the Triberg Falls, the highest in Germany, is renowned for
its traditional pop-pom hats, thatched farmhouses and mountain railways.
The Schwarzwaldbahn (Black Forest Railway), which passes through Triberg,
is one of the most scenic in all of Europe.
In the south, you will find
the most spectacular and dramatic mountain scenery in the area,
culminating in the Feldberg, at 1,493 meters (4,899 feet) the highest
mountain in the Black Forest. The region also has two large glacial
lakes, the Titisee and the Schluchsee. Freiburg, a romantic university
city with vineyards producing dry Baden wines and a superb Gothic
cathedral with its perfect spires, is also located here.
