According to Nonprofit Dictionary, the Black Forest is a densely forested area in the southwestern part of Germany near both the Swiss and French borders. The Black Forest is located in the state of Baden-Württenberg. It is one of the most popular holiday areas in Germany. Hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to this beautiful part of Germany every year. Most tourists come here to experience an active holiday in nature. The area is mainly popular because of the beautiful nature and the many mountains that can be found in the Zwarte. In the winter months the Black Forest is popular as a winter sports destination and in the summer months with hikers and cyclists. The highest mountain in the Black Forest is the Feldberg at 1493 meters. The top of this mountain, like many other mountains in the Black Forest, can be reached via a cable car. In addition to the beautiful nature, the region is known for its cuckoo clocks and the Schwarzwalder Kirsch. Although the latter is not originally from here.
Top 10 sights of the Black Forest
#1. Hiking Hiking
along signposted routes has virtually been invented in the Black Forest. The Black Forest was one of the first places in the world to be completely mapped and where walking routes were set out. As early as the mid-nineteenth century, the Black Forest was a popular destination for hikers. since this period little has really changed and the area is visited by many tens of thousands of hikers every year. In total there are more than a thousand kilometers of signposted hiking trails in the Black Forest. This varies from short routes of a few kilometers to a trip of 280 kilometers from one side of the Black Forest to the other.
#2. Waterfalls of Triberg
These waterfalls are among the largest waterfalls in Germany. The top of these falls consists of a hydroelectric power station. There are a total of seven waterfalls, all of which span about 163 meters in elevation. The falls owe their name to the town of Triberg, which is a stone’s throw from the falls. The Triberger waterfalls are one of the biggest public attractions in the Black Forest. Next to the falls is a narrow and slippery path that takes you to the base of the falls. The water from the falls eventually ends up in the Danube.
#3. Burg Hohenzoller
The oldest parts of this beautiful castle date from the eleventh century and have been destroyed and rebuilt several times in the following centuries. The current castle dates from the second half of the fourteenth century. In the centuries since, the castle has been in French, Habsburg and Austrian hands. The castle is built on a top of a mountain at about 850 meters altitude. Partly due to the high location of the castle, Burg Hohenzoller with its many beautiful towers appeals to the imagination. Burg Hohenzoller is today one of the most popular tourist attractions in the region. Every year more than 300,000 visitors come to see the castle and its art collection.
#4. Freiburg im Breisgau
Freiburg is the largest city in the Black Forest with more than 200,000 inhabitants and is often seen as the capital of this region. The city originated in the second half of the eleventh century. From the twelfth to the nineteenth century, the city belonged to the Habsburg Empire. The most beautiful sight of the city is the Freiburg Minster. The construction of this cathedral started in the twelfth century and lasted well into the sixteenth century. Another attraction in the city is the Freiburger Bächle. These typical gutters are regularly rinsed by the Dreisam River.
#5. Source of the Danube
The Danube, the second longest river in Europe, rises in the Black Forest near the town of Donaueschingen. From the Black Forest, the Danube flows through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine to the Black Sea. At Donaueschingen a beautiful monument has been built around the Danube spring. Officially there are three Danube springs. These are the rivers Brigach and Breg and the Danube source at Donaueschingen. From its source in the Black Forest to the Black Sea, the Danube covers a total of 2829 kilometers. The Danube spring near Donaueschingen is visited by many thousands of tourists every year.
#6. Mountains and Cable Cars
One of the reasons that the Black Forest is a popular holiday area is the beautiful mountains and hills that can be found in the region. In the winter months these mountains are covered with a layer of snow and winter sports enthusiasts can indulge themselves here. In the summer months these mountains are used by hikers and mountain bikers. Most mountains can be reached via a cable car after which you can make beautiful walks up and around the tops of the mountains in the Black Forest. The highest mountain in the Black Forest is the Feldberg with 1493 meters. Other popular mountains in the Black Forest are the Schauinsland, De Belchenberg and the Seebuck.
#7. Winter sports
The Black Forest is not the most famous winter sports area in Germany. Yet in this area there are many hundreds of kilometers of cross-country trails and about two hundred and fifty kilometers of ski slopes. These slopes are served by more than two hundred ski lifts and cable cars. In addition, there are special half pipes, you can climb ice and there are special toboggan runs for the big and small children. In short, in the winter months, the Black Forest is an excellent destination for an active holiday.
#8. Schwarzwalder Kirsch
This Schwarzwalder cherry pie is one of the most famous pies in the world. Contrary to what the name suggests, the original recipe most likely does not come from this part of Germany. According to some sources, the cake was invented by a baker from the town of Bad Godesberg in the North Rhine-Westphalia region. The cake owes its name to the kirsch and the dark chocolate grater that are sprinkled over the cake. The main ingredients for a Schwarzwalder Kirsch are cherries, whipped cream, chocolate and kirsch. This delicious cake is on the menu in most restaurants in the Black Forest.
#9. Cuckoo clocks
The cuckoo clock was invented in the Black Forest in the early eighteenth century by a clockmaker. Most cuckoo clocks are still produced in the Black Forest. In addition to the Schwarzwalder Kirsch, it has become one of the symbols of the region. The original cuckoo clocks consist of a decorated square case with a roof. The weights hang below that ensure that the bellows in the clock can do their job. These weights should be lifted every day. In the town of Furtwangen im Schwarzwald there is a cuckoo clock museum with a wide variety of different clocks.
#10. St. Blasien
The town of St. Blasien in the state of Baden-Württemberg is located in the southern part of the Black Forest. The town is a popular tourist destination in the Black Forest. This is mainly because the Abbey of Sankt Blasien with the former monastery church the Dom of St. Blasien can be found in the town. The Abbey of Sankt Blasien was built in the ninth century and served until the beginning of the nineteenth century. However, the Cathedral of St. Blasien dates from the second half of the eighteenth century and was built after the previous monastery church was destroyed by fire. The former abbey and the Cathedral of St. Blasien are the main tourist attractions of the town.
