48.25° N · 8.05° E
A wooded massif in south-west Germany, running parallel to the Rhine for about 160 km, with the Feldberg (1,493 m) as its summit. A land of cuckoo clocks, big-roofed farmhouses and the cake that bears its name.
What to do
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
The Gutach drops 163 m in seven falls beside Triberg; open daily, and the €7 winter ticket includes the Schwarzwaldmuseum.
Historic Black Forest farmhouses, with their stables, mills and workshops, in Gutach; open from 21 March to 7 November 2027.
Cable car from Freiburg to the summit of the Schauinsland (1,284 m) in 20 minutes; open daily from 9 to 17 h and costs €15 return.
Itineraries
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
From May to October, with the open-air museums open and the trails free of snow. The Vogtsbauernhof closes from November to March. In winter there is cross-country skiing on the Feldberg and Christmas markets.
How you travel
The ways of travelling that suit Black Forest. We are writing a guide to each one: where to stay, how to get around and which services you will need.
By carBy campervanCampingOn footBy bikeBy motorbike
Who you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
The Black Forest suits families: short walks with a reward, an open-air museum and cable cars with a family fare.
Teenagers like hikes with something to see: the Ravenna Gorge, the circuit of the Feldberg or the highest waterfalls in Germany.
With children under six, choose plans of one or two hours: the lower part of the waterfalls, the farmhouse museum and a cable car.
Where to stay
Why we like it: An old inn of the Höllental, at the entrance to the Ravenna Gorge, with 107 four-star rooms in four houses, one of which hosted Goethe.
Why we like it: A 39-room mountain hotel at 1,147 m on the Schauinsland, with a 1,100 m² spa, a pool with a view of the Feldberg and light full board included.
Why we like it: A family campsite open all year at the gates of Freiburg, with 365 tourist pitches, a summer swimming pool included and free public transport with the KONUS card.
Where to eat
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
What to order: the house Galloway beef goulash with Spätzle, or the Kaiserschmarrn with plum compote if you arrive mid-afternoon.
What to order: a Flammkuchen or the Baden dish with sausage salad and herbed fresh cheese; in the afternoon, cake from the display.
What to order: fresh trout or a game dish at midday, and for dessert the three-tier Black Forest gateau, if they have it that day.
Nearby
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
Tips
Depending on the village, it includes transport or discounts, and in Triberg, entry to the waterfalls.
Freiburg or Hinterzarten for the south, Triberg or Gutach for the centre.
Triberg and the Vogtsbauernhof are a few kilometres apart.
The distances are long on mountain roads. Choose one area.
The most convenient airports are Basel-Mulhouse, for the south (Freiburg, Feldberg, Titisee), and Stuttgart or Strasbourg, for the north and centre. Freiburg, with its high-speed train station, is the most practical gateway.
The Black Forest is big: from Freiburg to Triberg takes more than an hour. With a car it is easier to combine waterfalls, farms and viewpoints. You can also manage without one: the Schwarzwaldbahn links Offenburg, Gutach and Triberg, and the Höllental line runs from Freiburg to Hinterzarten and Titisee. Many places to stay provide a guest card with free public transport: ask when you book.
Outside August and weekends, there is room everywhere. Triberg and Titisee are the busiest; arrive early. You do not need to book the visits.
At the summit of the Schauinsland, next to the cable car, Die Bergstation serves Flammkuchen and cakes with a view of the Vosges. On the Feldbergsteig, beside the Feldsee, the Raimartihof is a farm from 1710 that can only be reached on foot. Near Triberg, the Gasthaus Staude is a family inn with trout, game and a three-tier Black Forest cake, from Wednesday to Sunday.
To stay in the south, the Hofgut Sternen is the old coaching inn of the Höllental, at the entrance to the Ravenna Gorge, and accepts dogs. Two kilometres from the Schauinsland cable car, the Die Halde hotel has a spa and board included, and its restaurant also serves those who book a table. With a tent or motorhome, the Camping Kirchzarten is open all year and is a short walk from the train to Freiburg and Titisee.
Questions
Three for the south or the centre; five to see both areas without rushing.
Yes, by train and with the guest card that many places to stay provide, though it takes more planning.
The Triberg waterfalls, the Vogtsbauernhof museum and a route around the Feldberg or the Ravenna Gorge.
Yes: waterfalls with a short path, an open-air farm museum and cable cars with a family fare.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/germany/baden-wurttemberg/black-forest
