# Black Forest 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. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/germany/baden-wurttemberg/black-forest · Revisado: 2026-11-12 ## Getting there from Spain 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. ## Getting around the region 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. ## Crowds and what to 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. ## Where to eat and sleep 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. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Alsace Wine Route (a 54.8 km · France) ## Qué hacer - **Triberg Waterfalls, the Highest in Germany** (1 h 30 · Families · Adult €7 in winter 2026/27 and €9 in summer 2027): What they are and what you see The River Gutach drops 163 metres in seven falls through a ravine of fir trees and granite rocks, right beside the village of Triberg. The town presents them as the highest waterfalls in Germany, and it is the easiest visit in the central Black Forest: a path with bridges and platforms climbs alongside the water, and from below you see the main fall a few minutes from the entrance. There are three signposted routes around the site, the Naturweg, the Kulturweg and the Kaskadenweg, with panels about the animals, plants and history of the place. A new walkway leads to a platform where you can feel the spray of the water. Along the paths you will see many squirrels, used to people. Opening times and seasons The site is open every day of the year, rain or snow. The town distinguishes two seasons: Winter 2026/27: from 2 November 2026 until approximately April 2027. You can only climb from the main entrance to the lower main fall, a stretch that is cleared of snow and treated with salt. The paths above are closed. Summer 2027: from approximately April until 7 November 2027, with all the paths open. At night the falls are lit until about 22:00, and in winter from dusk. In a storm, snow that brings down trees or freezing rain, the site may close for a few hours. Tickets and prices The ticket is called the Triberg-Card and, besides the falls, includes the Schwarzwaldmuseum (cuckoo clocks, costumes and trades of the region), Triberg-Fantasy and Triberg-Land, a large model railway. Winter 2026/27Summer 2027 Adult€7€9 Reduced (ages 6 to 17, students)€6.50€8.50 Family (parents and children aged 6 to 17)€16€20 With the Black Forest guest card you pay 50 cents less. Children under 6 and anyone with the Triberg guest card (if you sleep in the village) go in free. There is a combined ticket with the VR-Arena, a virtual rope course: €20 in winter and €22 in summer per adult. You can buy at the main ticket office or in the town's online shop. How to get there and where to park The main entrance is at Hauptstraße 85, in the centre of Triberg, on foot from anywhere in the village. There are five entrances in all; the one at the Asklepios clinic, at Ludwigstraße 1, can be used to enter or leave, but has no parking. By car, use the signposted car parks in the village. Without a car, Triberg has a station on the Schwarzwaldbahn line, between Offenburg and Konstanz. On the same line, changing at Hausach, you reach the Vogtsbauernhof museum in Gutach: you can combine the two visits in one day. The climb, step by step From the main entrance, a paved, gently sloping path reaches the first platform, opposite the main fall, in 10 to 15 minutes. It is the stretch you can do with a wheelchair or pushchair. From the clinic entrance the path to that platform is flat. Higher up, towards the high bridges, the paving continues but the slope is very steep. If you climb to the top and come back through the forest, allow an hour and a half at an easy pace; with a visit to the Schwarzwaldmuseum, half a day. With children and with a dog It is a good plan with small children: the first stretch is short and the squirrels keep them entertained. With a pushchair, stay in the lower part. Dogs may enter on a lead. In winter the walkways and bridges can be icy: wear shoes with a good sole and hold little ones' hands firmly. - **Vogtsbauernhof Open-Air Museum in Gutach** (4 h · Families · Adult €13; ages 6 to 17, €7): What it is and what you see The Schwarzwälder Freilichtmuseum Vogtsbauernhof, in Gutach, is the Black Forest's open-air museum. It revolves around a farm that is still in its original place, the Vogtsbauernhof, built in 1612 according to a study of its timber. Around it, farmhouses and houses from other districts have been brought piece by piece: the Hippenseppenhof from Furtwangen, the Lorenzenhof from Oberwolfach, the Falkenhof from Buchenbach, a house from the Hotzenwald, another from the Schauinsland, a day labourer's house, the Schlössle from Wildberg and, since 2023, a house from the Ortenau. The museum was founded in 1964 by Hermann Schilli, director of the Freiburg carpentry school, and today it receives about 230,000 visitors a season. What strikes you most are the roofs: enormous, almost down to the ground, because beneath them the family, the livestock, the hay and the harvest lived together. You go into smoky kitchens, bedchambers, stables and workshops. Outside there is a barn, a grain mill, a water-powered sawmill, the bakehouse and still, vegetable gardens and animals of old breeds. Season and opening times 2027 season: from 21 March to 7 November. Opening times: every day from 9:00 to 18:00; last entry at 17:00. Christmas village 2026: from 11 to 13 December; on Friday 11 it opens at 16:00, on Saturday 12 at 14:00 and on Sunday 13 at 11:00. Right now, in November 2026, the museum is closed until the Christmas village. Tickets The museum's website lists, for those arriving by train with a valid bwegtPlus ticket, €12 per adult instead of €13, and €5.50 per child aged 6 to 17 instead of €7. It accepts the Museumspass, the Schwarzwald Card and the HeimatKärtle. Check the other rates (families, groups, annual pass) on the museum's website or by phone (+49 7831 46 79 3500). How to get there and park The museum is in Gutach (Schwarzwaldbahn), in the central Black Forest; do not confuse it with Gutach im Breisgau. By train: it has its own stop, Gutach Freilichtmuseum, on the Ortenau S-Bahn line between Offenburg and Hornberg, with one train an hour during opening hours and on the Christmas village weekends. If you come on the Schwarzwaldbahn, change at Hausach. By bus: Südwestbus lines from Hausach station to the Vogtsbauernhof stop. By car: it is next to the B33 road, between Hausach and Gutach, with a large car park for cars and coaches and an electric charging point. On a motorbike, you can leave your helmet and clothing at the entrance. The Triberg waterfalls are along the B33 to the south, and by train, on the Schwarzwaldbahn from Hausach: they combine well in a day. How long Allow half a day. The farmhouses take 2 or 3 hours at an easy pace, and longer with children or if a demonstration is on. The site is on a slope, with dirt paths and stairs inside the houses: comfortable shoes. With children It works very well with children. On Sundays and public holidays, from 11:00 to 16:00, there is an open workshop for families, and the museum has a family programme and tips from its mascot, Menne, designed for them. The animals and the mills usually do the rest. Guided tours and groups The museum organises guided tours for groups, with a practical part, and a wine tasting, as well as programmes for schools. Check conditions and prices on its website. For the rest of the year's activities, see its events calendar. - **Schauinsland Cable Car from Freiburg** (3 h · All ages; dogs with a ticket · Return €15 adult and €10 child): What it is The Schauinslandbahn is Freiburg's cable car: it leaves from Horben, on the southern edge of the city, and climbs in about 20 minutes to the summit of the Schauinsland, at 1,284 m. It is a cable car of small cabins that circulate continuously in a loop, the longest of its kind in Germany according to its operator, the Freiburg transport company (VAG). At the top you have a panoramic terrace, the Schauinslandturm viewing tower, reached by a path, and the café-restaurant Die Bergstation. On a clear day you see the summits of the Black Forest and the Rhine valley. It is an easy half-day outing from Freiburg, without a car, and a good option when you do not want to walk far to get mountain views. Opening times and closures It operates every day of the year, from 9:00 to 17:00. During the Baden-Württemberg summer school holidays it is open until 18:00. Twice a year it closes for technical inspection, and the restaurant at the top closes with it: Autumn 2026: from Monday 16 November to Friday 4 December. Spring 2026: it was from 9 to 27 March. The 2027 dates have not yet been published. The operator warns that it may change the dates without notice: check its website before you go. Prices ReturnOne way Adult€15€12 Child aged 6 to 14€10€8 Dog€10€8 Bicycle—€12 For families (at least one parent with their children), the adult pays €12.50 and the child €5 return; the third and fourth child do not pay. With the Black Forest guest card or KONUS, over-63s, students or a Deutschland-Ticket bought on the Freiburg network, €13 return. The SchwarzwaldCard includes one trip, and pushchairs and wheelchairs go up free. You buy at the valley-station ticket office (from 9:00 to 17:00) or in the online shop. There are combined tickets with breakfast or with cheese fondue (from December to March), both with booking, and with coffee and cake. How to get there By public transport: tram 2 from central Freiburg to the terminus, in Günterstal, and from there bus 21 to the valley station. About 20 minutes from Bertoldsbrunnen. By car: valley station at Bohrerstraße 11, Horben. Parking is paid: the first 30 minutes free and then €2 a day, up to 10 hours. There are spaces for people with reduced mobility and for charging electric cars. How long and how to plan it Allow about 3 hours in total: 40 minutes on the cable car for the ascent and descent, the walk to the tower and a coffee at the top. If you walk, buy a one-way ticket and walk down the mountain paths; to go up with a mountain bike there is the bike ticket, one way only. With children, dogs and reduced mobility It is a comfortable plan for all ages. The operator offers a quiz for children and technical tours of the machinery. Dogs travel with their own ticket, except assistance dogs. Pushchairs and wheelchairs do not pay; check the operator's accessibility page for access to the cabins. What to do if the weather changes It is considerably colder at the top than in Freiburg. Bring a warm layer even if it is hot below. If the summit is in cloud, you will see nothing: the cable car's website has a live camera so you can check before setting out. To combine it with another visit in the southern Black Forest, the Ravenna Gorge is at Hinterzarten, on the Höllental railway line from Freiburg. - **Feldbergsteig, the Circuit of the Highest Peak in the Black Forest** (5 h · 12.4 km · Fit walkers · Independent · free): What it is The Feldbergsteig is a 12.4 km circular trail around and above the Feldberg, the highest peak in the Black Forest, at 1,493 m. It belongs to the region's Premium trail network, and the Hochschwarzwald tourist office classifies it as demanding: about 5 hours, 502 m of ascent and 520 m of descent. You pass through high pastures with views over the Black Forest and, in good weather, the Alps; mountain huts where you can eat; the glacial Lake Feldsee, at the foot of steep walls; and a protected forest where not a tree is cut. The whole route lies within a protected natural area. That is why there are rules: follow the recommended direction of travel, keep dogs on a lead at all times, and do not swim in the Feldsee. Where it starts and where to park The start is in Feldberg-Ort, behind the Haus der Natur, the visitor centre of the protected area, at the Feldberg pass (1,260 m). Park in the Feldberg/Seebuck high-altitude car park, pay and display, next door. There are public toilets at the valley station of the Feldbergbahn cable car. The route, step by step From the Haus der Natur to the Bismarck monument. You begin by climbing the panoramic path to the Bismarck monument and the top station of the cable car, at 1,450 m. If you want to spare yourself this first climb, take the Feldbergbahn. To the summit. You pass the Feldberg tower, cross the Grüble saddle and reach the summit, a bare hillside with open views. The huts. You descend towards the St. Wilhelmer Hütte (or, as a variant, the Todtnauer Hütte), and continue past the Zastler Hütte and the Baldenweger Hütte, the latter with a good viewpoint. To the Raimartihof and the Feldsee. Narrow paths and small bridges take you to the Raimartihof farm, which has been feeding people who come to the lake for over a century. The Feldsee is about 10 minutes away. Return through the protected forest. You walk between the slopes of the Feldberg and the lake, enter the Bannwald and climb the Karl-Egon-Weg to the Haus der Natur. The surface alternates between forest tracks and paths. The route is well signposted: follow the Feldbergsteig markers at every junction. Difficulty, season and time It is a long route with continuous ascents and descents, narrow stretches and pastures with livestock. You need to be fit and wear mountain footwear. It is not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs. With teenagers who like walking, it is fine; with small children, something shorter is better. Do it when the ground is free of snow, from late spring to autumn. In winter the Feldberg is a ski resort and the route is under snow. The weather changes quickly up there: the summit is open, with no trees, and in fog or wind it is unpleasant. If the sky closes in or there is a storm, do not go up to the summit; from the Raimartihof you can return directly through the forest. Water, food and shade There is somewhere to stop almost all the way: the St. Wilhelmer Hütte, the Zastler Hütte, the Baldenweger Hütte, the Todtnauer Hütte, the Seebuck Hütte and the Raimartihof. Check beforehand that they are open on the day you go, because their hours change with the season. Carry water anyway. The upper section has no shade: a cap and sun cream in summer. A short alternative If the day does not stretch to 5 hours, take the Feldbergbahn up and do the accessible circuit of the summit, 5.8 km on a paved path. It is the option for going with a pushchair or with grandparents. And if you want a quieter route in the same area, the Ravenna Gorge from Hinterzarten is 7 km among mills and waterfalls. - **Ravenna Gorge on the Heimatpfad from Hinterzarten** (2 h 30 · 7.3 km · Families who walk · Independent · free): What it is It is a 7.25 km circuit from Hinterzarten that goes down the Löffeltal valley and climbs through the Ravenna Gorge, a narrow ravine with a stream, small waterfalls, bridges and steps. It forms part of the Heimatpfad Hochschwarzwald, a heritage trail that shows how the people of the plateau made a living: water-powered sawmills, mills, a ropeworks and old inns. The regional tourist office estimates 2 hours 30 minutes and 174 m of ascent, with medium difficulty. The route, step by step Start at the Kurhaus in Hinterzarten. Turn right along Freiburger Straße and look for the millwheel symbol, which marks the whole route. The Löffeltal. You go down the valley beside the railway line to the Klopfsäge and, minutes later, the Hochgangsäge, two old water-powered sawmills. Under the B31. You follow the Rotbach stream to the end of the valley, pass under the B31 road and go by the ropeworks and the mill-house. Hofgut Sternen. You arrive at the old inn on the Höllsteig, with the house where Goethe slept in 1779, a glassblowing workshop and the old customs house. At the hotel reception they give you the key to the St. Oswald chapel, the oldest church in the Upper Black Forest. Through the gorge. You pass the Ravenna viaduct, the stone railway bridge of the Höllental line, and climb through the gorge: a small lake, waterfalls and the Großjockenmühle mill. Return. At the next junction, turn left towards the Ravenna sawmill. You return to Hinterzarten past the Birklehof school, or follow the millwheel over the Rössleberg and the Hinterzarten bog, a protected area, to the station. Where it starts and how to get there The circuit starts and ends at the Kurhaus, in the centre of Hinterzarten, where the tourist office (Freiburger Straße 1) also is. Without a car it is easy: Hinterzarten has a station on the Höllental line, which links it with Freiburg and Titisee, and the route ends beside it. By car, park in the village and walk to the Kurhaus; the route's sources do not indicate a specific car park. When to go From spring to autumn, with the ground dry. In summer you can see the mill and the ropeworks working: they open on the first and third Sunday of each month, from May to 1 October, from 11:30 to 15:30. In December the gorge hosts a Christmas market; check the dates on the Hochschwarzwald website. In rain, or in winter with ice, the steps and bridges of the gorge are slippery. Some bridges and stretches have little protection. If the day is bad, leave the gorge for another time. Difficulty, children and dogs There are no technical passages, but there are steep steps and wet stones. Shoes with a good sole. With children who can walk it is a very entertaining route, with water, bridges and millwheels; the gorge cannot be done with a pushchair. Dogs can come, preferably on a lead on the steps and near people. Water and food Halfway along is the restaurant of the Hofgut Sternen (Höllsteig 76, Breitnau), with a terrace: a good place to eat before climbing the gorge. Carry water: it is the only place to eat on the route named by the tourist office. If you want something more demanding the same weekend, the Feldbergsteig circles the highest peak in the Black Forest, near Hinterzarten. ## Dónde comer - **Raimartihof, the Feldsee farm** (Restaurant, Feldberg, €€). Qué pedir: the house Galloway beef goulash with Spätzle, or the Kaiserschmarrn with plum compote if you arrive mid-afternoon. - **Die Bergstation, café and restaurant on the Schauinsland** (Café, Oberried, €€). Qué pedir: a Flammkuchen or the Baden dish with sausage salad and herbed fresh cheese; in the afternoon, cake from the display. - **Gasthaus Staude** (Restaurant, Triberg, €€). Qué pedir: fresh trout or a game dish at midday, and for dessert the three-tier Black Forest gateau, if they have it that day. ## As a family: Waterfalls, Farmhouses and Cable Cars The Black Forest suits families: short walks with a reward, an open-air museum and cable cars with a family fare. ### What works best The Triberg waterfalls, with the Schwarzwaldmuseum included The Vogtsbauernhof, half a day among farmhouses The Schauinsland cable car, with the third and fourth child free ### Where to sleep Country houses and apartments in the Gutach valley Hinterzarten or Titisee, for the south ### Where to eat A Black Forest cake in a village pastry shop A picnic on the Schauinsland summit ### Keep in mind The Vogtsbauernhof closes from November to March Mountain roads lengthen journeys ### Qué hacer as a family - Triberg Waterfalls, the Highest in Germany - Vogtsbauernhof Open-Air Museum in Gutach - Schauinsland Cable Car from Freiburg - Ravenna Gorge on the Heimatpfad from Hinterzarten ## With teenagers: Real Hikes among the Firs Teenagers like hikes with something to see: the Ravenna Gorge, the circuit of the Feldberg or the highest waterfalls in Germany. ### What works best The Feldbergsteig, 12.4 km around the summit The Ravenna Gorge from Hinterzarten The Triberg waterfalls, from bottom to top ### Where to sleep Hinterzarten, with a train to Freiburg ### Where to eat Sandwiches for the hikes Black Forest cake as a reward ### Keep in mind The Feldbergsteig takes about 5 hours The gorge has steps and wet stretches ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Triberg Waterfalls, the Highest in Germany - Vogtsbauernhof Open-Air Museum in Gutach - Schauinsland Cable Car from Freiburg - Feldbergsteig, the Circuit of the Highest Peak in the Black Forest - Ravenna Gorge on the Heimatpfad from Hinterzarten ## With young children: With Little Ones in the Black Forest With children under six, choose plans of one or two hours: the lower part of the waterfalls, the farmhouse museum and a cable car. ### What works best The lower part of the Triberg waterfalls The Vogtsbauernhof and its storybook houses The Schauinsland cable car: under-6s do not pay ### Where to sleep Apartments with a kitchen in the valley ### Where to eat Village pastry shops and bakeries ### Keep in mind In the Triberg ravine the ground can be wet: a baby carrier is better than a pushchair ### Qué hacer with young children - Triberg Waterfalls, the Highest in Germany - Vogtsbauernhof Open-Air Museum in Gutach - Schauinsland Cable Car from Freiburg ## Consejos ### Ask for the guest card Depending on the village, it includes transport or discounts, and in Triberg, entry to the waterfalls. ### Base yourself in two places Freiburg or Hinterzarten for the south, Triberg or Gutach for the centre. ### Do a waterfall and a museum on the same day Triberg and the Vogtsbauernhof are a few kilometres apart. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How many days do you need? Three for the south or the centre; five to see both areas without rushing. ### Can you go without a car? Yes, by train and with the guest card that many places to stay provide, though it takes more planning. ### What are the must-sees? The Triberg waterfalls, the Vogtsbauernhof museum and a route around the Feldberg or the Ravenna Gorge. ### Is it a good destination with children? Yes: waterfalls with a short path, an open-air farm museum and cable cars with a family fare.