BlackForest

What the Black Forest Is Known For

by | Culture, FAQ

it’s Mystical forest

Walking through the Black Forest can be enchanting.  The tall trees, ranging from Spruces and Beeches to Firs and Pines, tower over you both impressively and peacefully as you walk along the countless pathways that cut through the region.  Around 75% of the Black Forest is forested, with the remainder being covered be scenic meadows and beautiful mountain tops.  

the Black Forest cake

One of the best parts about traveling is having the opportunity to taste new foods.  Well, most of the time.  There are times that you are presented with dishes (I’m getting a flashback to eating cow brain soup in Mexico) that aren’t appetizing in the least.

Fortunately, though, for tourists in the Black Forest, the local dish to try just happens to be a dessert!  The Black Forest Cake is a must-try and is found in almost every cafe throughout the region.  It consists of a sponge cake, sour cherries, schnapps, cream, and chocolate shavings.  It also happens to be one of the things the Black Forest is best known for.

Cuckoo clocks

When you think of the Black Forest, one of the first things that comes to mind is the cuckoo clock. The region has been producing cuckoo clocks since the 1850’s, and they’ve been one of the most interesting souvenirs for travelers in Germany ever since.

When you are buying a cuckoo clock, make sure that it contains a certificate of authenticity from the Black Forest Clock Association.  That way, you know that you are buying an original Black Forest clock where all of its parts come from the Black Forest itself.  

the bollenhut hat

Even though the Black Forest has over 120 different folk costumes, the Bollenhut is what the Black Forest is actually known for.  The Bollenhut is a straw hat that carries 14 wollen pompoms, red pompoms for single women and black pompoms for married women.  The hat weighs around 2 kilos (4.4 pounds) and is also quite a bit of work to make, on average taking about a week to put it all together.

The Bollenhut itself has been worn since the mid-1700’s and is technically only suppose to be worn in three villages in the Black Forest:  Gutach, Kirnbach, and Reichenbach.  Although, it’s a rule that is not always followed.  

spa towns

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Lots and lots of hiking trails

I’ve read that hiking was invented in the Black Forest. I’m not sure if this is actually true, but what I do know is that hiking is everywhere in this region. There are 24,000 marked trails in the Black Forest, so many that you could technically walk everywhere. There are times when I’m driving where I’ll just pull over on the side of the road and start walking on a marked path through the woods.

Of course, you don’t want to go hiking on just any trail.  The Black Forest has its share of premium hiking trails or “premiumwanderwege” in German.  For families, there are also adventure trails or “erlebnispfade”, which tend to be themed, fun, and geared more towards children.  

cute villages with half-timbered houses

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glacial lakes

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michelin star restaurants

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picturesque waterfalls

If you were wondering what the top attraction in the Black Forest is, then look no further than the Triberg Waterfalls. Every year travelers from around the world make the trip to Triberg to enjoy its 163 meter (535 ft) waterfall drop into seven distinct cascades.

However, the city of Triberg isn’t just about those famous waterfalls. The town itself is known as being a great place to buy authentic Black Forest cuckoo clocks. They even have the world’s largest cuckoo clock, which you can actually walk inside.  There’s also a owl (?) and ski slopes.  For Christmas, the town is covered in over a million lights, and the waterfalls are illuminated during the Triberg Weinachtszauber.  

 

 

Needless to say, the waterfalls might bring you to Triberg, but there are other things that’ll make you stay.   

 

winter sport paradise

Winter is arguably the most beautiful season in the Black Forest.  It’s also the time where tourists come to experience its winter sports such as downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, winter hiking, and ski jumping.  

The hotspot for winter sports is Feldberg.  It’s the highest mountain in the region and it also happens to be the biggest ski resort in the Black Forest with 38 ski lifts and 63 km of groomed slopes.  Of course, it’s not the only ski area that the Black Forest offers.  There are a total of 170 ski lifts and 250 km of groomed slopes from the Northern Black Forest to the South.  

If winter sports really isn’t your thing, then you probably wouldn’t mind relaxing in one of the Black Forest’s thermal baths.  There are quite a few dispersed throughout the Black Forest and they are the most stunning in winter.

Europa-park

Europa-Park is the second most popular theme park in Europe, and is located on the outskirts of the Black Forest.  The park boasts of over 100 attractions, a waterpark with 17 outdoor slides and a wave pool, and over 23 hours of shows on a daily basis.  It’s one of the best theme parks in Europe and a perfect trip for the family.  

schnapps, Wine, and beer

When you think of Germany, you think of beer.  When you think of the Black Forest, you think of schnapps.  It’s one of the most popular drinks in the area, and a must-try when visiting the Black Forest.  There are 15,000 small-scale distillers in the region alone, with around 900 of those coming from Oberkirch.  

The best-known schnapps is kirschwasser, which translates to “cherry water” in English.  There are numerous cherry trees in the Black Forest and, therefore, an abundant amount of cherries for schnapps (and that infamous Black Forest cake of course!).

Apart from cherry schnapps, you can also find schnapps made out of apple, pear, bloodroot, hazelnut, raspberry, plum, grape, and more.

A great way to experience schnapps in the Black Forest is by doing a schnapps hike.  You can hike through the hills of the Black Forest and make pit stops along the way to try various types of local schnapps.  There are a few of these schnapps trails that you can choose from such as the ones in Sasbachwalden, Oberkirch, or Kappelrodeck.

Rolling wine hills

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mountains

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Black Forest ham

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legends

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