Photo by Julien Riedel on Unsplash
Easter is fast approaching and you may well be scratching your head wondering what to do over the holiday.
If so, why not consider a destination that is often overlooked by travellers from Belgium.
Some often bypass the region en route to sunnier climes or a spot of skiing in the Alps.
But the Black Forest region of Germany is, of course, easily reachable for those travelling by car from Belgium. If you have kids in tow it also makes for a great place for a short family break.
The best things to do in the Black Forest vary widely but it is probably still best known as the “home” of the cuckoo clock and the setting of many fairy tales by the brothers Grimm. The Schwarzwald is also famous for its scenic lakes and walks through pine forests. You can discover dreamy backdrops of old castles and quaint towns and villages – and even spend a day at one of Europe’s largest theme parks.
Most of the popular spots in the Black Forest are set far and wide, all wedged between the eastern banks of the Rhine and the foothills of the Swiss Alps. A week’s visit may not be enough to cover them all but this website has listed a few of the best things to do in the Black Forest to help make most out of any visit to this very picturesque region in Germany’s southwest.
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One such spot you must head for is Triberg Waterfalls (free entrance), the highest waterfalls in Germany, which are centrally located in the Black Forest and you can reach on a hike along a forest trail, uphill from the station at the town of the same name. Water from the Gutach river cascades down the Falls’ seven levels even in winter – but be careful as the icy viewing platform can also get slippy. The Triberg Falls are colourfully illuminated until around 10pm, offering a rather cool sight if you’re out for an evening hike.
It’s said to be at its best in Spring when the cascading water masses are enormous and at their most impressive.
For some great family fun and thrills, head to Europa-Park, Germany’s largest leisure park. Its theme park opens in the Spring but the Rulantica indoor water world is open year-round and is a great spot for lots of family fun. Named after the fictional Norwegian Sea island Rulantic, this has been open since November 2019 and offers various some seriously good slides and water fun.
Located close to the German border with France, the whole eco-friendly complex is said to be the size of six American football fields and boasts 25 indoor attractions, including 17 thrilling water slides, all set in a mythical, Scandinavian-inspired land. There’s also a wave pool, lazy river, kid-friendly playground and fast-paced rides which send visitors down nearly vertical slides. Adults can have just as much fun here as the kids thanks to rentable loungers, deck chairs and the whole place is kept at a cosy 89 degrees Fahrenheit at all times so is nice to visit all year round.
Similar enjoyment, albeit at a rather slower pace, can be found in another part of the region, in the small town of Schonach.
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A meticulously hand-carved cuckoo clock can be one of the best keepsakes from any visit to the Black Forest and you’ll come across cuckoo shops in nearly all the towns, but one of the best is in Schonach. You can also learn more about this lovely invention by way of a short but highly informative guided tour of the Rombach and Haas cuckoo clock factory, located at the heart of the town. This place has been owned by the same family for generations and is widely credited with having “re-invented” the ages-old cuckoo clock. How? Well, a few years ago its owner came up with the idea of a new, modern version of the cuckoo clock. Despite facing some initial “hostility” from the industry it has proved a great hit with worldwide sales. Visitors to the factory come from as far away as Japan.
There is also German Clock Museum in nearby Furtwangen (open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am-5pm) which is also well worth a visit. You may also get the chance here to hear some very pleasant music from its many and varied exhibits.
Triberg, one of the region’s most popular tourist destinations, had the first electric street lighting in the whole of Germany but was almost destroyed by a devastating fire in 1826. Today, it boasts the Black Forest Museum near the tourist office which houses a small but varied and interesting collection. There are various rooms showing how local people lived and worked in past centuries, a collection of barrel organs (one of the largest in Europe) and displays of traditional Black Forest dress.
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While in the area also try to check out the Instagram museum at Triberg (especially fun for the kids), the 20metre-high observation tower (beautiful views) at Furtwangen and, back in Schonach, what is thought to be the world’s largest cuckoo clock. Its dimensions are impressive: the clockwork is 15 feet tall and weighs six tons and the cuckoo itself weighs 330 pounds while the swinging pendulum is 26 feet long. The clock was completed in 1994 after five years of construction and earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records three years later. It is part of the Eble Uhren-Park, which displays over 1,000 square meters of original Black Forest clocks.
Another “must see” is the fascinating and excellent German Phono museum in Sankt Georgen im Schwarzwald which tells the history of the music industry, beginning with phonographs and continuing right up to the modern CD.
After all that traipsing around you’ll have worked up quite an appetite and there are a couple of excellent places nearby to sate anyone’s hunger.
The first is Restaurant Feinwerk (attached to Hotel Federwerk at St Georgen) and located (where else?) in what used to be a former clock making factory and which now boasts sophisticated cuisine. The emphasis here is on seasonal and regional products. You can expect game from the local forests and fresh fish from the surrounding streams and lakes. Its dry-aged meat is a house speciality so steak lovers will particularly love this place. It’s put together a small, exquisite range of wines from Germany, Italy, France, Austria, Spain and Portugal and also offers wines from up-and-coming young winegrowers at fair prices. There’s also a lovely terrace and a roof garden with great views of the scenic locality. For the curious among readers, the words “feinwerk” and “federwerk” both relate to the same thing: mechanisms in clocks and watches.
Another equally superb place to eat in the area (a short 10km away) is the family owned and very decorative Gausthaus Lilie in Triberg.It boasts a delightful country-style bar/restaurant which also features a terrace and exposed-beam ceilings.
The restaurant (also part of a small hotel) specialises in excellent local and traditional produce and has a very good reputation both for the quality of its German cuisine and friendly service.
Try not to leave the Black Forest without also sampling arguably the thing it is actually best known for – its cake.
Black Forest cake dates from 1915 when one Josef Keller had the idea of placing a chocolate base under cherries with cream, added a short of Kirschwasser (liquor) and decorated it with chocolate sprinkles.
Of course, this lovely delicacy today has its fans all over the world but is still definitely best experienced – along with the region’s many other attractions listed here – in the wonderful Black Forest itself.
Further info
Www.schwarzwald-tourismus.info
www.europapark.de
www.landgasthof-zur-lilie.business.site
www.deutsches-uhrenmuseum.de/no_cache/start.html
www.uhren-park.de/
www.triberg.de/tourismus-freizeit/tourismus-freizeit/sehens-und-erlebenswertes/instagram-museum-triberg-fantasy
