Cuckoo. Do you know Baden? Where the sun shines more often than anywhere else in Germany. Where great Burgundies ripen on spectacular wine terraces. And also the way of life is quite French. Where the Black Forest is deep and mystical. Where quiet mountain lakes and peaks with a far-reaching view invite you to recharge your batteries. Sounds good? Here are plenty of ideas for a Black Forest getaway.
Not long ago, short vacations in the Black Forest were considered anything but cool. Think cuckoo clock and Bollen hat. They still exist, and they’re really chic. Black Forest reloaded, so to speak. In Baden cuisine, people have long known that classic and creative don’t have to be contradictory when it comes to Bubespätzle, Brägele or Flammkuchen.
People here are very attached to tradition, and not just when it comes to food. Did you know that sparkling wines are made in Baden that are in no way inferior to champagne and crèmant? In Breisach on the Rhine, Privatsektkellerei Geldermann produces sparkling wines that are fermented in the bottle like champagne and are also stylistically influenced by the company’s French roots. Savoir vivre at its best.
The Baden region stretches from the Palatinate, Hesse and Franconia to the Swiss border and borders Alsace in the west. The Black Forest forms the border with Württemberg. A diverse mix of magnificent nature, small-town idylls and enchanting wine villages. Big city flair? You can also find it in Baden: in Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Mannheim or Heidelberg.
Here are 11 enjoyable vacation and excursion ideas for Baden – there’s something for every season and every taste. Many things can be combined wonderfully, for example hiking + museum + stop for a bite to eat.
Ideal for a day trip: Black Forest sights – nature & hiking
#1 The most beautiful mountains in the Black Forest
The Black Forest is not only known for its beautiful fir trees, its mountains also attract nature fans to Baden. One of the most famous and with 1,493 meters also the highest: the Feldberg. Around the summit as well as on the neighboring Seebuck and Stübenwasen it is possible to hike wonderfully (e.g. Feldbergsteig) and in winter skiing fans get their money’s worth. If you just want to go for a walk: you can save a few meters of altitude with the gondola and from the Feldberg tower the view reaches up to the Alps and Vosges on a clear day. The tower also houses the Black Forest Ham Museum, which provides all kinds of interesting information about the famous specialty. You can stop for a bite to eat in one of the huts around the Feldberg or directly at the valley station of the mountain railroad.
The Kandel (1,241 m) northeast of Freiburg is steeped in legend and ideal for climbing, paragliding or cross-country skiing. A hiking trail leads around the summit, where the witch Kandela tells stories about the powers that prevail on the Kandel.
One of the most beautiful mountains in the Black Forest is the Hochfirst, which rises 1,190 meters above Lake Titisee. The already magnificent view is even better from the Hochfirst tower at the summit. In winter, there is not only a popular cross-country ski trail, but also a toboggan run down to the shore of Lake Titi.
Other beautiful mountains in the Black Forest: Belchen, Herzogenhorn, Schauinsland, Hornisgrinde, Badener Höhe or Schliffkopf on the Black Forest High Road.
#2 Lakes in the Black Forest
The largest lake in the Black Forest is Schluchsee, more famous is Titisee in the town of the same name as one of the most popular destinations in the Black Forest. Around the lake there are many leisure activities – from a boat trip, adventure golf to Märklin World, a mecca for model train fans.
Water sports enthusiasts, cyclists and hikers will find everything their hearts desire at Schluchsee. The reservoir is a wonderful backdrop for outdoor activities of all kinds. One of the Black Forest connoisseur trails, the Jägersteig, leads directly along the shore. A particularly beautiful view of the lake can be had from the vantage point on the Bildstein.
Below the Feldberg lies the Feldsee, in whose crystal-clear water the walls of the fields are reflected. Rare plants grow on the bottom, which is why the Feldsee is a nature reserve. You can only get there on foot, either via the Feldbergsteig trail or via Bärental from the Kunzenmoos hiking park. Only a few steps away from the Feldberg, the Raimartihof is worth a stop.
Lake Mummelsee is located directly on the busy Black Forest High Road. Although it is difficult to escape the hustle and bustle there, this does not detract from its appeal. In the Berghotel Mummelsee you can enjoy hearty meals or delicious Black Forest cake with a view of the lake, and next door you can buy Black Forest specialties to take home.
Lake Mummelsee is located directly on the busy Black Forest High Road. Although it is difficult to escape the hustle and bustle, this does not detract from its appeal. At the Berghotel Mummelsee, you can enjoy hearty meals or delicious Black Forest cake with a view of the lake, and next door you can buy Black Forest specialties to take home. The view of the Mummelsee from above is wonderful. A three-kilometer walk up to the Hornisgrinde starts directly at the mountain hotel and is worthwhile in any season.
Quiet and almost magical are the smaller cirque lakes in the Black Forest, such as the Huzenbacher See in the Murgtal (near Baiersbronn) or the Wildsee in the Kaltenbronn high moor.
Other beautiful lakes in the Black Forest: Windgfällweiher, Nagoldtalsperre, Sankenbachsee.
#3 Hiking excursion with pleasure: Gourmet trails
Hiking makes you happy, constantly getting lost less. This is exactly what the premium hiking trails were designed for, which not only lead through particularly beautiful landscapes, but are also so well signposted that you don’t need a map for orientation. Just under 50 such tours are grouped under the label Black Forest gourmet trails – between six and 18 kilometers long and full of pleasurable experiences. These can be great vantage points, sky swings, rustic huts to stop at or the typical Baden Schnapsbrünnle.
In addition to the Black Forest gourmet trails, there are other hikes that are certified as premium trails or quality trails. Wonderful are, among others, the tours in the Baiersbronn hiking heaven like the Satteleisteig or the Murgleiter. What they all have in common is the breathtakingly beautiful nature with partly wild paths through enchanted ban forests, along rushing streams and bizarre rocks with always magnificent views of the enchanting Black Forest valleys.
Hiking in the Black Forest means: being on the road with pleasure. Especially in the wine regions of the Black Forest: Kaiserstuhl, in Breisgau or Ortenau. Whether it’s the Kaiserstuhl Trail, the Alde Gott Panorama Trail, the Durbach Wine Trail or the Oberkirch Wine Trail – culinary experiences are omnipresent on these tours.
Incidentally, the Baden vineyards are also where the grapes ripen for Geldermann’s Crémant Baden, a homage to the German-French tradition of the sparkling wine cellar. Unlike sparkling wine, only grapes typical of the respective growing region may be used for a Crémant, in Baden including Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir.
For an overview of Black Forest gourmet trails, wine hikes and other premium trails, see the official Black Forest Tour Planner.
#4 Excursion to the Black Forest National Park – wild & mysterious
The new Black Forest National Park Center at Ruhestein is a real eye-catcher. Like giant tree trunks that have fallen wildly out of place, the architecture blends into the surroundings.
In the interactive exhibition, you can immerse yourself in the forest with all your senses, get to know its inhabitants, and even get up close to the wolf. Later it goes even deeper, under the earth. Is there no life there? Not at all. You can easily spend half a day in the Black Forest National Park Center and not a minute of it is boring. A movie theater and the Bridge of Wilderness – with a far-reaching view over the treetops – round out the offerings.
Who has now got the desire to roam through the forest himself: Nearby, there are several themed trails such as the Lynx Trail, the Wildcat Trail and, of course, plenty of „normal“ hiking trails (see #3).
In winter, the ski slope across from the Black Forest National Park Center turns into a bustle of tobogganers and slope fans. Those who like things a little quieter can rent snowshoes at the lift station and walk the marked snowshoe trail to Bosensteiner Eck.
#5 Restaurant Tips – Baden, Germany’s No. 1 Gourmet Region
Star cuisine or Straußwirtschaft? BiB-Gourmand? Mountain hut? It’s all there in the Black Forest. „Germany’s most beautiful epicurean corner“ is what the region calls itself – and it’s even documented. More than 400 restaurants in Baden appear in the gourmet and gastronomic guides published annually. Those who appreciate upscale cuisine but don’t want to spend a fortune should take a look at the Bib Gourmand restaurants. They offer a particularly good price-pleasure ratio.
Culinary wine tours are a special experience: Each course is served in a different restaurant, and in between you walk through picturesque wine villages, forests and vineyards. The Oberkirch wine hike, for example, combines almost nine kilometers of beautiful Black Forest scenery and five courses with matching wines – a nice half-day excursion.
Here are the best addresses to enjoy Black Forest cuisine as well as an overview as well as an overview of the culinary tours in the Black Forest.
#6 The most beautiful towns
Kurhaus, Trinkhalle, Casino and surrounded by vineyards – Baden-Baden is definitely one of the most beautiful Black Forest towns. The splendor of the Belle Époche still shines today. But this is not the only reason why the international jet set loves the baths, spas and restaurants of Baden-Baden. This miniature world metropolis in the Black Forest is just the place to recharge your batteries. On the museum mile, artists of tomorrow alternate with old works and pop art galleries. And the world’s best orchestras perform at the Festspielhaus.
Where wine grows, people know how to celebrate. The famous wine region of the Kaiserstuhl lies at the foothills of the Black Forest, while Alsace greets visitors in the immediate vicinity on the Upper Rhine. The absolute highlight in Breisach am Rhein is the annual wine festival in August. Throughout the year, visitors can take part in a guided tour of the Geldermann sparkling wine cellars and, of course, taste the fine wines.
The streams in Freiburg, the „capital“ of the Black Forest, were vital in the Middle Ages – they supplied drinking water for animals from the Dreisam River or water for firefighting in emergencies. Today, they lend a very special flair to the 13th century old town idyll around the Fischerau.
Other cities worth visiting in Baden: the fan-shaped city of Karlsruhe, Mannheim and Heidelberg.
#7 Exciting museums for every taste
As is well known, there is no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes. But if it should get too uncomfortable, exciting museums are waiting in the Black Forest: cuckoo clocks, ham, model railroads or art.
Frank O. Gehry, Zaha Hadid – the buildings on the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein bear the signature of some of the most famous architects of our time. Inspiration for one’s own home is on display at the Vitra House, where the designs of contemporary designers as well as furniture classics can be seen.
Paintings and art objects attract visitors to the Frieder Burda Museum in Baden-Baden. The light-flooded white building, which was realized according to a design by the New York architect Richard Meier, houses around a thousand works of contemporary art.
You can immerse yourself in the life and culture of earlier decades at the oldest open-air museum in Baden-Württemberg, the Vogtsbauernhof in Gutach. Around the original farm dating from 1612, other farms are grouped, which were dismantled at their original location and rebuilt in the museum.
The model railroad world at Lake Titisee with a proud 450 square meters will not only make children’s eyes light up. Divided into different eras, you can discover in Märklin World how things have been played for 150 years.
#8 The most beautiful festivals & markets in the Black Forest
Alemannic Fasnet, plum or blueberry festival, castle festivals, wine festivals or Christmas market – traditional festivals take place in Baden all year round. It is simply not possible to name them all here, so here are a few particularly beautiful festivals.
A custom with a long tradition in Baden-Württemberg: the Swabian-Alemannic carnival. Between ‚Schmotzigen‘ Thursday and Ash Wednesday at the beginning of each year, the fools reign in the towns and villages. Beautiful to look at are the fool parades, the ‚Häs‘ (costumes) and the hand-carved wooden masks.
Black-brown chocolate, snow-white cream and blood-red cherries – like Snow White, the cherry pie comes along – and of course there is a cherry pie festival in the Black Forest. In Todnauberg, every year in April.
In Triberg, however, they celebrate the other famous Black Forest specialty: at the ham festival in May. By the way, the world’s largest cuckoo clock is also located here. And if you’re already there, Triberg has the highest waterfalls in Germany – pretty spectacular.
In summer, places like Enzklösterle focus on a very special fruit: the blueberry. For centuries, the „blue gold“ ensured the livelihood of entire families in the summer. Even the children had to help gather and set off early into the woods during the „blueberry vacations“. The blue berries grow especially abundantly in the northern Black Forest.
In September, another place also turns blue: Bühl. There, everything revolves around the plum for five days – the people of Bühl have been celebrating their traditional festival since 1927.
In Advent, the already enchanting Ravenna Gorge shines in festive splendor at the Christmas market under the viaduct. Lovingly decorated wooden stalls with handicrafts and temptingly fragrant Black Forest specialties invite you to stroll and enjoy.
#9 The most beautiful thermal baths in the Black Forest
Relaxing in warm water, sweating away the daily grind in the sauna and gently rocking in the relaxation lounge – a visit to a thermal spa does you infinitely good, and not just on cold, wet days. In the Black Forest there are particularly many thermal baths – one more beautiful than the others. A selection:
- Palais Vital in the Black Forest Spa Paradise
- Caracalla Spa in Baden-Baden
- Palais Termal in Bad Wildbad
- Paracelsius Spa Bad Liebenzell
- Solemar Bad Dürrheim
- Cassiopeia Spa Badenweiler
- Mineral Spa Bad Teinach
Royal, oriental, temple-like or design-oriented – each of the spas has its own flair: Best to test them all 🙂
#10 Trip to a Day Spa in the Black Forest
No thermal spa nearby? In some hotels you can use the wellness area – without staying overnight. Perfect for a little time out in between. If you book a massage or beauty treatment in addition, you often get a cheap combination ticket. Here is a selection of day spas in the Black Forest:
- Parkhotel Adler Hinterzarten
- Black Forest Resort Dollenberg, Peterstal-Griesbach
- Hotel Ritter, Durbach
- Seehotel Wiesler, Titisee
- Heselbacher Hof, Baiersbronn
- Öschberghof, Donaueschingen
- Waldhotel at the Notschreipass, Todtnau
- Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, Schluchsee
- Nature Park Hotel Der Waldfrieden, Todtnau
- Wellnesshotel Auerhahn, Höchenschwand
#11 Unusual overnight stays in the Black Forest
Bee wagon or tree house? If it should be something different than a normal bed in a normal hotel, here are a few wacky ideas. Nevertheless, no one has to do without comfort.
It hums and buzzes and smells pleasant. A bit of honey and also beeswax. No wonder, you spend the night with thousands of bees under one roof. But don’t worry, no one gets stung, because the bee colonies are separated from the inside of the beehive by a tight grid. The scent and the steady background noise have a very calming effect and ensure a good night’s sleep. The beehive is located in Wildberg, directly on the Nagoldradweg.
The big dream of a tiny house. In the Tiny House in Liebelsberg near Bad Liebenzell, you can try out what it’s like to live in such a mini-house. Bathroom and kitchen are next door in the former village barn and you can safely do without a TV for a few nights. The sunset in front of the Tiny House is much more beautiful, I promise.
Instead of red wine, tired hikers and wine fans rest in the wooden barrels in the vineyards above Sasbachwalden. Sleeping in a wine barrel is wonderfully romantic. Washing facilities and toilet are located in a second barrel next door. For those who like it especially cozy: The barrels can also be heated.
A large mattress, a few pillows, blankets and nothing but space. You don’t have to share the beautiful view with anyone, at least in the mornings and evenings, because most of the visitors have long since returned to the valley by then. Sleepero is the name of the unusual accommodation and is located at the mountain station of the Sommerbergbahn in Bad Wildbad. More nature is only possible when camping.
A tree house, the dream of almost all children. In the Waldhisli in the Renchtal, adults can also experience this special atmosphere and the Black Forest up close. There are three other houses to choose from and each has a different connection to the region: Rebhisli, Brennhisli and Bienenhisli.
