Despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that I took German as a second language in school, I must admit that Germany is the neighboring country to France that I know the least… But 2019 changed all that because I took several trips to Germany this year, notably to visit the Black Forest, and I even have another one planned for the beginning of next year! Before this trip, my only getaway to Germany consisted of discovering the city of Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle in French). And in fact, I might go back in early 2020 to do a little report on the blog (I’m telling you, I’m clearly in my Germanic phase).
Plus, I have always wanted to visit the Black Forest, or Schwarzwald in German. Perhaps for the dreamlike aspect and the atmosphere that emanates from this region. So I was delighted to set off last October for a 5-day trip to the Black Forest with three blogger companions: Mademoiselle Voyage, Wild Road, and Miss Pandora.
However, I must confess that I found Germans to be a bit blunt in terms of character. Be careful not to act like a typical tourist when you visit Germany, such as crossing at the pedestrian crossings when the light is red, and remember to look carefully on buses and trams so as not to sit in seats reserved for the disabled… We even dubbed this “German rigor.” In short, if you try to be a little more respectful of the rules (it doesn’t hurt from time to time), everything should go well! In any case, I really loved visiting this part of the German Black Forest, because it is also home to the Baden Wine Route, and you know how much I appreciate this beverage. It is clearly one of the most beautiful wine-growing regions in Germany.
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Table of Contents
Some general tips for visiting the Black Forest and Germany
The Black Forest region is located in the heart of a mountain range in Southwestern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. During our getaway, we mainly traveled by train, tram, and bus. It is therefore quite possible to take the same route as us without a car from Paris or elsewhere.
In hotels, I find that the single beds are very small and, strangely enough, there are quite few double beds. Likewise, the duvets are for one person, and if you are two in a room, you will each have your own duvet. This is certainly a very good solution to the famous “duvet war” that every couple experiences one day. Still in hotels, you are often given foam earplugs, which I find to be well thought out (when will we have the same thing in France!?).
A few practical tips:
- No need to exchange money, obviously, because the currency in Germany is the euro
- No need for a passport to get there, either
- No need for an adapter for electrical outlets, which is always practical
GOOD TIP: THE KONUS CARD The KONUS card is offered by over 10,000 establishments in the Black Forest and it provides free access to buses and trains for public transport in the region without usage limits and for the entire duration of your stay Black Forest Tourism Office: Schwarzwald Tourismus
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1st step: Karlsruhe
If you have decided, like us, to do a tour of the Black Forest by train (I want to create the concept of a train-trip), Karlsruhe is a perfect 1st stop for your journey. Indeed, the city is accessible directly by train from Paris (Gare de l’Est) and the journey takes only 2.5 hours. This city, which is actually quite young, was built in the heart of the forest starting in 1715. It is located at the very top of the Black Forest and is considered the “Gateway” to this region. It is also very close to the border with France. Today, it is an important city for law because many German judicial institutions have taken up residence there.
For information, the city is currently under construction as it is building a semi-metro as well as a road tunnel to create a pedestrian zone in the city center.
In the new city, you will find the Karlsruhe Palace which was built in 1715. It was for a long time the residence and seat of government and today it is a museum about the history of the city and the region (unfortunately it was closed on the day of our visit), the Badisches Landesmuseum. I think it must be an interesting visit to do during a future trip to the city. Behind the palace, there is a lovely park, very pleasant for walking. It is landscaped in the style of an English landscaped garden with very beautiful trees.
My advice: take the tram to go visit the old town of Durlach. It is also the largest district in the city of Karlsruhe with more than 30,000 inhabitants.
Karlsruhe Tourist Office Allow 2h30 by TGV from Paris Gare de L'Est and 40 minutes from Strasbourg station
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Take the Turmberg funicular for a breathtaking view of Durlach
Once in the Durlach district, I advise you to take the Turmberg funicular to have a nice view of the city from above. Then go up into the tower to also have a beautiful viewpoint of the Black Forest behind you. The Turmberg mountain peaks at 256m high. To get there, you can either take the funicular (which has existed since 1888) or have the courage to climb the 529 steps that lead to the summit. At the very top, on the terrace of the Turmberg, you can see a magnificent panorama of Karlsruhe and its region.
Once at the top, you can also make a quick stop at the restaurant/cafe Anders auf dem Turmberg to enjoy its lovely setting and its beautiful terrace with a panoramic view of the city.
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Take a Food Tour with the Tourist Office
The idea of this Food Tour offered by the Tourist Office is to offer the opportunity to test several city spots in one evening by taking the appetizer in one restaurant, the main course in another, and finally dessert in a last location. This Food Tour is done in a group with a guide from the Tourist Office. That evening, we only had time to test 2 locations (as opposed to the 3 planned in the normal Food Tour), because we were a bit pressed for time.
Address 1: very good homemade cocktails at Heilige Sophie (Sophienstrasse 35, 76133 Karlsruhe).
Address 2: artist exhibition inside the EigenArt restaurant (Hebelstrasse 17, 76133 Karlsruhe), which offers refined cuisine with a constantly changing menu.
Food Tour (by reservation only) Duration: 4h starting at 5 PM Price: 84 € / person
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Where to have lunch in Karlsruhe? Erste Fracht – Braugasthaus
This restaurant is ideally located right next to the Tourist Office and across from the Karlsruhe train station. The address offers traditional and regional dishes with a contemporary touch. It is also an opportunity to taste their large selection of local beers, because the fact that Germans love beer will certainly not have escaped your notice, I think.
Restaurant Erste Fracht Braugasthaus Bahnhofpl. 6, 76137 Karlsruhe, Germany Price: dishes between 10 € and 19 €
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Where to stay in the city center of Karlsruhe? Hôtel Am Markt
This family-run hotel overlooks the Karlsruhe market square, which was under construction during our visit to the city (so it’s a bit noisy at the moment). I have to say that I didn’t fall in love with this hotel, but it must be admitted that it is well located for visiting the city.
Hôtel Am Markt Kaiserstr. 76, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany Rates: starting from 80 € per night
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2nd step: Baiersbronn
To get to Baiersbronn from Karlsruhe, we took the S8 tram which crosses almost the entire Black Forest (price of the trip: 11.90 €). The trip was very pleasant because the landscapes on the road are magnificent, and you feel that you are really starting to enter the heart of the Black Forest from this moment on! There are 9 different localities in Baiersbronn and the area is also known for being a stronghold of local gastronomy because there are a total of 8 Michelin stars in the vicinity. It is truly the “gourmet capital of the Black Forest”.
This region, located in the north of the Black Forest, is best known for hiking because there is a network of 550 kilometers of trails through the Black Forest National Park. This part actually only became a National Park in 2014 and is now a protected ecological zone and a refuge for animals. Wild plants are also very important in the region and there are many activities centered around this subject. We even discovered for the occasion an educational and culinary “wild plants” course, the Guided herbal tour Ellbachtall.
I also recommend you go and take a look at the Observation deck Allmandblick to get a beautiful view of the Murgtal, the forest, but also of the deep valleys of the region. For animal lovers, you can also go and admire a herd of deer in the Ellbachtal Mitteltal reserve, at the bottom of the Ellbach valley.
Baiersbronn Tourist Office
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Where to eat in Baiersbronn? Restaurant Forellenhof Buhlbach
This establishment, located in the heart of the green mountains, specializes in salmon trout because it has its own fish farm and offers high-quality local cuisine. It is really a magnificent address full of charm that I recommend you test if you come to the area. The establishment also has a small shop where you can buy the famous house-smoked trout, but also some regional products.
To taste: the Buhlbach trout fillet smoked over beech wood (11.50 €); tarte flambée with smoked trout fillet (12.50 €)
A little extra: a beautiful terrace with a magnificent view of the valley for sunny days
Restaurant Forellenhof Buhlbach Forellenhof Buhlbach Schliffkopfstraße 64, 72270 Baiersbronn-Buhlbach open every day from 11:30 AM to 5:30 PM
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Visit the Glassworks Cultural Park in Buhlbach
This park is located in the last historic buildings of what was once the most important glassworks in the Black Forest. On-site, you can discover nearly 250 years of glass history, as well as the history of the Buhlbach glassworks. It was also the birthplace of the “Buhlbacher Schlegel”, the sparkling wine bottle with an indented bottom. Inside the museum, you also discover information about daily life at that time.
The epic of glassblowers is an important page in the cultural history of the Black Forest because it is an ancestral art and it is said that the typical shape of the Champagne bottle, which allows the bubbles to be preserved, was born there…
Glassworks Cultural Park in Buhlbach Schliffkofstrasse 46, 72270 Baiersbronn-Buhlbach Open from May to October from Wednesday to Sunday from 11 AM to 5 PM
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Walk the nature trail of Lotharpfad
In 1999, the hurricane “Lothar” destroyed large forest areas and uprooted several trees in the Schliffkopf nature reserve. Today, along this 900-meter-long educational and adventure trail created in 2003, you can observe how nature is developing again after such a catastrophe.
It is a very beautiful course to take and it is particularly accessible and easy, since the path is made of small wooden footbridges. This also allows you to walk like us, even during a downpour (or just after). During our walk, there was quite a lot of fog, but I found that it gave a very “Twin Peaks” atmosphere to the whole thing.
Lotharpfad nature trail Free access Trail duration: about 30 minutes
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Go to the Ellbachseeblick viewpoint
This 9-meter panoramic platform was built to offer a viewpoint of Lake Ellbach, and it overlooks the forest by several meters. It is one of the highest points in the Black Forest.
Ellbachseeblick viewpoint Free access Closed during winter months for safety reasons
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3rd step: Freudenstadt
The town of Freudenstadt is located on the edge of the municipality of Baiersbronn. It has a beautiful market square (the largest in Germany) with Italian inspiration, the Marktplatz, which is surrounded by beautiful arcade houses. It was once very famous for its cures with its large thermal center. It is also located at the crossroads of 3 tourist routes to visit in the Black Forest: the Ridge Route, the Thermal Route, and the Valley Route.
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Take a cooking class to learn how to make the real Black Forest cherry cake
It is truly an experience that I advise you to do if you pass through Freudenstadt because this cake is particularly iconic to the region.
The composition of the Black Forest: chocolate, whipped cream and cherries + the famous Black Forest kirsch, a cherry-based alcohol produced locally and an absolutely essential ingredient for the cake (it’s not me saying it, it’s the pastry chef who gave us the class!).
We also learned during this workshop that, in reality, the origin of the cake comes from a city near Bonn and that it was then improved in the Black Forest region by adding the famous local kirsch.
Verdict: the real Black Forest cake must be enjoyed super fresh (so made the same day) and when it is well done, it is absolutely delicious and not very sweet in the end! I had a real crush on this cake. If you pass through the Black Forest, you absolutely must taste a real, well-made Black Forest cake!
Café Pause Markplatz 65, Freudenstadt
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Where to stay in Freudenstadt? Hotel Teuchel Wald
This huge hotel complex has several buildings with rooms, a restaurant (where the waitresses are dressed in traditional costumes), a spa with a pool, and huge grounds (we almost got lost at night with Clara while looking for the pool). For my part, I was in a room that was a bit buried, no. 302, with a single bed, which I found a bit small for my taste.
Hotel Teuchel Wald Schömberger Strasse 9, 72250 Freudenstadt Rates: starting from 69 € per night in low season and 73 € in high season Restaurant prices: dish between 12.90 € and 23.80 € Breakfast served between 7 AM and 10 AM
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4th step: Freiburg
Certainly my favorite part of the trip in terms of the city we visited in the Black Forest and also in terms of heritage. It is very pleasant to stroll and go shopping in Freiburg, to discover its little alleys, and to watch the children play with small wooden boats in the famous Bächle of the city.
Explanation: The Bächle are “small streams” flowing between stones in the streets and alleys of Freiburg, which served as fire hydrant networks at the time. There is also a funny little legend related to these streams, it seems that anyone who “walks” in them inadvertently will marry a native of Freiburg!
Unfortunately, I must say that we didn’t have very good weather in Freiburg and our stay was rather rainy, but that didn’t stop us from appreciating the city at all! Small point to note, the city of Freiburg is twinned with the French city of Besançon.
You should also know that this city was heavily bombed in 1944 by the allies and therefore partially destroyed. The best way to discover Freiburg is still to walk around the city. Do not hesitate in particular to go to the heart of Freiburg on the Münsterplatz. This is where the famous daily farmers’ market of the city is held (from Monday to Saturday) in front of the Cathedral. Take the opportunity to admire the beautiful Merchants’ House with its red facade from the 16th century, on the south side of the Cathedral. You will also find many very nice and trendy shops in the city center and some interesting street art walls.
Practical Info: Freiburg Tourist Information How to get there: from Freudenstadt we took a train then a tram In the city center it is quite easy to get around by tram
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Take the cable car for a breathtaking view of the city
To climb to the very top of Freiburg, you have to take the Schlossberg Bahn funicular (adult round-trip price: 5.50 €). This takes you to a viewpoint located at an altitude of about 450 m. You can then climb a little higher by going to the very top of the Eugen-Keidel Tower. However, I strongly advise against this ascent for people who are afraid of heights, because when arriving at the very top of the tower, it moves slightly if there is wind, which is not necessarily very reassuring…
After climbing the 85 steps (small fry) of the tower, you can admire the view of the city but also of the surrounding forest! It’s quite impressive and I think it’s worth a look!
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Visit the Münster / Cathedral
This imposing cathedral has a 116-meter tower that was once called the “beautiful tower of Christendom”. Built between 1200 and 1513, it is one of the few large German Gothic churches that was very little destroyed or modified after its construction was finished. I also advise you to climb to the very top of the tower (entrance on the south side) to have a breathtaking view of the city!
Freiburg Cathedral Visit of the cathedral: free Visit of the tower/bell tower for a fee: 4 € for adults / open every day_
Food Tour + city visit with Freiburg Gerleben
We took advantage of our time in the city to take a guided tour of Freiburg in food tour mode to discover the culinary specialties of the German city.
The stages of our food tour:
- Taste a “Lange Rote” at the Cathedral market, a true Freiburg emblem, this sausage in bread (Münsterwurst) is a must-try in the city.
- Tasting of local wines at the Alte Wache, house of wines of the Baden region (Münsterplatz 38), behind the cathedral with its yellow facade.
- Café Am Krokodil at Gerberau for dessert and the little after-meal coffee, of course!
Food Tour of Freiburg Price: 50 € for 2 hours of tour + meal
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Where to have a quick lunch in Freiburg? At the Markthalle
Located on Grünwälderstrasse, this covered market houses numerous food shops, offering all types of cuisine (German, Indian, Brazilian, vegetarian, Italian…) and it is the ideal place for a quick lunch.
Markthalle Freiburg Grünwälderstraße 4, 79098 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany Open every day except Sundays and public holidays, from 8 AM to 8 PM on weekdays and until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights
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Where to dine in Freiburg? At the Großer Meyerhof restaurant
This traditional restaurant located in the heart of Freiburg allows you to immerse yourself directly in the life and atmosphere of the city. In Germany, in October, shortly after the grape harvest, it is also the time of new wine (Federweißer). This product is a cloudy wine that contains a lot of sugar because the fermentation process is not yet finished. As we were in Germany right at the right time, I was able to discover this specialty, and I admit that I really liked this new wine, which ultimately tastes like sparkling grape juice with a slight bitterness.
Also to taste: Spätzle, the specialty pasta of the Black Forest (between 7.10 € and 9.10 € per dish depending on the amount), apple fritters for dessert, and then, obviously, some German beers (between 3.60 € and 4.40 € a pint).
Großer Meyerhof Grünwälderstraße 1, 79098 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
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Where to stay in Freiburg? Hotel Green City Vauban
This 3-star hotel is a bit off-center from the city center but it is quite easy to get there thanks to the tram and the famous Konus card that I mentioned earlier in the article. The hotel aims to be resolutely modern and ecological, and I must say that it is the hotel establishment that I preferred during this stay in Germany. I was also lucky enough to be housed in a very bright corner room. And even if the hotel is located on the edge of an extremely busy and therefore noisy avenue, the soundproofing of the building is particularly effective.
Hotel Green City Vauban Paula-Modersohn-Platz 5, 79100 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany Room rates: starting from 85 € Breakfast price: 12 € per person
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5th step: Badische Weinstraße (Müllheim)
This German city is very close to the border with France and Alsace, with which one feels many similarities. It seems that they speak the same dialect there as in Mulhouse. The name of the city of Müllheim comes from the word Mill because there were many millers at one time in this area. Unfortunately, there are no more today, as it is a profession that disappeared with industrialization. However, this activity has given way today to an important tradition of baking and bakers in the city. We were lucky enough to have a tour of Müllheim with Martin, who is part of the bakers’ guild.
During your visit to the city, I advise you to go see the Frick Mill. This former mill located along the Klemmbach stream was part of the property of the lords of the Baden region. Around 1690, Bartlin Frick took over the mill and it remained in the possession of his family until its closure in 1910. Today, this mill is an important witness to the city’s economic history. The municipality and an association organized the renovation of the mill, and the 18th-century building now serves as a mill museum.
There is also a very old wine tradition in this region (as you will be able to see a little further down in the article) which has about 500 hectares of vines and several cooperative wineries. This 5th step was the last of our journey in the Black Forest, and we then returned to Paris by train from the Swiss city of Basel (allow about 3 hours by train).
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Visit the Markgräfler Museum in Müllheim
This museum, housed in a historic building in the city, the former “Zur Krone” inn, offers visitors the chance to discover the specificities and history of the region. The edifice, built at the beginning of the 19th century, was expanded in 1830 and the Blankenhorn family operated the inn until 1880. The building was then bought by the city in 1953, which used it as a town hall before installing the museum in 1974.
Markgräfler Museum Blankenhorn-Palais Wilhelmstrasse 7 (at the market square) D-79379 Müllheim Rates: 3 € / free for children and students
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Where to eat in Müllheim ? Restaurant Louis
This inn is best known for its very beautiful selection of beers. There are even beer taps on some of the establishment’s tables! On the food side, you can also taste a beautiful skewer of regional dishes such as tarte flambée or even Wurstsalat, a sausage salad that is also found in Alsace.
Restaurant Louis Die Gastwirtschaft Wilhelmstr 18, 79379 Müllheim Beer prices: between 2.80 and 3.60 € for 30 cl and between 3.50 € and 5.50 € for a pint
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Where to stay in Müllheim? Hotel Alte Post
This hotel is housed in a historic place, the former city post house built in 1745. It has a very lovely small interior courtyard that we unfortunately couldn’t enjoy because of the weather. But it must be extremely pleasant in sunny weather. For my part, I was in the Oregano room which is located in the building at the back and has a small balcony. Unfortunately, you can hear a bit of car noise because I think there is a fast lane not far away. Otherwise, on the whole, the room was quaint and clean.
The little extra: the establishment offers a very good breakfast with organic products.
Landhotel Alte Post Posthalterweg, 79379 Müllheim, Germany Rates: starting from 60 € per night _
Take a wine tasting in the vineyards + Roller-Tour
This little walk in the vineyards was the opportunity to discover the very beautiful wines produced by this wine region of Germany. Moreover, the Baden Wine Route stretches from the north to the south of the Black Forest, and it is therefore a particularly rich region for oenology lovers like me.
Indeed, viticulture has marked the southern Upper Rhine region since the Roman era. It spread in the early Middle Ages to several localities in the region and for more than 200 years, the Chasselas (Gutedel) has been the characteristic grape variety of this land. This Mullheim wine region is called Markgräflerland.
We started our walk by going to the lands of the Muggardt vineyard aboard quite original machines, a sort of all-terrain scooter/bike, which reminded me a lot of the Trotti Woods (but less dangerous, all the same). Then, once on-site, we had a very pleasant tasting in the heart of the Muggardt vineyards with different wines from the region. There are, in fact, no less than three cooperative cellars in the vicinity.
The company that handles these tours, which combine a scooter ride + wine tasting, is called Markgräfler Rollertouren.
Roller meets Wine Tour by Markgräfler Rollertouren Price: 30 € per person for rental and guided tour + 10 € for wine tasting_
Thanks to Schwarzwald Tourismus and Article Onze for this invitation to visit the Black Forest, as well as to all the tourist offices (Karlsruhe; Baiersbronn; Freudenstadt; Freiburg; Müllheim) that welcomed us during this stay.
I hope that with all this I will have made you want to visit or revisit Germany and the Black Forest, and if you also have your own tips for this destination, do not hesitate to share them in the comments!
Find all my articles on my trips to Germany below:
⇒ All my articles on Germany
MY STOPS IN GERMANY
⇒ Visit the Black Forest (2019)
⇒ Düsseldorf (2019)
Photo credits: Melle Bon Plan and @claraphotomania Photos are not royalty-free, photographer authorization mandatory before any use
