Ah! Black Forest: a piece of Heaven, not only you can find in Dessert Confectionaries but also if you step your foot on the South Western part of Germany. If the piece of pastry writes a poem in your dessert plate, Black Forest Germany sings a song for you. If the layers of chocolaty sponge cake brings thousand smiles on your face, Schwarzwald would bring millions. Come here to taste the authentic Black Forest Cherry cake. To experience World’s largest Cuckoo clock. To watch characters from your childhood stories coming alive while you getting lost in the setting of Grimm’s Fairy Tales.
Somewhere between “Once upon a time” and “lived happily ever after”, every fairy tale gets coined and children across the world were brought up listening to those enabling them to gain the ability to dream about houses in the deepest of the forest made of cakes. And when in your adulthood, you finally arrive into the land of the origin of Grimm’s fairy tale, it actually becomes quite challenging to take your eyes off the forest because there is no harm for every kid inside us to expect Hansel and Gretel, still living in the woods wave to every train that crosses their path.
Now, if you want to ride one such train and wave them back or choose to drive through the concrete motor road, call is yours 🙂
When people think of Black Forest, the first idea comes to mind is about a roadtrip. For people who doesn’t (or doesn’t like to) drive, it’s really challenging to plan a Black Forest trip. Online information is so rare and all blogs and articles directing towards self drive option that we almost gave up the idea of visiting this fairy tale part of West Germany. Many of my colleagues were looking for partners who can drive and planning to take them along. We didn’t want to compromise our privacy and at the same time looked for a cheap and quick alternative (Read weekend gateway from Netherlands) so started researching deeply and finally it took shape.
You will be surprised if I tell you that most major parts of Black Forest Germany can not only be covered in Public transport but also it’s completely free of cost. In this article, I am going to share with you many such tips using which without any car hire or driving, you can explore Black Forest at ease even on weekends when the public transport schedule is pretty less. I will share you tips on Where to buy Cuckoo clock, Where to eat Black Forest cake, Where to Stay, How to reach from neighbor European countries and many more. So Stay focussed!
Where is it?
Bordered by the valley of Rhine river to the west and south, the Black Forest (Locally known as Schwarzwald) is a mountain region in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. With multiple picturesque villages, dense evergreen forest, lovely expanse of hills, lakes and waterfalls, its almost a 160KM long region. From little spa town Baden Baden to Lake Constance at Swiss border, Nature has carefully woven this part of Germany for Kid’s bedtime stories.
The name Black Forest comes from the general dark color of the numerous pine trees that grow in this region. As correctly said in lonelyplant, “Wandering on its many miles of forest trails, you half expect to bump into a wicked witch or huntsman, and might kick yourself for not bringing those breadcrumbs to retrace your tracks.“
Why is it Called Black Forest?
Because of its density. Nothing else unfortunately 🙂
Some say that in long past, the Romans called this region as “Silva Nigra” which translates to the black or the dark. During that time, this area was an almost impenetrable region, depressing and scary. Trees were so dense that even in daytime, it was really hard to see through it.
Today it is believed that half of the woods have already been cut down. It’s not dense as its past but still it’s quite beautiful without any doubt.
How To Reach Black Forest?
It’s actually a tricky question. Firstly because there are many places to choose within Black Forest and depending on where you plan to visit, your point of entry will differ. Secondly, if you decide to hire a car and self drive then it’s a completely different story altogether. Mostly people choose Frankfurt Airport because it is served internationally and you can travel here from many places outside Europe. If you are already in Europe, if you prefer coach Freiburg im Breisgau via Flixbus is the best choice. If you prefer to fly, Ryanair and Easyjet serve super cheap flights to Basel and Baden-Baden.
I have listed some major options for you to consider. I have also listed the places that are easily accessible and some possible alternatives so that you can decide for yourself about the best option to reach Black Forest.
From Frankfurt/Stuttgart
If you check distance, Stuttgart will look closer than Frankfurt. But Frankfurt airport serves direct Intercity express (ICE) train to Offenburg which is a starting point of a scenic and dreamy train ride through the Black Forest. If you want to visit the summer capital Baden Baden which is a popular spa town or the historic university town of Heidelberg with Gothic and Renaissance architecture, then also a quick train change Frankfurt runs non stop train to Mannheim. From there you need to change to a regional train and you will reach quite smoothly.
Stuttgart is not that simple. First from Airport you have to take a train to come to Stuttgart central station. From there, it’s identical with that of Frankfurt airport. But you will loose some time and it would cost you more to reach Black Forest. So, I would not recommend Stuttgart as a point of entry to the Black Forest.
Offenburg is my kind of place in the Black Forest. Some popular places nearby are Gengenbach, Hornberg, Hausach and Triberg.
From Basel Mulhouse Freiburg
This airport is called Euroairport because technically it’s in border of three countries. Depending on your Exit gate (which are clearly marked), you can land into Basel (Switzerland), Mulhouse (France) or Freiburg (Germany). From here, you can directly go to Freiburg im Breisgau, probably the most popular entry point of Black Forest (Southern side). Flixbus runs super frequent service in this route. The other option is to take Bus #50 from Airport and come to Basel SBB station (Switzerland). From there, Intercity Express (ICE) runs to Freiburg.
Freiburg is a fantastic base for exploring Black Forest and some guided tours also operate from here. Some major attractions nearby this are Titisee Lake, Lenzkirch, Donaueschingen and Ravenna Gorge.
From Karlsruhe-Baden
Karlsruhe-Baden is the small airport of Baden Baden. Although Baden Baden is sometimes pronounced like synonym to Black Forest, it’s probably not the best choice if you have nature exploration is mind. If you happen to arrive this airport, you need to take airport bus #285 to reach the Baden Baden train station. From there you can continue your journey towards Heidelberg or Offenburg/GengenBack/Triberg.
When to Visit Black Forest?
Again, a tough one because it largely depends on your interest. The good part is . If you are nearby already (Located somewhere in Germany/France/Luxemburg/Switzerland), you simply can come in multiple season to experience Black Forest in different angle.
Summer (Jun-Aug)
The busiest season in Black Forest primarily because of long daylight and warm nights. By statistics, it precipitates the most in this period but with so long day, you can afford to spend some idle time at a cafe or a cuckoo clock shop. However, if you follow my blog which focuses on public transport then chances you will land up into a village where most travelers are. If you want a quiet and peaceful visit, try to avoid this season.
Fall (Sep-Nov)
The hard reality you first have to accept is that Germany and particularly Black Forest region is not famous for Fall colors. It’s definitely warmer than Summer but also becomes very windy so if it rains, you will have a pretty bad time. However, It’s the best time to attend wine festivals or other traditional festivities plus Winery or Harvest tour.
Winter (Dec-Feb)
Winter is what makes it perfectly a Black (Rather Black and White) Forest. It snows a lot in this region. Frozen lake is guaranteed and if it’s a strong winter, you can even experience Frozen Waterfalls. Whether you are a nature lover or winter sports (cross-country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing etc.) enthusiast. What you need to keep in mind however is that it gets dark pretty quickly (Read 4PM) in Winter. So you need to hit the road 9AM to enjoy sufficient outdoor activities.
Spring (Mar-May)
Technically rainfall is at its minimal during the Spring. In March, there can still be snow so April and May are the proper spring season here in Black Forest. It’s one of the best season to visit to avoid crowd and high season surcharges. In full spring, you can witness spring meadow like a Violet or Yellow carpet over lush green.
We visited in Winter but if I have a second chance, I would choose late Spring to visit the Black Forest. You probably can guess, with such high altitude, full bloom of Spring definitely comes later in Black Forest. So, I would choose May for my second visit because winter holiday goers are gone, summer has not arrived, weather is pleasant, rainfall is minimal and spring is at its fullest.
Transportation in Black Forest
When comes to Black Forest, very few tourist rely on public transport or guided tour. Online articles will tell you that transportation is easy, convenient but will not give your much details. That’s why my main focus would be on travelling Black Forest in public transport. However, there are several options of roaming through Black Forest
Self Drive
I will simply ignore this part because you will find several first hand experience of bloggers online about driving through different parts of Black Forest. Just understand that it’s the most popular and convenient option to explore the Black Forest at your own pace. If you love to drive, Black Forest is the place.
Guided Tour
There could be many but the only one I trusted is conducted by Simone and her team. You can find all the details in their official website. The tour runs from the region of Freiburg and it’s a fantastic way to explore the Black Forest without the headache of driving. They offer Just a Driver tour as well as guided tour. There are plenty of choices depending on how long you want the tour to be. She responds quite fast over emails.
P.S. I have not booked tour with her (Although I enquired her) and I am not at all gaining any commission. It’s my genuine thought after reading multiple reviews about her tour.
Public Transport
Train and Bus rides across the Black Forest are dreamy. Yes, it’s quite low in frequency (Specially on Weekends) but with proper planning, it’s managable. It’s not cheap. It’s FREE 😀 . Of course, not always but continue reading to understand how you can save a hell lot of your travel expense and at the same time not miss any major attractions. Remember for timetable, always use Deutsche Bahn website or app only. You are free to cross check with Google Map or trainline or some third party website but DB website is the final.
If you are familiar with my writing style, you know I always give a downloadable and printable Infographic which you can save in your smartphone or print it out to carry along. This infogrpahic gives you a quick idea about what you can expect if you follow my route in a visual format. Keep it handy when you plan your itinerary or during your visit to the Black Forest.
In Black Forest region, there is a concept of Konus card. If you stay in one such accommodation which falls under a certain region then the accommodation provides you free Konus card (for all members) using which you can roam across entire Black Forest region upto Basel but only in regional train, panorama bus and S-Bahn. So you can not travel for free in high speed IC, ICE, EC, ECE and mountain trains. Here is a list (Not complete exhaustive) of places staying where you can get this tremendous benefit of free transport. This benefit starts from the moment you check in and stays till midnight of your check out day.
Popular Places That Offer Konus Card
- Donaueschingen
- Gengenbach
- Haslach
- Hausach
- Hornberg
- Lenzkirch
- Oberkirch
- Schonach
- Titisee-Neustadt
- Triberg
Popular Places That Do Not Offer Konus Card
- Offenburg
- Freiburg im Breisgau
- Baden Baden
- Heidelberg
Places To Explore
I will take you along our journey which started from Strasbourg in France. We then arrived Offenburg via train. From there we reached Triberg via extremely scenic Haslach, Hornberg and Hausach. We stayed overnight in Triberg. Next day, we arrived to Titisee and then to Freiburg. Finally we returned to the Netherlands via Basel.
Offenburg
A superb misconception is that Offenburg could be a great place to start exploring Black Forest. Please understand that it neither offers Konus card nor any beautiful scenery. The only thing it does is to offer a dreamy train ride where magic comes into life. So the only place in Offenburg you should visit is the train station. Period.
Photo Courtesy: Study In Germany
Gengenbach
We have not stayed here but if we go for the second time, Gengenbach is the place I would choose as our base. Many people say it as the prettiest town in Germany and for a good reason. So, why we did not stay here at the first place? Because for us it was a weekend trip only and Gengenbach is not so well placed from the places we intended to visit. You need at least two nights when you stay at Gengenbach.
From Offenburg, it’s a 5 minutes non stop regional train ride to Gengenbach. If you are looking for places to see, then Gengenbach does not offer many. The beauty lies in its cobblestone street and half timbered houses. The 18th century medieval town is super picturesque. Old houses are preserved perfectly. Just outside the town there is a vineyard too. You can hike (pretty easy and quick) to chapels above the town for gorgeous unobstructed panoramic view.
I have taken the above photo from this link. We took the train to Triberg from Offenburg whose first stop was Gengenbach. Starting from Gengenbach till Triberg, the regional train ride was damn scenic. If you check in to your hotel and get a Konus card, this train ride will be free of cost. So if you have time, feel free to come back and get down at each stops
Hausach/Haslach
The first two train stations crossing Gengenbach are Haslach and Hausach. If you can, don’t even go to toilet during this train journey. With large glass window at both side, I can easily recommend this as a MUST DO if you are in Black Forest. The town of Haslach is not so attractive when you think of a night stay but it is famous for Black Forest Folk Costume Museum.
Hausach is not a place I would recommend to choose as a base of your stay. Nearby towns like Gengenbach/Hornberg/Triberg seem better choice. But as these places are super close, if you get a dreamy accommodation close to nature, then Hausach is a perfect place for nature lover and it also offers pretty scenic hiking. Moreover, it is much less busy than the rest. If you are looking for spots, Husen castle (Mostly ruins) and Open Air Mining museum Erzpoche are there for you.
The above photo is not captured by me.
Hornberg
Hornberg comes next to Hausach and this is the town from where you will get the most promising view of Gutach valley. Even if you are not staying at Hornberg, it’s worthwhile to take a pause here and explore the hiking. Almost like Heidelberg, You can explore a dramatic view of Medieval bridge and the Black Forest railway itself. Also, the partial ruins of Hornberg castle (Which is the largest and oldest in this area) is also a marvelous sight at the valley. I have taken the below photo from this link.
Triberg (Where we Stayed)
Triberg is a perfect base to make your base in your journey exploring Black Forest. It has direct train connection with Offenburg. It serves direct bus to Titisee Neustadt. In the very town centre, you can find traditional costume and of course marvelous display of Mechanical Gigantic Cuckoo clock and the world famous cuckoo clock shop. You can taste authentic black forest cherry cake. Within few minutes of very easy hike, you can reach Germany’s highest waterfall. A little de-route hike and in Winter, you can experience a Frozen lake. If you are interested in Culture, Black Forest Museum is just around the corner.
People say it’s crowded but at last weekend of January, we found it pretty empty. Cafe was empty, shops felt deserted, public transport looked more like private chartered. Hikings were not busy, no disturbance in slow shutter photography so I would disagree with people saying Triberg as crowded in Winter.
Between Gengenbach to Triberg, the train crosses multiple tunnels and when it comes out into light again, magic happens. Deep green meadow with scattered powder like snow and sight of old timber houses made the journey come to and end in a blink. With few other people, we got down at Triberg around 12PM. The host of our accommodation offered a free pick up from the train station. In 10-15minutes he arrived. Although the official check in time is from 2PM, as the apartment was empty he immediately allowed us to check in with no questions asked.
During check in, the host gave us the Konus card. It’s not a real card but a kind of receipt of our stay duration with our names in it in a better quality yellow paper. Along with your passport, if you present this card to ticket checker then you are good to enjoy the benefit. Also, it gave us free entrance to Triberg Waterfalls and a discounted entrance to the Black Forest Museum. However, depending on how many nights you stay, the accommodation collects a city tax per person per night (2,5€) in exchange of this Konus card. You have to pay this to your hotel in cash during check in.
Our host Toby was a really nice guy. From station, it was less than 5 minutes drive but he showed us where to eat Black Forest cake, which way the hike to Waterfalls is, the bus stop and the supermarket and souvenir shops. He even explained how to use public transport (That means which Bus and Train for which destination) network to travel to places throughout the Black Forest. The best part is he also explained in which sense Schonach is better than Triberg. (Put Konus card photo there)
Triberg Waterfalls
This is the highest accessible waterfalls (Not the highest waterfalls) in Germany and because of its presence, Triberg means a continuous soft sound of rushing water. Of course, you can’t feel it within the town but once you come closer to nature, you will fell the call to explore more. After all, it’s an overall drop of 163 meters with 7 cascades with series of waterfalls. We expected a Frozen waterfalls before our arrival but Toby said (and we witnessed) that it snowed very little that year.
From the parking, it’s a little uphill and there are three paid entrances to it. However, with Konus card, it’s free. The path is completely paved so with pram you can easily reach the base of it from where you will get absolutely gorgeous view. Because of snow in Winter, anyway you won’t be able to hike much. Otherwise the hiking trails to much height are not stroller friendly. Anyway, there is a beautiful bridge and viewing platform to enjoy the length of the waterfall in full glory. Although it can be explored in less than 20minutes, to feel its depth, at least 1 hour is necessary for visiting this waterfalls.
Many people say that it’s a tourist trap. Well, you have Google these days. You know what to expect. From this official link, you know how much to pay if you don’t have the Konus card. If you are bound to European Summer school Holidays, then you know crowds will be there. If you still decide to go and end up complaining then I would say it’s your improper planning that makes an experience bitter. Nature here chooses to speak to those who listen. Don’t come with a rush. Spend some time walking paths less traveled and soon the dance of the flowing water through the mysterious forest will start looking more appealing.
Black Forest Museum
Located at the very centre of Triberg (Just outside one Exit of the Waterfalls) is the Black Forest Musuem, locally known as Schwarzwald-Museum. The museum mainly tells you about the life of Black Forest years ago. It also showcases its traditional culture of craftmanship and of course display and explanation of working of world famous cuckoo clock. Another major attraction of this museum is understanding the history of Black Forest railway lines. You can recall the ceremonies held at the Triberg railway station through paintings, photographs, tickets and congratulation telegrams here.
Burgsee
To be honest, we are nature persons and not that much into museums. I stayed in Amsterdam for two years but haven’t visited a single museum. So, we quickly shifted our focus to a nearby lake suggested by Toby as a secluded lake in this region. Although it was possible to take a bus to ride a single stop but due to nice weather, we preferred walking.
The lake was frozen. There is a small park nearby and some parts are not even fenced so if you wish, you can take a walk (Of course check the ice thickness as you step onto it) on top of the lake. It was fun to watch the swans actually slipped while jumping to the lake from the land. It’s a pretty small lake and strolling along leisurely is a peaceful experience. Plus as Toby mentioned, practically there was only two more people other than us.
The model boat in front of the lake and the colorful houses surrounding it definitely add a vibes to this place. Although, we never heard of this place in any travel blog of Triberg, we could confidently say we liked Burgsee lake even more than our visit to Titisee lake the next day.
House of 1000 Clocks
At the very centre of Triberg, very nearby to the entrance to Triberg’s Waterfalls, you can spot the clock store with the animated Bear Family mounted on the storefront. As you step in, you can immediately recognize their excellence by the greeting of a gentleman made out of wood. It’s a huge 2-storey store having probably the largest selection of Black Forest cuckoo clocks. Not only clocks, you can explore various other souvenirs. However, if your budget is low, this shop still has something for you but I would insist you to visit shops at Titisee. You can visit their online store here.
Tips Before You Buy
If you are looking for authentic German handmade Cuckoo clock, the two basic things you have to keep in mind. Firstly, it’s costly and secondly you need to regularly wound in order for the clock to continue operating. Authentic cuckoo clocks are always mechanical (1-day or 8-day cycle). Battery operated (Quartz) clocks are more fancy, much more cheap, many more animations but one thing you must understand is that they are not authentic cuckoo clock. In most cases, no cuckoo comes out at every hour for Quartz clocks. I found the sound much better in mechanical ones (Because of the Wood I think). However as I am not an expert, you can refer this article which could answer probably all your questions.
If you are after a comparatively cheap quartz variation with cuckoo movement, soothing sound and lots of action, I would say refrain buying from this authentic shop and head to Titisee Neustadt. There are many cuckoo clock shops there who has lots of customized version on top of the authentic mechanics.
Cafe Adler
Visiting Black Forest without tasting a piece of it would leave your soul unfulfilled especially if you are a sweet-tooth. So, if you want to avoid such karma and don’t want a re-birth because of this sin, having a Black Forest Cherry Cake at the afternoon is a must. Hotel Cafe Adler Triberg im Schwarzwald, as you can understand from its name is a hotel cum restaurant at the very heart of Triberg city centre. It’s pretty close to the Bus stop of Triberg and at a little distance in the opposite side of House of thousand clocks. Along with regular indoor searing, it also offers a terrace.
Toby mentioned that if we are after authentic a slice of Black Forest cake, Cafe Adler is the place. We ordered a Black Forest cake, a truffle cake and coffee. The ordering system I found a little odd. We had to place the order at the sales counter (No payment) then sit anywhere. After serving, we enjoyed but none came for payment. When it’s long enough, we got up to pay at the sales counter then they instructed us to sit and wait. Then immediately someone cleared our table and produced the bill.
If I really be honest, Black Forest Cherry cake at Cafe Adler is the worst cake we had till date. We don’t know if it is because we don’t drink or the specific slice was horrible or it is always like this and the ones we eat in India are not authentic. But we lost interest to try Black Forest cake in Black Forest. Coffee and the Truffle cake were good but I would place Italy at much higher rank in terms of quality.
We spent around 23 hours in Triberg and if you ask me, it’s sufficient time to explore this cute town of Triberg even in Winter. In summer, probably you would need less time because of long daylight. However, if you are travelling by public transport, don’t carry your luggage along. Hiking would be challenging with rucksack and impossible with trolley.
Schonach
We had a misconception that the World’s largest cuckoo clock is at Triberg. But Toby clarified that it’s actually at Schonach which is around 2.5KM from Triberg. The exact location for Google Map is Eble-Uhren park. Since 1997, it holds the recordfor displaying World’s largest cuckoo clock. The Cuckoo in Schonach chimes twice an hour. Each time, the call comes from pipes 13 feet long. The clock is so big that you can come inside the clock for a tour on its operation and . You can visit their official website here.
Eble-Uhren is a cuckoo clock theme park features one timepiece big enough to walk inside. Every 30 minutes the clock comes to life and you can enjoy the show, so plan to visit on the hour or half hour. Tours are offered in English, German, French, Dutch, Italian and Spanish. Entrance fee is 2 Euro, children under 10 years are free.
Opening hours: Easter to October from Monday to Saturday 9.00 to 18.00 and Sundays from 10.00 to 18.00 November to Easter from Monday to Saturday 9.00 to 17.30 and Sundays 11.00 to 17.00
The above photo was not clicked by me.
Donaueschingen
From Triberg Railway station, you can board a regional train for a 30 minutes ride to Donaueschingen. Of course, it’s free with Konus card. Technically Donaueschingen is not part of Black Forest but you can consider it as a guardian. In my opinion, if you have arrived till Triberg, pleae do visit here to watch Donauquelle. What the hell is that? You may think. It’s the source of Danube. Goddamn it. The Great Danube which flows 1,700 miles through 10 countries all the way to the Black Sea can be found right here in this small town.
The above photo was not clicked by me. Donaueschingen is a pretty small town and Donauquelle is located right in the centre so there is no problem in recognising it. There is nothing much else to see but as the train station is nearby, you can directly go to the big boy of Black Forest, the Titisee Lake.
Titisee Lake
From Donaueschingen, it’s a 40 minutes train ride to Neustadt(Schwarzw) from where the lake Titisee is walkable. If you skip Donaueschingen and want to come to Titisee directly from Triberg/Schonach, there is a panorama bus which operates at a 2 hour frequency on Weekends. The bus ride is scenic beyond description but I have a complaint that they don’t clean the glass windows well so you may not be able to capture fantastic photos. You will find two different bus numbers if you look for this route online and you may think that you need to change a bus. But, the same bus first changes its number halfway after a halt.
You can take a look at the above timetable which we found in Triberg Bus stop. However, these can always change so if you are reading this article after January 2021, please get up to date from DB website. Otherwise you can get in touch with your accommodation owner.
If you have ever heard the story of the Little Mermaid Ariel or have seen the Disney Classic film, chances are the plot was right here in lake Titisee. People believe that long ago a young man from Freiburg wandered through the original mysterious Black Forest when a scary storm approached. He was completely lost by the storm and blown away to a mountain lake – the Titisee. Then a mermaid Titi saved him and of course they fell in love… You can read the full story here.
When there is a mermaid, there is fantasy. Before coming to Titisee, we had a pretty low expectation but Titisee welcomed us with pure poetry. It’s so colorful, so vibrant and so dynamic that we immediately realised it would have been a blunder if we didn’t come here. Titisee is the place where we had the best Gelato outside Italy. It’s here we bought traditional Bollenhut (ladies’ hat topped with pom-poms). In Titisee, you would find wide range of customized but hand-made Cuckoo clocks at reasonable price. Your choice of souvenir will be so much that it will confuse you what not to take.
Don’t ever think that Titisee is only about the lake. Undoubtedly, the lake is pretty awesome. With dark green pine forest at the background and basking in the touch of soft sunlight, lake Titisee is surely a picturesque destination. However, its beauty lies in its vibrance. It’s a charming and bustling town full of shops, places to eat and activities. In Winter the lake is frozen completely. It’s still possible to ice skate on the frozen lake but we found there were not many enthusiast. But in other seasons, You can take a boat ride on the lake on a cruise ship or you can rent a rowboat, a paddleboat or an electrical boat.
Reserve some time exploring the shops near Titisee. You will find stuffs which cannot be found anywhere in the World. There is an year round Christmas store for Santa lovers from where you can send postcards. Titisee is a great place to have your lunch. From here you can take a direct and scenic train to the capital of Black Forest, Freiburg im Breisgau or go to captivating Ravenna Gorge.
Ravenna Gorge
You might have seen a picture of an arched railway in a snowy settings. That’s Ravenna Gorge. It is a narrow side valley of the Hell Valley, through which the stream Ravenna flows and draws a hiking trail. In summer, people rush here to avoid the intense heat of Freiburg. In Winter, there is a Christmas market (First and Only) located in a gorge, right under the railway track. However if you are here after Christmas then visiting this place is probably not a good idea. Also come here if you are in a tight schedule. Use DB website to plan your journey. From Titisee, it takes around 40 minutes and from Freibug, it takes 1 hour 20 minutes. However in neither case, the journey is direct. You need to change from Train to Bus and then continue.
The above photo was not clicked by me.
Freiburg im Breisgau (Capital of Black Forest)
This is probably the most popular place to stay in the Black Forest region. Although technically it falls at the border, it’s a town full of Gothic architecture and colorful as well as heritage buildings combined with modern shopping street. From Titisee Bahnhof, it’s a 40 minutes direct train ride and the journey was super scenic. Actually all train/bus journeys of Black Forest are equally beautiful. You just need to shift your gaze from your mobile to the window.
Freiburg Münster
Freiburg Münster (Some call it Minster) is undoubtedly the most striking churches in the Black Forest and a prominent landmark of the city of Freiburg. Its construction took more than 300 years but the result speaks. It’s open every day from 10:00 to 17:00 and free to enter. You can read more about it from the official website. The exterior is grand and tall but you will be stunned once you step inside. The stained glass windows bear glamorous and historical artwork which in my personal opinion are better than the finishing of Belgian glasswork we saw in Ghent.
Martinstor (Martin Gate)
Schwabentor and Martinstor are Freiburg’s two remaining medieval city gates (there were once five in total). Although these two have survived many wars, nowadays many locals view them as obstacles to the development of a modern transportation system. While it’s useless to comment as an outsider if transportation is actually hampered or not, till the time the ancient history is preserved, as a tourist, Freiburg looks different. All of you have seen the American fast food giant McDonalds but how many of you have seen a McDonalds like this?
I waited to take a picture when a tram passes through this gate. The colorful tram combined with the heritage building is a perfect fusion of the young and the veteran.
Old Town Area and Shopping Street
You will be pleasantly surprised by many open streams flowing through the streets with crystal clear water. Legend has it that if you touch your feet in one such stream, you are bound to marry a local (oops!)
The square encircling the cathedral of Freiburg is a must-see visiting the old city. The main attraction here is the market (Both open air and lined up international shops). The houses are astonishingly colorful and buildings are marvelous to look at.
Freiburg is famous for Market but don’t get confused with the shops of Triberg or Titisee. Those stores sell authentic Black Forest souvenirs but here at Freiburg, you will find mostly international and renowned brands in behind modern glass doors. However, one important thing to note is on Sunday, all these shops are shut. There is no open air market on Sunday too (At least in January)
Basel (Switzerland)
We chose Basel Euroairport as our exit point from Black Forest to the Netherlands. Flight fare was about 23€ per person in Easyjet and we booked around 2 months before. There were two days to reach Basel from Freiburg. If you have to catch flight and do not have time or interest or both to explore Basel, you can catch direct bus from Freiburg im Bresigau to Basel Euro-Airport. We chose this option and booked a ticket via Flixbus. At the bus terminal, there are dedicated platforms for buses running all the way to EuroAirport. Our bus was sharp on time and we reached airport on time. If I remember correctly, only a total of 8 passengers traveled that day.
If you have some time and interest to explore the cute Swiss town Basel, then you can catch train from Freiburg. The main train station is named Basel SBB but if you catch direct train from Freiburg to Basel SBB then you cannot use Konus card as it’s an ICE train. To use Konus, you need to catch local train to Basel Bad Bf. Your Konus validity ends here. A famous landmark of Basel is the middle bridge which is almost equal walking distance from Basel SBB and Basel Bad Bf.
Once you reach Basel, it’s upto you to decide your mode of transport. If you stay one night here, you will get a Basel Card from your hotel which again will make all your transport in Basel free. Otherwise, it’s a small city so it’s possible to walk around. But in case you need to pay to use transport, remember you are in Switzerland so nothing is cheap. I personally felt very little difference between Freiburg im Breisgau and Basel so we skipped visiting Basel. If you are intersted, some key point of interests are Spalentor City Gate, Andreasplatz, Basel Minster, Kunstmuseum Museum and of course walkin along the Rhine river.
I have take the above photo from this link. It’s a wonderful experience to walk across different sides of the Basel Euro airport. The same key ring you can see in France side selling at a much cheaper rate than the Swiss side.
Tips For Buying Cuckoo Clock
If you follow along, I have given an useful link is the House of 1000 clock section of Triberg. But based on my findings and experience, here are some important tips for you
- You can find Cuckoo Clocks all over the world but to preserve the art, integrity and standards of fine cuckoo clock making, Vds (Verein die Schwarzwalduhr) is introduced as a standard certificate of Authenticity. So if you are after an authentic traditional Black Forest made Cuckoo clock, check for Vds.
- The moment you choose to buy a Quartz clock, Vds does no longer exist because they do not qualify for certification.
- Quartz clocks are fancy, sometimes for beautiful to look at, offer you many more actions in much attractive price but they are NOT Traditional.
- There are numerous varieties in the design but they are broadly categorized in two major designs – Carved and Chalet. The carved one represent nature and wildlife and the chalet ones represent traditional house with people and pets.
- There are some more like Railroad, Modern, Shield, Vintage design but again those are sub category of above two.
- Mechanical movements come with 1-Day or 8-Days cycle. 1-Day cycle is much cheaper.
- You can decide on Music. Many a times they use Swiss made music box. Although its a foreign part but dramatically enhances the experience.
- You can customize animations. Although the fundamental one being the cuckoo coming out of its hiding so sing for you, you can top up with motions of wood cutters, bell ringers, or a even a lover’s kiss as dancers take the stage.
- Before leaving the shop, learn how to set it up. It’s not your regular wall clock.
As I mentioned above, remember to collect Tax Refund certificate from your Seller if you are travelling to Black Forest as a Tourist. You will get a hefty amount back at your point of departure.
Unique Buy From Black Forest
I would urge you to please buy a Bollenhut. The Bollenhut is a ladies’ hat topped with pom-poms and has been part of the traditional costume worn by women in the Black Forest. Young unmarried girls wear hats with red pompoms and married women hats with black ones (Although I bought a red one to my wife but who cares 😉 ).
The second most beautiful piece of Black Forest tradition is Dirndls. It’s a traditional costume worn by Females. These Bavarian Folk Costume are still worn by locals on multiple occassion. You can check out a large collection at this website.
Of course, Cuckoo Clock still stays at the top of what to buy at Germany. However, if you are not comfortable in wearing traditional costume or are not in a position to afford it, you can buy a doll wearing it. Locally known as Puppen doll, one of this will surely bring a charm in your showcase. Give photo of Annapurna wearing hat and the doll.
Useful Money Savings Tips
You have arrived this site because you want to explore more in less (Time and Money). So, here are some insider tips for you from our personal experience
- Choose your accommodation at a region offering Konus Card. It reduces drastically the cost of transportation. Even if you chose to self drive, you can give it a rest for a day and explore surrounding areas in Train. The train rides are truly marvelous.
- Avoid Summer. It’s crowded. It’s super costly. It’s hotter than you think. Even I heard people complaining about not getting a parking spot.
- Explore but don’t buy Cuckoo clock at Triberg. Instead buy from Titisee. The same goes for any other souvenir/costume too. Everything in Titisee (Excluding Accommodation) is cheaper compared to rest of the Black Forest.
- If you are using public transport try to plan on weekdays. On Weekends, the bus frequency is quite low but if it’s impossible to avoid weekends then also it’s managable but you have to plan very carefully.
- Choose Basel/Baden as point of entry/exit. Flight fares are damn cheap.
- Book the train from Airport to your place of accommodation as soon as you book your flight. If you book later, chances are that you will be paying much higher price.
When I first heard about Black Forest, my impression was that in Northern India (State of Uttarakhand and Himachal), there are many such similar places so is it still worth visiting? Well, after visiting, I can say it is definitely worth it. It’s not because of the forest or the waterfalls or the lakes but because of the secluded houses by the woods. Those are the ones where the illustration from your childhood fairytale comes alive. If you have ever read Grimm brother’s fairy tale, Black Forest is a must destination for you. Questions? Feel free to ask in the comment section. Any thoughts or suggestions or improvement points for me? Please share in the comment box. Till next time, Wiedersehen.
Can you share details of triberg hotel you booked
Hi Kshitij
Thanks for dropping by. The name of the Hotel was H-Apartment 1. You can try it directly on Booking.com. The address is 43 Schulstraße, 78098 Triberg, Germany. Let me know if you have any other questions.
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Hi Arka,
Your blogs is helpful. Can you suggest how can we travel from offenburg or frieburg to Ravenna gorge brigde by public transport.
Thank you,
Neelam
Hi Neelam
Thanks for dropping by. I won’t recommend travelling to Ravenna Gorge from Offenburg. The best way to travel to Ravenna Gorge by Public Transport is from Titisee but from Freiburg it is doable. From Freiburg you first have to take a train to Hinterzarten (5 Stops – 27 Mins). From Hinterzarten, it is 2.6KM if you want to walk. During Christmas Market season, free shuttle bus runs till Ravenna Gorge. For other times, Some online sources say Bus #7216 runs till Breitnau Hirschenberg from where Ravenna Gorge is 1.4KM of walk but I have not personally verified this.
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Hi, enjoyed reading your post, very useful as I don’t drive.
Do you know if the 9 Euro train ticket covers for transport within the Black Forest Region?
Hi Ash
Thanks for your comment. Sure you can. However, please note that probably you cannot buy the 9 EURO ticket throughout the year. I think it’s only applicable in Summer season. Also, it is valid on RB trains, RE trains, U-Bahn, S-Bahn, bus and tram.
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Hi Arka,
Your blog is really helpful. I am planning on staying in black forest for 3-4 days. Since I don’t drive, I’ll be using the public transport. Which place would you recommend as a base for travelling around?
Hi Srushti
Thanks for your comment. For your requirement, I won’t advice you to stay at a single place. I would recommend you to stay first 2 nights at Triberg and then explore the surroundings. For third and fourth night, I would highly recommend staying at Titisee. On your fourth day, you can spend full ay at Freiburg. It’s a big City and you will love the urban touch after staying 3-4 days in the rural side.
Let me know if it helps.
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Hi, i have just 2 full days and I have booked a hotel at Freiburg. Is that okay? Or shall I stay one night at Freiburg and one at Triburg or shall I do a day journey from Freiburg to Triberg?
Hi Deepti
Thanks for your comment. Freiburg is a great base for Black Forest (And Shopping) but please note that accommodations at Freiburg will not give you Konus Card. So your public transport is not free. Accommodation at Triberg gives you Konus card so your public transport is free. So, if public transport is in your mind, Triberg will save you a lot. If you are looking for a self-drive or guided day tour, then both are the same.
Now, coming to the place itself, Freiburg is more like a big city with shopping street, fancy restaurants, impressive buildings. Triberg is more close to nature with waterfalls, lake, hill-view. You have to decide yourself which one do you prefer.
I would recommend you to stay your first night at Triberg and get the Konus card for two days (It is valid on your check out day also). On your first day, explore Triberg, Haslach, Hausach area. On your second day, come to Titisee and finally arrive at Freiburg for your final stay. In this way, you can explore both places plus take the advantage of free public transport. Don’t do the opposite way.
Let me know if it helps.
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Hello, nice blog. Do you know if the Germany train pass (10 days) would work for the local public transportation (train and bus) at Black Forest during winter time? If I travel from Frankfurt and stay at Black Forest for 3 nights, where would you suggest as the base for stays? Thanks a lot.
Hello
Thank you. That was a detailed post. Yet few questions
a) can you get through the city without knowing German
b) For the weekend and if entry point is Freiburg, what do you suggest
Hi Amrita
Thanks for your comment. Here is your reply
a) Yes of course. We can’t read or speak German. It’s absolutely fine. Not everyone will understand English but most people will. Many a times we used Google Translate to ask a question to local people and you can ask them to type their answer back so that you can translate.
b) Freiburg is a fantastic entry point but remember that if you stay in Freiburg you won’t have the free public transport facility. Also, main market is closed on Sunday so Saturday is your best bet.
Let me know if it helps. If not, ask me again
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