Black Forest Blog

The Kandel Mountain is one of the most eye-catching mountains in the Central Black Forest. It ist located about 25km north-east of Freiburg and can be reached by road from Waldkirch or from St. Peter or Glottertal from the south. There is a large car park at the highest point of the road, and a 400m footpath leads to the summit from there.

The large Kandelfelsen rock just below is a popular area for climbers. The paraglider launch site is directly by the car park. For winter sports enthusiasts, there are three ski lifts and pistes of various levels of difficulty, the popular boarder park and cross-country skiing courses.

Photo: The summit pyramid on Kandel Mountain

Photo: View from Kandel Mountain over the Elz Valley, Waldkirch can be seen on the right. The Voges Mountains rise up from the mist in the background.

The Hochkopf is a mountain on 1267 m above sea level, located between Todtmoos and Todtnau in the southern Black Forest.

A detour to the Hochkopf with its viewing tower is well worthwhile if you are hiking around Todtmoos and Todtnau. The easiest way to reach it is from the Weißenbachsattel parking area for hikers between Todtnau-Präg, Herrenschwand and Todtmoos-Weg. From there it is 1.8 km to the summit with a height difference of just under 200 metres.

The Hochkopf Tower with its distinctive form offers a magnificent view over the surrounding valleys and mountains, including the Feldberg, Herzogenhorn, Schauinsland and Belchen. In addition, a glorious Alpine panorama unfolds in fine weather.

Photos: Hochkopf look-out tower and a nice view on Präg near Todtnau

Waterfalls, a narrow canyon, adventurous paths, nature conservation area, a via ferrata and great views can be seen in this hike of about 4-5 hours.

The hike starts in Ottenhöfen (30km south of Baden-Baden) from the parking area for hikers near the Edelfrauengrab Waterfalls (sign-posted). Form here it is only a few steps to the bottom cascade of the waterfalls, where the Edelfrauengrab is located. From there the way is climbing further up the adventurous paths and footbridges along the Gottschläg valley, a nature conservation area.

Further and further you climb up to the Karlsruher Grat at the head of the Gottschläg Valley, there you can use the via ferrata. From there the path leads back to Ottenhöfen from the Bosensteiner Eck at the top end of the via ferrata via the 'Brennte Schrofen', where you can enjoy a great view on the Black Forest and the Rhine valley. The overall distance is approx. 12 km, the difference in height 500m, a walking time of 4-5 hours should be allowed for.

The Gottschläg Valley conservation area with the waterfalls and the Karlsruher Grat (Karlsruhe Ridge) further up is surely an outstanding scenic attraction in the Northern Black Forest.

Photo: View from the Karlsruhe Ridge

The time has finally come: the fruit trees in the Ortenau region have started to flower.

The entire landscape is covered by a sea of white flowers - this is spring in the purest sense! And with the current sunny weather, an outing and a short walk are definitely worth the effort.

The photo was taken yesterday, the 20th April 2010, near Durbach.

See the new photo galleries on our homepage black-forest-travel.com! Photos in high quality and high resolution from all over the Black Forest.

You will find great images e.g. from Baden-Baden, Karlsruhe, the Black Forest High Road or Lake Titisee, or in the gallery 'top events' photos and info e.g. about the Black Forest carnival, ski-jumping, paraglider's competition, carpets of flowers, the sheperd's race and markets of all kind.

• Gallery Black Forest - from north to south
• Gallery Top events in the Black Forest

It is a well known fact that the Black Forest is home to many inventors and doers. But did you also know that the market leader for excavator buckets and so-called quick hitches is also based in the tranquil health resort and spa town Baden-Baden? Lehnhoff Hartstahl from Steinbach has for years been the leading manufacturer of digger buckets for hydraulic excavators as well as mini excavators and quick change units. The company in particular covers the whole range of quick change units, backhoe dippers and swing excavators, special and demolition equipment for all construction machinery brands and sizes.

Please contact Lehnhoff directly if you are interested in making an appointment for a guided tour of the company.

Web address:

http://www.lehnhoff.com

Did you know that by no means only Cuckoo clocks, Kirsch and Black Forest Gateau are amongst the typical products of the Black Forest? The rustic furniture from the Black Forest, which is also very popular throughout the world, definitely deserves to be mentioned. Often lovingly painted and decorated by hand, these pieces bring the famous German cosiness to any room across the globe, whether wardrobe or bed, table, corner bench or restaurant furniture they all add their personal charm.

The furniture makers from the Black Forest are well known for their tradition only to use high-quality and well seasoned wood from well looked after forests in the region. Before any of this wood is used it is carefully dried in drying chambers.

A tour of the manufacturing premises is certainly most interesting and will add a lot of interest and variety to your Black Forest holiday.

Web addresses:

http://www.schnitzerstube.de/index_gb.htm
http://www.schreinerei-gebele.de (in German)
http://www.go-in.co.uk

Traditional christmas markets take place in many places in the Black Forest every year. The flavour of mulled wine, waffles and fir needles, candlelights and the cosy atmosphere attract the guests every year anew. Besides eating and drinking of course you can find lots of local products for your own or for your christmas gifts.

Here you find dates and places of the biggest and most beautiful markets:

• 26 November - 27 December 2009: Christkindles market in Baden-Baden
• 23 November - 23 December 2009: Christmas market in Freiburg
• 24 November - 23 December 2009: Christmas market in Offenburg
• 26 November - 23 December 2009: Christkindlesmarkt in Karlsruhe
• 28 November - 28 December 2009: Sternlesmarkt in Ettlingen
• 26-29 November 2009: Magical Christmas market in Calw
• 23 November - 22 December 2009: Christmas market in Pforzheim
• 4 December - 13 December 2009: Christmas market in Freudenstadt
• 30 November - 23 December 2009: Advent's market and the world's biggest 'advent calendar house' in Gengenbach
• 27 November - 6 December 2009: Advent's market in Gaggenau
• 27 November - 13 December 2009: Christmas market in Bühl
• 27 November - 20 December 2009: Christmas market in Rastatt
• 28-29 November 2009: Christkindlemarkt in Bad Dürrheim
• 28 November - 23 December 2009: Advent and Christmas market in Lahr
• 10-20 December 2009: Christmas market in Bad Krozingen
• 3-13 December 2009: Christmas market in Lörrach
• 10- 20 December 2009: Christmas market in Rottweil
• 4-6 December 2009: Christmas market Bad Säckingen
• 4-6 December 2009: Christmas market in St. Blasien
• 5-6 December 2009: Christmas market in Titisee-Neustadt
• 10-13 December 2009: Christmas market on the Rosenplatz in Baiersbronn
• 11-13 December 2009: Christmas market in Oberkirch
• 25 December 2009 - 3 January 2010: Triberg Christmas Magic - thousands of lights illuminate the waterfalls and the nature park nearby

The Feldberg (1493m above sea level) is the highest mountain in the Black Forest, Germany. The Felderg Mountain is located in the south-west of Germany, about 25 km south-east of the city of Freiburg.

Photo on the right: The Feldberg summit on the left side, on the right side the Seebuck foothill with the lookout tower.

A cableway runs from the car park at the Haus der Natur (House of Nature) to the Seebuck foothill. Incidentally, the cableway is operated as a 6-seater chair lift in winter. The actual summit of the Feldberg is reached from the upper terminus via a 2km footpath. There are several sign-posted hiking trails leading round the summit area with a walking time of between 30 minutes and 3 hours, from which you can enjoy the beauty of the landscape in its entirety and the magnificent views in every imaginable direction.

Ascend the Feldberg Tower and you can let your eyes wander even further into the countryside. However, you have a lovely uninterrupted view even without ascending the tower because there are no trees in the summit area.

The Feldberg is centre of the biggest skiing area in the Black Forest. Usually from November to April thousands of skiers use the 14 ski-lifts and downhills of all categories.

Places nearby

• Feldberg municipality
• Titisee-Neustadt
• Hinterzarten
• Todtnau
• Bernau

The traditional festival in Schonach in the Central Black Forest began today (5th September 2009) with a grand festival procession. The procession set off for the festival marquee at 3 pm sharp, where the festival was officially opened at 3.30 pm with the tapping of the keg.

There will be plenty of music and high spirits in the large festival marquee from today until Monday evening with something to suit all tastes. Party music on Saturday evening, traditional oompah music and folk music on Sunday and Monday as well as entertainment in local dialect.

There is a large fun fair next to the marquee with a chairoplane, dodgems, a merry-go-round and all kinds of sweet temptations.

A very special event took place once again this year in the small community of Dachsberg in the southern Black Forest: the Dachsberger Charcoal Pile Festival. The charcoal pile at the forest sports ground in the district of Wolpadingen smoked from the 25th July to the 9th August 2009, and a great deal of entertainment was on offer at the same time.

The Markgräfler Bergturnfest gymnastic festival and the jubilee weekend of the Dachsberg traditional costume band with its regional music festival had already taken place on the first two weekends. The climax was the folklore day on Sunday the 9th of August with plenty of music, a national park market and demonstrations of old Black Forest handicraft trades. The charcoal pile will be opened on 21st/22nd August, and the charcoal offered for sale on 22nd August.

In the Dachsberg charcoal pile, charcoal is produced in the traditional manner from approximately 20 steres (cubic metres) of beechwood in approx. 4 weeks (2 weeks just for cooling). The charcoal stack is watched around the clock by the charburners during this time (the shelter can be seen on the left in the top picture, the charburner is clearing the smoke holes in the bottom picture). The charburners also enjoy answering visitors' questions and providing expert information about the composition of the charcoal pile and the history of charcoal burning in the Black Forest.

Charcoal burning was an important industry in the Black Forest for a long time. The charcoal was mainly required for ironworks and glass manufacture. Increasingly larger quantities were needed, which meant that vast areas of the Black Forest were bare and not covered by dense forest as they are today. Coal was increasingly used in industry from the 18th century, so that the trees grew back and the forest could recover.

Incidentally, the community of Dachsberg is set in a beautiful location on a plateau in the Hotzenwald Forest, the southernmost part of the Black Forest. Well-known places in the area include St. Blasien and Todtmoos. Lake Schluchsee, Lake Titisee and Feldberg Mountain are also not far away.

The 'Bähnle cycle route' is a cycle route on a disused railway line in the Southern Black Forest from Titisee-Neustadt to Bonndorf via Lenzkirch over a distance of more than 30 km.

The Bähnle cycle route, completed in 2008, runs mostly along the route of the disused Lenzkirch - Bonndorf railway line in the southern Black Forest. As a result, there are only slight uphill gradients over the whole route, so that the Bähnle cycle route is suitable for a cycle tour with the whole family.

The route is not only scenically attractive, but interesting historical documents of the railway line can also be seen, e.g. railway stations and bridges. Further information on the history of the railway is provided on display panels for people who are interested.

A nice way to see the South Black Forest regional park and some of its attractions on a one day, not to heavy bicycle tour.

A wonderful way of getting to know the Black Forest is a hike along the 'Schluchtensteig', a hiking trail in the southern Black Forest. This trail was not opened until 2008 but is already one of the most popular hiking trails in the Black Forest.

The Schluchtensteig crosses the South Black Forest regional park along the southern edge of the Black Forest. It not only takes in the impressive gorges of the Wutach, Gutach, Rötenbach, Haslach and Wehra (photo) but also regularly ascends to mountain tops and other lookout points which provide a view of the gorges below and the mountains of the High Black Forest and the Swiss Alps. The trail also runs past Lake Schluchsee, the largest lake in the Black Forest. The high plateaus around the villages of Dachsberg and Ibach present an interesting contrast.

The Schluchtensteig is not a footpath, it often runs over narrow trails, over rough and smooth and sometimes up steep tracks and ladders. It is therefore advisable to wear good quality hiking shoes. The hiking trail is passable from May to approx. November. Hiking on the Schluchtensteig is not recommended with snow and ice.

Anyone who wants to hike over the full length of the trail can divide it up into six stages of approximately 20 km each. Needless to say, shorter sections can also be tackled depending on the available time and fitness.

Places along the Schluchtensteig

• Stühlingen
• Blumberg
• Lenzkirch
• Schluchsee
• St. Blasien
• Dachsberg
• Ibach
• Todtmoos
• Wehr

Who gave Lake Titisee its name? One of the legends (maybe its even true) say the Roman general Titus, who camped here with his troops, gave it his name, because he was so impressed by the beauty of the lake. The first authenticated reference to it, however, dates back to the year 1111 in documents belonging to the neighbouring village Saig, in which the names 'Dettesee' and 'Titinsee' are found; the today's name Titisee came into use about 1750.

Sure is: the Titisee is one of the most popular places for tourists in the Black Forest, Germany. Every year thousands of people enjoy the great landscape, the possibilities for water sports like swimming, wind-surfing, sailing or a pedalo ride. A very nice option for enjoying the Lake Titisee and the surrounding Black Forest landscape is a sightseeing tours by one of the pleasure boats. Since the waterfront promenade in Titisee-village was converted to a pedestrian zone, the 'Seestrasse' is considered the loveliest street for strolling and shopping in the Southern Black Forest.

The nicest view on Lake Titisee is without any doubt from the lookout tower on Hochfirst mountain (see photo).

Lake Titisee is located in the Southern Black Forest, 30km east of Freiburg in the south-west of Germany. The approach by car is possible from the autobahn A5, exit Freiburg-Mitte, from there the B31 direction Donaueschingen. Or from the autobahn A81, triangle Bad Dürrheim on the B31 direction Freiburg. The basin for lake was formed during the last ice age, just 10,000 years ago. A glacier extended from the Feldberg to the present-day lake. The basins gouged out by the glacier and the terminal moraine now form the basin of Lake Titisee. The lake is 850 m above sea level, 2 km long, just under 1 km wide and approx. 40 m deep.

Titisee village is also a climatic therapy resort and worth a visit all year round. Vacationing guests will find a selection of accommodation ranging from rustic, well-equipped inns to comfortable apartments and luxurious first-class hotels.

The city of Triberg is located directly on the Black Forest railway line and is famous for Germany's highest waterfalls, which have an overall drop of 163 metres over 7 cascades. More than half a million people visit this spectacle of nature every year.

There are three entrances to the waterfalls, which are reached via asphalted paths, steps and footbridges. You should be a reasonably good walker of course, and the paths are totally unsuitable for prams and pushchairs. However, you can reach the lowest and largest cascade of the waterfall relatively easily from the main entrance.

The area around the entrance to the waterfalls is reminiscent of Disneyland; here and in the town centre, a large number of shops offer the even larger number of tourists cuckoo clocks, woodcarvings, souvenirs as well as Black Forest ham and kirsch. These are high quality craft products for the most part, although there is no shortage of plastic cuckoo clocks 'made in Taiwan'. The Black Forest Museum, which is well worth seeing, can also be found directly by the lower entrance to the waterfalls.

Anyone who wants to escape from the hustle and bustle can easily do so - the countryside around Triberg is fantastic, and after a few hundred metres you will see and hear nothing more of the crowds.

More about the Triberg Waterfalls

A very special attraction are the Triberg Waterfalls in wintertime, when the spray caused by the splashing water freezes to thick ice crusts around the cascades (see photo, shot in January 2009).