8 top holiday destinations in the Black Forest for every taste

What would you prefer for your Black Forest vacation? An elegant climatic health resort or a lively student town? Roman bath ruins or modern thermal baths? A tourist hotspot or a forgotten valley? An exciting whitewater river or a cozy swimming lake? Northern Black Forest or Southern Black Forest? The diverse landscapes of the Black Forest mean that the possibilities are endless: The Black Forest holiday region stretches across 11,100 square kilometers in southwest Germany. Germany's largest low mountain range is characterized by elongated forested mountains in the north, broad meadow valleys in the central Black Forest , and alpine peaks in the south. We introduce you to the most famous vacation spots.

"Belle Époque meets Instagram," the New York Times describes Baden-Baden. Encircled by small mountains, the spa town on the gently rippling Oos River is a world of its own. Between elegant buildings, historic alleys, expansive avenues and parks, the casino and festival hall, thermal baths, and the Black Forest, you can do one thing above all else here: relax and unwind on vacation.

The splendor of the 19th century and the Belle Époque is still tangible today, but the Romans also left their mark on the extravagant lifestyle. Baden-Baden was founded over 2,000 years ago with the goal of doing good for people. With its Friedrichsbad spa, the Caracalla thermal baths, and numerous luxurious wellness and grand hotels, Baden-Baden is the perfect vacation spot for a retreat.

Award-winning spa town: In 2021, the city of Baden-Baden was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the other cities of the “Great Spa Towns of Europe”.

Source: Alexandra Brucker

Water, light, air, and earth are the city's treasures. Lovers of art and culture will find a vibrant cultural scene in the spa town with countless museums, concerts, and events. Important institutions such as the Festspielhaus, the Kurhaus, and the Frieder Burda Museum ensure an exciting stay. Numerous smaller stages and diverse bars and clubs also enrich the city.

It's an absolute feel-good town in the Black Forest: With over 1,800 hours of sunshine per year, Freiburg is blessed with sunshine. This Breisgau metropolis combines southern flair with the coziness of Baden. Freiburg is nine centuries old – and with its many students bustling around every street corner, it's thoroughly young.

Behind the pretty old town facade and the medieval "Bächle" (small streams), one of the most relaxed and environmentally conscious cities in the country awaits you. The Martinstor (St. Martin's Gate) and the Schwabentor (Swabian Gate) are particularly striking remnants of the historic city fortifications. A true highlight awaits you as you stroll across the market square: Freiburg's landmark, the Münsterturm (Cathedral Tower), rises 116 meters into the sky. Its octagonal superstructure is considered the pinnacle of Gothic architecture in Germany.

Pure quality of life: The Black Forest metropolis of Freiburg combines southern flair and Baden cosiness.

Source: imago images/imagebroker

The Münstermarkt (Cathedral Market) is a bustling market on weekdays, and gourmets in search of regional delicacies will find plenty to enjoy. As the gateway to the Black Forest, Freiburg is also the perfect starting point for outdoor sports. The Schauinsland mountain, rising 1,284 meters above Freiburg's doorstep, is a prime spot for a day trip. You can reach its summit in comfort by cable car. The view from the gondola stretches across the Rhine plain, the Kaiserstuhl, and all the way to the Vosges Mountains.

Off to the Black Forest pilgrimage site for gourmets! Baiersbronn is a temple of culinary delights and a hiking paradise in one. Nowhere else are so many Michelin-starred chefs working in such a small area as here. As a home to top-class restaurants such as the Bareiss in Mitteltal and the Traube in Tonbach, the community enjoys a nationwide reputation for truly exceptional culinary delights.

Furthermore, Baden-Württemberg's first national park offers 10,000 hectares of excellent hiking. Game and capercaillie live in the mixed mountain forest, and lonely raised bogs spread across the clearings. Those who remain quiet can listen for woodpeckers and owls.

The holiday resort of Baiersbronn attracts with three-star cuisine and heavenly views: The wooden Ellbachsee viewpoint at Kniebis promises a particularly impressive view of the Black Forest High Road, Ellbachsee and Mitteltal.

Source: Alexandra Brucker

Baiersbronn lies 800 meters above sea level at the junction of several valleys that stretch up to the Schliffkopf, Hornisgrinde, Ruhestein, and Kniebis mountains. Along the walking and hiking trails, sky loungers and futuristic viewing platforms like the Ellbachseeblick await you for one thing only: to rest your tired calves and let your gaze wander.

The charming location of Lake Titisee at the eastern foot of the Feldberg mountain attracts more than just water lovers: Here, you can stroll to your heart's content and enjoy the lakeside promenade. A comfortable walking and cycling path leads almost entirely around the mountain lake, which is just over one square kilometer in size and a relic of the last Ice Age.

Of course, splashing around and all kinds of water activities shouldn't be neglected at Lake Titisee: You can relax on the large lawn along the lakeshore, and the swimming area on Lake Titisee is a wonderful place to cool off in the summer; admission is free. Tours depart from the "Strandpromenade Seestraße" beach promenade. You can also explore the lake yourself and rent a pedal boat or rowboat.

The Titisee bathing lake is located directly at the spa town of Titisee and can be reached on foot.

Source: imago images/robertharding

There's also plenty to discover in the surrounding area: A five-minute walk from the train station, in the Schmiedsbach Valley, stands Europe's largest natural ski jump. Outside of competitions, the World Cup ski jump is freely accessible. Architecture and photography professionals can't miss the imposing Gutachtal Bridge, which spans the Gutachtal Valley.

What a great spot for snapshots: Viewed from the valley, the sheer scale of the 97-meter-high structure truly becomes apparent. A hike to the Hochfirst Tower promises stunning views and a wealth of nature. It sits atop the 1,192-meter-high Hochfirst – one of the highest peaks in the Black Forest, offering an XXL view.

Looking for an adrenaline rush and deep relaxation? Bad Wildbad offers both on a platter. Between the slopes of Sommerberg and Meisternkopf, hidden deep in the valley of the Grosse Enz, lies one of Germany's most famous spa towns.

Bad Wildbad owes its reputation to the warm, fluoride-rich thermal water bubbling from a depth of 600 meters, as well as its fragrant Black Forest air. The nobility once relaxed there, and later even German presidents, including Richard von Weizsäcker. Our Arabian Nights tip: bathe in the Palais Thermal ! With its Art Nouveau decor and Moorish Hall, it is one of the most magnificent spa palaces in the entire country.

A water palace from a bygone era: At the Palais Thermal, you can bathe like a prince – in an oriental decor that has inspired kings and high-ranking personalities to linger.

Source: imago images/MITO

The Sommerbergbahn, one of Germany's most modern cable cars, takes you comfortably and quickly from the city center to the Sommerberg. Those looking for an active holiday will find the perfect place. On the Sommerberg, beautiful hiking trails, a fairytale trail, a bike park, and, of course, the unique treetop walkway and the 60-meter-high Wildline suspension bridge await your discovery.

Hobbit sighting? Who would be surprised? The German version of the Shire is located in the Murg Valley. Its diverse and natural landscape makes this area one of the most popular holiday and hiking regions in the Black Forest.

At 96 kilometers, the Murg is the longest river in the Black Forest. It rises near Ruhestein on the Black Forest High Road and flows through Baiersbronn, the towns of Forbach, Weisenbach, Gernsbach, and Gaggenau, finally emptying into the Rhine near Rastatt. The Murg Valley is wide and expansive in places, but also has some rather wild sections. Along its course, the river is accompanied by rugged cliffs, mighty forests, floodplains, and orchards.

Forbach in the Murg Valley: The Murg River flows beneath the old wooden bridge, a paradise for whitewater enthusiasts from all over Germany.

Source: Alexandra Brucker

The climatic health resort of Forbach, in particular, is an ideal starting point for hikes in the Northern Black Forest. The Schwarzenbach Dam, a two-kilometer-long reservoir in the heart of the holiday region, is a popular destination for vacationers from near and far, both in summer and winter.

Swimming, fishing, and surfing: The Schwarzenbach Dam is a water lover's paradise. Kayaking, canyoning, and rafting are also popular in the area, as the Murg River, despite some taming, is one of Germany's best whitewater stretches.

Naturally nestled between meadow valleys, forests, and expansive plateaus, the climatic health resort of Schramberg-Tennenbronn is a popular destination for a holiday in nature. The local communities have retained the structures of a Black Forest village.

The cultural life of Schramberg-Tennenbronn is shaped by the numerous events organized by over forty active clubs – whether during Fasnet, when the fools and jesters parade through the town, or at one of the famous forest festivals, where the local population demonstrates handicraft techniques and old customs.

The Remsbauernhof used to be one of the most powerful farms in Tennenbronn.

Source: Alexandra Brucker

The surrounding Black Forest landscape is ideal for exploring on foot, for example along one of the "Black Forest Gourmet Trails." The region as a whole is a good starting point for attractive hikes, Nordic walking tours, and mountain bike excursions. Hikers can discover impressive Black Forest farms, wild streams, forest and meadow paths, and, of course, expansive viewpoints.

In winter, the opening of the toboggan run and the slide season for young and old awaits. Cross-country skiers can whizz through the Schramberg-Tennenbronn area on trails ranging from three to 19 kilometers in length.

From Schramberg-Tennenbronn, waterfall fans can also drive to the Triberg Waterfalls in about 25 minutes. The water cascades from 163 meters in seven stages into a wooded valley basin, passing mighty granite cliffs along the way. This makes it the highest waterfall in Germany outside the Alps.

The Triberg Waterfalls in the Black Forest are a beautiful weekend destination.

Source: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Other waterfalls in the High Black Forest include the Zweribach Falls between Plattenhof and the Simonswälder Valley, the Todtnau Waterfalls between Todtnauberg and Aftersteg and the Wutach Gorge at the Schelmer Halde.

Ten kilometers south of Freudenstadt, in the upper Kinzig Valley, lies the beer-famous climatic spa town of Alpirsbach. It's clear that connoisseurs travel there for the excellent beers from the quaint, cozy monastery brewery, the old half-timbered houses in the picturesque town center, the Benedictine monastery, and its famous, over 900-year-old Alpirsbach Abbey Church.

Its modern, free-standing, and even movable designer organ appears like a mega-sound sculpture. A feast for the ears and the eyes. The late-Gothic cloister also hosts top-class concerts in the summer, for which travelers can book tickets in advance.

The small village of Alpirsbach is not only known for its beer, but also for its Benedictine monastery.

Source: Alexandra Brucker

In the surrounding area, the six-kilometer-long Alpirsbach Water Trail leads through the scenic valley of the Kleine Kinzig River. Here, everything revolves around water. Exhausted hikers can always enjoy a beer after the tour.

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