The sound of the woods
Cycling vacation in the Black Forest
The Black Forest is the largest continuous Central German Upland. From north to south it extends over 150 km, measuring 50 km at its widest point in the southern and 30 km in the northern part. With a height of 1.493 m, the Feldberg in the southern Black Forest is the highest mountaintop. The longest river of the region are the Enz (105 km), the Kinzig (93 km) and the Elz (90 km). Important lakes are the Titisee, Mummelsee and Feldsee. Numerous reservoirs like the Schluchsee and barrages serve for the purposes of electricity generation, flood prevention and drinking water supply. Wood always used to be an important resource in the Black Forest. In the past, it used to be transported down the Rhine on floats to be processed in the shipbuilding industry. Constructional timber is still exported to Japan today. The wealth in timber constitutes the basis for further industrial sectors. Charcoal piles constructed in the forests used to serve for charcoal production which was needed for glass-making. In the isolated valleys of Black Forest, many farmers made cuckoo clocks of wood during the winter season, tradition from which the clock industry developed in the 19th century.
This is how beautiful the Black Forest is
The Black Forest is crisscrossed by bike routes and bike paths for every taste. Ride uphill with the train and roll down leisurely or comfortably and flat along the High-Rhine on quiet side roads, unpaved paths or specially designed bike paths. One or the other climb would have to be mastered, but if you love your bike, you also push it sometimes.
Cuckoo clock, bollen hat and cherry cake
You will not miss the clichés cuckoo clock, Bollenhut and Black Forest cherry cake. But the Bollenhut is actually only found in the Kinzig Valley. But don’t miss the historic old town of the Black Forest capital of Freiburg. Take a walk along the Bächle, small water channels that run through them, and visit the Münster. The historic trumpet town of Bad Säckingen was immortalised in a work by Scheffel. Walk there over the longest covered bridge on the Rhine. In the Tri-Länder-Eck at the Rhine-Knie, you ride over the 230-metre-longest freestanding bicycle and pedestrian bridge in the world. There, in Weil am Rhein, you can climb the 30. 7 meter high Vitra Slide Tower by artist Carsten Höller for a good overview. It is a slide tower, an observation tower and a work of art at the same time.
Gehry, Picasso and Klimt - Hotspot of art
In the Black Forest there are countless museums, for example in Weil am Rhein the Vitra Design Museum, one of the most important design museums in the world, whose main building was designed by none other than Frank Gehry. The Art. Plus Museum in Donaueschingen delights lovers of contemporary art with top-class exhibitions in a building worth seeing. In the Municipal Gallery of Villingen-Schwenningen there are works by Dix, Klimt and Picasso.
In the Black Forest Schlaraffenland
It is said that nowhere are there as many star chefs as in the Black Forest. So get ready for some tasty treats! Sure, the Black Forest cherry cake is a perennial and something that every child knows. But here you will come across some other delicacies with protected geographical indications, such as Black Forest trout or Black Forest ham. Even the high-percentage things are strongly represented: try Black Forest raspberry spirit, cherry water, Mirabelle water, Williams pear or plum water. You get dizzy from reading. Don't worry, the mineral waters are also numerous. There are eight different brands. In addition, various breweries and smaller craft beer manufactories. Baden wines from the Black Forest are mainly red and white Burgundy grape varieties, often Spätburgunder, Grauburgunder, Weißburgunder and Chardonnay. Try Brägele (roasted potatoes), Bibbeleskäs (quark with herbs and onions) or a sausage salad with Black Forest Lyons sausage, vinegar, oil, cucumbers and onions.
Black Forest and Blue Lakes
Basically, it is evergreen, the Black Forest. He got his name from the Romans. When they moved here about 2000 years ago, they saw from a distance a dark, large area of forest that looked almost black from a distance. “Silva nigra” they called it, black forest. Germany's largest and highest contiguous low mountain range with altitudes of up to 1,493 metres (Feldberg) comprises wooded mountains in the north, completely without trees in the south, and in the middle Black Forest there are wide meadow valleys. So it is by no means just woodland. It is crossed by the rivers Enz, Kinzig and Elz. Quiet lakes such as Titisee or Mummelsee and Feldsee are small blue jewels. You will also cycle past reservoirs such as the Schluchsee. Rushing waterfalls and steep gorges such as the Wutachschlucht complete this wonderful scenery.
