“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.”
- John Muir
- John Muir
Stretching across southwest Germany, the Black Forest is a landscape of dense woodland, rolling hills, traditional villages and mountain lakes. Its name comes from the thick canopy of evergreen trees that once made the forest appear almost impossibly dark. The region is famous for its traditional Schwarzwald culture, timber houses, cuckoo clocks and, of course, the Black Forest gâteau that has become known around the world.
We stayed in a traditional Schwarzwald house, which felt like the perfect base for exploring the area and experiencing a little of the region’s character. There was so much to see and do that our days were anything but slow.
We rode the Alpine Coaster, cycled around Schluchsee, the largest lake entirely within Germany, and crossed the Blackforestline suspension bridge high above the trees. Each experience offered something completely different, from the thrill of the coaster to the peaceful scenery around the lake and the incredible views from high above the forest.
And naturally, no trip to the Black Forest would have been complete without seeing the famous cuckoo clocks and trying a slice of the original Black Forest gâteau!
But it was the landscape itself that stayed with me. The endless woodland, mountain roads, little villages and traditional houses made the Black Forest feel almost like something from a fairytale.
Beautiful, adventurous and full of character, the Black Forest was one of those places where there was always another road to follow and another view waiting around the corner.
