The Black Forest is one of my favorite places in Germany!
The Black Forest, or Schwarzwald in German, is located in the southwest corner of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It covers an area of 12,000 sq. km.
It gets its name from the dense conifers that block out a lot of light.
Here’s why I love it so much:
It offers many easy hiking trails with idyllic scenery. Although if you’re looking for something more challenging there are several hundred km of hiking trails to choose from as well! I haven’t done any of the longer hikes here …yet!
The Black Forest does have a dark side though:
This is a henker site where women who were suspected of witchcraft were routinely beheaded. We came across it while hiking. That’s what I love about hiking here. You just never know what you will find. Minutes before, we had come across a Christmas Market in the nearby town of Calw.
A lot of people living there are Catholic and it’s not uncommon to see huge crosses or statues of the Virgin Mary in pastures.
Related Reading: 15 Best Hotels with Saunas in Germany for a Luxurious Wellness Escape
We see several crosses every time we go hiking in the Black Forest.
While hiking I’ve frequently come across quaint farmhouses and pastures with either sheep or cows. I see them on almost every hike I have done.
It’s not just the Black Forest itself that I like, but also the half-timber houses that you see in small towns and villages. They look like something out of a Grimm fairy tale.
Where to Stay in the Black Forest
Base yourself in Baden-Baden for the thermal baths, or in Baiersbronn for a quieter village surrounded by forest. Two we would book:
- Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa – a 150-year-old spa hotel in the heart of Baden-Baden, a short walk from the Friedrichsbad and Caracalla Therme thermal baths.
- Hotel Traube Tonbach – a family-run resort in Baiersbronn with a heated seawater pool, a Finnish sauna and a warm alpine hay bath.
See dates and prices on Booking.com
Or compare more spa stays in our guide to the best hotels with saunas in Germany, then use the map below to search Freudenstadt and the villages around it in the Black Forest.