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 for 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.
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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 Hans Grimm fairy tale.
Beautiful place, that mountain road/path looks amazingly peaceful. Quite different from the big city landscape that surrounds me right now! Great photos!
@Mette – I’m agree the Black Forest is a perfect place for the Grimm brothers to did get inspiration for their dark tales
@Ellis – Great that you’re moving to Europe. I love living here. Germany wasn’t really high up on my list before I visited it, but it has surpassed my expectations and I really enjoy living here. Hope you enjoy the European life style.
@Ayngelina – Thanks
@Inka – Very cool! I’m allergic to Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte 🙁 (gluten allergy) but I love the Schwarzwälder Schinken
@Adam – I was actually surprised at how much I enjoy hiking in Germany since I’m used to hiking in the Rockies and love the craggy mountains too and while hiking in Germany is different, it’s very enjoyable and you can often find a castle on route which is cool.
WOW, gorgeous pictures! I love all the green. While I will always love hiking in rugged, rocky, craggy mountains, rolling bright green hills are just as impressive. So beautiful. You got some spectacular shots here. Maybe Germany needs to move higher up our list??
I went to university in Freiburg and know the Black Forest inside out. Your pictures catch the beauty perfectly. Did you try Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte and Schwarzwälder Schinken?
Love the large format photos, so pretty.
Beautiful! I’ll get there some day. We are planning to move to Europe in the near future and Germany is at the top of our list. This just makes me want to be there even more!