10 EPIC Places To Visit In The Black Forest: Unique, Fun & Photogenic!

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Last updated on April 3, 2023 by Wandering our World

Covered in ancient woodland and peppered with quaint fairy-tale villages, there are numerous incredible places to visit in the Black Forest.

This is actually one of our favorite areas of Germany, so we wanted to share some of our top recommendations of unique places to visit in the Black Forest. Enjoy!

iStock.com/Britus

1. Schwarzwälder Wandersinfonie

If you’ve read our camping guide to the Black Forest, you will know this region is full of walking and hiking trails. In fact there’s 23,000km of trails here!

This walk is one of our favorites. Rising up to 657m, through a mix of evergreen and deciduous forest, you’ll reach a stunning viewpoint towards upper Rench Valley.

This 11km trail has the best of the Black Forest, with ancient woodland, meadows and wildflowers.

2. Baden-Baden

The centuries-old town of Baden-Baden makes our list of places to visit in the Black Forest due to it’s stunning multi-colored houses and world-renowned spas.

The water in the spas here are believed to help heal ailments, while the town itself is certainly one of the prettiest in Germany.

Baden-Baden is also a great place to be based to explore the rest of the Black Forest.

Germany. Traditional german town decorated by flowers, Baden-Wurttemberg land.
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3. Schwarzwaldstube

Here’s a fact for you. The Black Forest has more Michelin stars than any other region in Germany!

One restaurant with three of them is Schwarzwaldstube in the scenic village of Tonbach.

With stunning forest views and superb cuisine, this is a restaurant experience you’ll never forget. If you’re a keen chef, they also do cookery classes.

4. Dorotheenhütte

This charming building built in traditional style is the last glass-works in the Black Forest that still manufactures mouth blown glass!

Situated in Wolfach, you can watch the glass makers in action, and can also have a go at making your own vase.

If that isn’t enough, here’s an insider’s tip. There’s a restaurant onsite that makes one of the best Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte, or Black Forest Gateau, in the region.

Close up of a glassblower artisan shaping the hot molten glass at strong fire inside a workshop. Manual glass processing by the craftsmen inside a glass factory
iStock.com/morgan23

5. Triberg Falls

No trip to the Black Forest is complete without visiting Germany’s highest group of waterfalls – the Triberg Falls.

Descending 163m, this gushing group of waterfalls near the village of Triberg is a tour de force of nature.

There are also several great hiking trails around the falls and the region, making it a great place for an outdoor adventure!

6. Schwarzwald Hochstrasse

This 60km stretch of road, also known as the ‘Black Forest High Road’ offers panoramic views.

An incredible drive, which leads you through ancient woodlands in the heart of the forest.

It’s a popular road trip for locals, and with unparalleled views that’s no wonder. Just try and keep your eye on the road too!

road in black forest from above, trees surround it
iStock.com/Michael Hausmann

7. House of 1000 Clocks

As well as being famous for cake, ham and fairytales, the Black Forest is renowned for its cuckoo clocks. And the best place to see them, is the House of 1000 Clocks in Triberg!

This incredible quirky shop is a real experience, with cuckoo clocks of all shapes and sizes gracing every wall. You’ll never see anything else like it in your life!

8. Sommerrodelbahn Gutach

Have you seen those videos where fun-loving tourists race down a stunning mountain side on a wooden toboggan on rails? Well that can be done here in the Black Forest!

The 3,773 foot long toboggan run has tunnels and jumps, along with great views of the Black Forest. It’s one hell of a ride!

9. Upper Danube Nature Park

We always like to promote great outdoor locations, which is why this nature park makes our list of places to visit in the Black Forest.

Go exploring the limestone caves, or follow the forest-lined Danube. This park also has numerous hiking and cycling trails. One of the best is the trail between Fridingen and Beuron, which involves a 12km ridge-top walk with stunning views.

View of a lake in the Black forest
iStock.com/karp5

10. The Valley of Hell

The dramatically named Valley of Hell, or Höllental, was named due to the steep sides (up to 600m in places), and several narrow enclosed crags that make up this valley. One that was previously used to cross this stretch of the Black Forest.

There’s two ways to really see this valley. The first is to walk along the bottom of the valley, taking the Jägerpfad, known as the ‘hunter’s path’.

Or for a more leisurely experience, take the Hell Valley Railway, which partially runs through the valley.

Recommended For Your Trip To The Black Forest

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  • Wandering our World

    Hi and welcome to Wandering our World! This article was written by one of the Wandering our World team - a team of travel enthusiasts who live around the globe.