The Black Forest

We all know that the Black Forest is famous for its gateau, cuckoo clocks, thick woodlands, grassy meadows, timber farmhouses and waterfalls. We wanted to see if it is true.

The area is 160km from top to bottom, and the village of St. Peter, in particular Camping Steingrubenhof, in the south, was our base for some exploring.

A trip to Triberg ticked off many items on our checklist in one go. The journey there, on sweeping, curving roads, gave us a great introduction to the fantastic scenery for which the area is famous with rolling meadows and lush forest all around. Once in Triberg we visited Germany's highest waterfalls which drop a total of 163m and used the occasion to try out one of the special features on the phone camera to get a romantic photo of the waterfall in action. As a busy tourist destination, there were plenty of shops selling cuckoo clocks but we managed to resist. That wasn't the case however at Café Shäfer, where the original 1915 recipe for Black Forest gateau is still used today. Chocolate sponge cake, layered with cherries, brandy and lots of cream slipped down a treat and got the thumbs up from us both.

Our visit coincided with the St. Peter Summer Concert where we were treated firstly to orchestral music from the local group of approx. 50 musicians, playing from a repertoire of both classical and modern tunes and then local rock band, Blackwood Mary, who kept us all entertained for 3 hours with their excellent performance of rock and country rock covers. All this together with local wine, beer and food made for a great Saturday night out.

Nearby Freiburg is a large, sunny, university town with thousands of students whizzing abouts on bicycles trying to avoid the traffic and trams. It is also renowned for its annual 2000 hours of sunshine, which we experienced in temperatures above 30°C! The medieval old town is full of gabled townhouses, cobblestone streets and canal-side cafés. The impressive 11th-century cathedral with its filigree 116m-high spire and numerous gargoyles is located in the market square and surrounded by elegant houses and shops showcasing the towns rich history. We could have spent longer wandering around but the high temperatures and tourists decided us to return back up the hill to our campsite where a cooling breeze was very welcome.

Our trip only explored the southern part of the area but what we have seen has made us want to return to see more.Read more