Destination Overview
The Black Forest (
in German) covers a range of birch and pine
studded hills along 100 miles (161km) of southwest Germany's border
with France. The forest is renowned as a holiday Mecca with its
picturesque fairy-tale villages, spa-bath resorts, hiking trails
and ski resorts. The first famous holidaymaker to enjoy rest and
recuperation in the Black Forest was the Roman emperor Caracalla
who stopped at the natural spring waters, at what is now the town
of Baden-Baden, around 2,000 years ago. Since then the Forest has
been the chosen destination of the rich and famous: everyone who is
anyone from Napoleon to Mark Twain has come to take the waters and
enjoy the forest's natural beauty.In medieval times the local people developed the traditional
skills of woodcarving, glass-blowing, jewellery-making and
clock-making, and these are still followed today to the delight of
tourists with spending money in their pockets. The Black Forest has
also become known for its local delicacies like Black Forest ham
and cherry cake.The most central town in the Black Forest is Freudenstadt, which
is the starting point for hundreds of miles of hiking and
ski-trails through the nearby hills. Most visitors, however, prefer
to find accommodation in guest lodges in the small villages
sprinkled throughout the region, exploring by car, on foot or
bicycle.
