In August 2021, my husband and I traveled from Amsterdam to the Black Forest for a long weekend. This is the mountainous region in southwest Germany with great hiking opportunities. We stayed in Frankfurt, Schluchsee (southern area of the forest), and Bad Peterstal-Griesbach (central area of the forest). This itinerary is based on that experience. Want more visual inspiration? Check out the video from the trip.
Travel: We utilized NS International to travel back and forth from Amsterdam and Frankfurt. On the ICE speed train, this is about a 3.5 hour journey. From there, we rented a car from Enterprise, as it is about a two hour drive to get into the region, a car is a must. Be sure, at some point in your journey, to take the B500; it’s considered to be one of the most scenic drives in Germany.
Friday Night: Travel
As we had a long day of driving ahead, we stayed the night in Frankfurt to get an early start the next day. We picked a spot close to the train station; The niu Charly hotel. As the area of town is a little dodgy, it was a nice hotel with a budget friendly price.
Saturday: Frankfurt & Mummelsee Hike
Wanting to experience a little bit of Frankfurt, we headed south towards the river, then onto a walking path along the water towards the Iron Bridge. We then cut over to Römerberg; the main square of the Old Town which includes the Alte Nikolaikirche and the Römer (city hall). We stepped into the Frankfurt Cathedral (free). For a coffee and Franzbrötchen (mix of a cinnamon roll & croissant), stop at Hoppenworth & Ploch Altstadt in Neue Alstadt. Here you will also find the Struwwelpeter Museum; if you are a fan of The Office, you will recognize this gem. We then walked through the town square of Paulsplatz, passed by Paulskirche and then up to St. Katharinenkirche and Hauptwache; the geographical center of Frankfurt. Our final stop was the Eschenheimer Turm; the oldest unchanged landmark in Frankfurt.
By 11:30 we had checked out of the hotel and were picking up the rental car. The first stretch of driving was about 2.5 hours, our first destination: Mummelsee. This is a beautiful lake surrounded by tall trees and a nice hiking trail all the way around (2.5 km). There is free parking and the Black Forest Shop, which has some great local items. I bought a bottle of Needle Black Forest Gin and a slice of Black Forest Cake (Schwarzwalder Kirsch). After another 2 hours of winding roads and lush trees, we made it to the Hotel Hirschen. One thing to note about the area; your hotel is going to be important; as you will probably be eating at least half of your meals there. After a day of driving and a hike, we had a leisurely dinner at the hotel, and watched the sunset from the balcony of our room.
Sunday: Feldberg Hike & Schluchsee
After breakfast at the hotel, we put on our hiking gear and headed out. It was a 20 minute drive to the Feldburg parkhaus, which is the only place to park in the area. If you stayed the full day; €15, but we paid around €8. We hiked around 3 hours; I recommend utilizing komoot to get an idea of the trails available. Between marking some landmarks and following the signs, it was a great hike.
We started by hiking up to the Bismarck Denkmal, unfortunately it was so foggy, that we could barely see directly in front of us, so we did not experience the views. However, the fog in the woods made it easy to see how stories like Hansel and Gretel were based there. The other major landmark of the hike was the Feldsee lake; incredibly gorgeous and serene. The entire hike was amazing. After our hike, we stopped in the town of Schluchsee. They had a paid parking area next to the water. We had lunch at Café am Kirchplatz; a highlight was the apple/cherry strudel. We then had a stroll along the water, and made our way to the Restaurant Kurhaus for a drink. After a long day, having dinner and drinks at the hotel was exactly what we needed. I had Käsespätzle, on of my favorite German dishes.
Monday: Triberg & Bad Peterstal-Griesbach Hike
After breakfast at the hotel, we checked out and headed north. In about 30 minutes, we were at the Viadukt Ravennaschlucht (Ravenna Bridge). There are hiking trails here, but it was a quick stop for us. After driving another 45 minutes, we were in Triberg/at the Triberg Waterfalls (€8).
There were a lot of other tourists, but also some nice walking paths that allowed you multiple views of the water. Once back in the car, we drove another 10 minutes to the House of 1000 Clocks. The history of the cuckoo clock originates in the Black Forest as a way for farmers to make extra income in the winter time. Even if you don’t plan on buying one, this is fun place to see.
After one more hour of driving, we made it to the Hotel Restaurant Hirsch. This was an older hotel, but it offered a great view and beautiful hiking trails only a few minutes away. For a late lunch, we stopped by the bakery Claudius Schmiederer and supermarket for some local snacks (a must on every trip), including a pretzel and an apple turnover.
For our final hike, we marked Berggasthaus Braunbergstüble, a cafe within the hiking trails as a guide, and simply wandered for a couple of hours. We discovered these tiny pools or foot baths, as well as a homemade cooler made of wood and naturally flowing water with waters and radlers. We donated a few euros, and were able to have a drink while enjoying the lookout around the bend. We spent our final night like the others, dinner at the hotel and watching the sun go down from our balcony.
Tuesday: Suspension Bridge & Travel
After breakfast at the hotel, we grabbed a few more items at the bakery for the road. In about 1.5 hours, we were at the parking lot for the WildLine Hängebrücke; suspension bridge (€9). This was about a 20 minute walk to the bridge, where we passed by the Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald. To be above these infamous trees was a fantastic experience. Eventually, it was time to get back into the car for our final 2.5 hour drive. We dropped off our car, and had some time to grab some food at the train station; where I was finally was able to get a frankfurter (sausage) before grabbing our train back to Amsterdam.
General Travel Tips:
As you can see with Frankfurt, our favorite way to see the city is by marking a few sights on Google Maps, and heading in that general direction. This allows you to wander, but to not miss what you really want to see.
Other: Planning for a trip, especially overseas, can be stressful and overwhelming. Hopefully this gave you an idea of things to do during your next trip to the Black Forest. I try to do as many quick links as possible, to send you directly to the website so you can get the most accurate and up-to-date information possible (fees and timetables).
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Safe and Happy Wandering.
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