My Suggested Black Forest Itinerary

In the land of the Brothers Grimm, I was expecting creepy overgrown forests, quaint medieval towns, and maybe a gingerbread house or two. But, it turns out, the Brothers Grimm tales weren’t from the Black Forest region of Germany (most are from the central part).

Why did I think they were from there? I don’t really know. Maybe I got that from Disney?

And, moreover, due to massive logging in the 1700s and 1800s, most of the area was turned to farmland. Only recently, thanks to the efforts of eco-friendly locals, has the forest slowly started to return to the area.

But, despite those shattered expectations (and maybe because of them), my weeklong visit to the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) was the highlight of my summer travels. It had been on my bucket list forever, and so I was glad I got to finally scratch it off. I only wish I had spent more time there.

This area, located in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, is famous for forests (duh!), tremendous hiking, gigantic gushing waterfalls, verdant farmland, cute cuckoo clocks (they were invented here!), and historic medieval towns (only a few of which were destroyed in World War II).

Given how big the region is — and how confusing so many other blogs make planning a route around it — I wanted to make an easy-to-follow itinerary for you.

It’s very easy to get to the Black Forest: You can fly into Frankfurt to the north or Zurich to the south and then just take a 1-2-hour train ride to whatever starting city you choose.
 

What’s the best one-week route to take?

If you had a week, I would do the route below, from Frankfurt (or reverse it if you come from Switzerland):

Heidelberg (2 days)

This university town has lots to see, as well as many viewpoints and short hikes from the city center. You’ll definitely want to visit the castle and its gardens, which provide an amazing view of the city. Be sure to take the guided tour, as that’s the only way to go inside the castle (the grounds are free though). You can also take in the university jail (used to house students who broke university rules until World War II), the Heidelberger Kunstverein contemporary art museum, and the theater. Finally, there are a number of hikes to the mountain across the river.

Baden-Baden (2 days)

This spa town is famous for the hot springs that flow naturally here, a prominent attraction since the Romans discovered them. During the 18th century, the baths, as well as the casino (think a less glamorous Monaco), were…