To be honest, I didn’t know much about Germany’s Black Forest prior to this road trip. I pictured dense trees for miles, half-timbered houses, and Black Forest Cake. It was exactly that and much more! I am so happy with how our road trip through the Black Forest turned out – it exceeded my expectations.
We spent two nights and one very packed day in the Black Forest. This was the last leg of our road trip through southern Germany and the Austrian Alps. You could definitely spend much more time in the Black Forest as there is so much to see and do. Regardless of the amount of time you have – I highly recommend visiting each of the towns that we saw.
I hope you enjoy this guide to a road trip through the Black Forest!
Freiburg im Breisgau
We arrived at our first stop in the Black Forest, Freiburg im Breisgau, in the afternoon. Freiburg is a major city of the Black Forest, known for its medieval town centre. There are definitely beautiful parts to the city but I preferred visiting the smaller towns in the Black Forest. However, due to the limited accommodation options in the smaller towns, we opted to spend the night in Freiburg.
Spend some time wandering Freiburg’s medieval old town. Since Freiburg is a university city, the streets are quite lively in the evening.
Freiburg hotel: Mercure Hotel Freiburg am Muenster
To read my blog post, “A Guide to Freiburg, Germany: Vibrant City of the Black Forest,” click here.
Triberg
The next morning, we made our way to Triberg, a classic tiny Black Forest town. Triberg is known for its waterfalls, Cuckoo Clocks, and the original Black Forest Cake recipe.
We parked at the top of the Triberg Waterfalls and hiked our way down to the town. The waterfalls are gorgeous! Once in the town, make sure to visit the various Cuckoo Clock stores. Also, you absolutely can’t miss having a slice of the original Black Forest Cake at Cafe Schafer.
Gengenbach
Gengenbach is my favourite town that we stopped in on our road trip through the Black Forest. It is one of the most charming and picturesque little towns I have ever been to.
Simply wander the old town centre and admire the beautiful half-timbered houses.
To read my blog post, “Triberg and Gengenbach: Gems of the Black Forest, Germany,” click here.
Baden-Baden
End your road trip through the Black Forest in the famous spa town, Baden-Baden. I was blown away by the beauty of Baden-Baden. It’s a very clean and sophisticated city with prominent French architectural influence. Baden-Baden is known for its Roman ruins, ancient castle, thermal baths, and a fancy casino.
Strolling along the beautiful Lichtentaler Allee is a must. I also highly recommend experiencing one of Baden-Baden’s spas. We ended our day at the Caracalla Spa and had such a great time relaxing in the thermal baths.
Baden-Baden hotel: Atlantic Parkhotel
To read my blog post, “A Guide to Baden-Baden, Germany,” click here.
I hope this blog post inspires you to take a road trip through the beautiful Black Forest!
To read my blog post, “A Road Trip Through Southern Germany and the Austrian Alps,” click here.
