GERMANY'S BLACK FOREST
Not just Ham & Cuckoo Clocks
Germany’s
Black Forest (Schwarzwald) evokes images of a secret dark place which
produces a unique food style and evokes images of colorful local costumes
and gingerbread wood-carved houses nestled in mountain valleys of
thick
woods. But where is the Black Forest? You’ll find it in the southwest
German state of Baden-Wurttemberg. The low mountains which make up the
Black Forest push against the borders of Switzerland and France along
the Rhine River which separates Germany from France Alsace (see White
Wines of Kings - Alsace Wine Road) - from Lorrach (see Burg
Rötteln) in the south to Karlsruhe in the north.
Cuckoo
clocks we’re invented by clocksmiths of the Black Forest region
and carried to other lands virtually on the backs of walking vendors
and
are still made there today. The world’s biggest cuckoo clock in
the world according to the Guiness Book is at the Eble Clock Park and German
Clock Museum in
Triberg where examples of the local craft can be admired or bought for
gifts or souvenirs (see Max
Krug Cuckoo Clocks Munich). And not only clocks but blown
glass is native to the Black Forest with the one surviving traditional
glass works near the Todtnau Waterfall (see Black
Forest Glass Blowing Hut).
The
Black Forest became known around the world as a tourist destination
in
the late 1800’s when the gentry class of princes and industrial
age barons of industry began coming to the Casino in Baden-Baden, the
grandest gambling hall in Europe. Known since Roman times for its thermal
spring baths this Black Forest woodland town became a world class resort
destination when literary lights of the age began to write about it in
stories. Mark Twain reported on the pleasures of the health baths (see Friedrichsbad
Baden-Baden), Bret Harte brought his colorful California
gold rush characters to the high society land of top coats and spats.
The casino still remains as one of the symbols of European grand elegance,
its horse track Iffezheim/Baden-Baden attracts world class thoroughbreds
in May, August and October and the Festspielhaus attracts worldclass
performances year round. Baden-Baden is still rich with resort hotels
for the first
class traveler to the budget minded and central for exploring both the
Black Forest and Alsace on the French side of the Rhine (See Wine
Road of Northern Alsace) or even sleep in a wine barrel in
the middle of a vineyard (see Wine
Barrel Sleeping Sasbachwalden).
Pforzheim is the northern gate way to the Schwarzwald and known as the jewelry capital of Germany the ‘City of Gold” since in the 1700's with its reknowned gold craftsmen and now the location of the Museum of Jewelry, the Jewel Industry House "Schmuckwelten" (see Gold Watches and Baubles), a unique virtual shopping experience in another dimension, and the Technical Museum of Jewelry and Watchmaking. The Black Forest area has its own unique version of the pre-lent Carnival celebrations, the Fascend (see Carnival Fools Museum Gengenbach).
The Danube River (Donau) originates in the Black Forest on its long journey east passing below the Hohenzollern castles (see Black Forest Castle Hohenzollern). The mountains here have 3,000 kilometers of hiking trails for summer exploring, while winter brings some of the best alpine skiiing to the Black Forest near Feldberg. The first ski-lift was patented here in Schollach and the "Marke Feldberg" brand was the first wooden ski created in Germany 1892. Todtnau is well known for its sled dog races and cross country.
For rail history and scenic wonder, the Nostalgia Train (Sauschwanzlebahn) leaves the city of Blumberg near Switzerland and winds up the spectacular narrow bridges behind a billow of its steam engine into the forest canyons. And for more family amusements the Europa Park, Germany's largest theme park is located in Rust, Baden-Wurttemberg, 20 minutes north of Freiburg. And don't forget to take home some ham. © Bargain Travel Europe
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SEE ALSO:
ROMANTIK HOTEL ZUR OBEREN LINDE
A GERMAN KING'S FANTASY CASTLE NEUSCHWANSTEIN
BLACK FOREST CHRISTMAS MARKETS
FLYING WITHOUT WINGS – SKI JUMPING IN THE ALPS
ZEPPELIN
MUSEUM - FRIEDRICHSHAFEN
GERMAN
ICE - BERLIN TO HAMBURG AT 160 KPH
