Black Forest, Germany

Black Forest

  

Intrduce :

Home of the cuckoo clock, the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) gets its name from its dark, slightly sinister canopy of evergreens: this is where Hansel and Gretel encountered the wicked witch. The vast expanse of hills, valleys, rivers and forests stretch from the swish spa town of Baden-Baden to the Swiss border, and from the Rhine almost to Lake Constance.

Twenty minutes walk - or a five-minute bike ride - fom populated spots will almost always put you out in nature - in the middle of quiet countryside dotted with traditional farmhouses and amiable dairy cows, perhaps, or in a thick forest where Little Red Riding Hood's wolf may lurk.

The northern section, with its hilly but relatively gentle terrain is home to several charming towns. Freudenstadt makes a good base for exploring the Northern area. Many of the Schwarzwald's most impressive sights are in the triangle delimited by the lively university city of Freiburg, 15km (9.3mi) east of the Rhine in the southwest; Triberg, cuckoo clock capital of Creation, in the north; and the charming river-valley city of St Blasien in the southeast. Even smaller towns in the area generally have tourist offices.

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