A trip to the Black Forest is one of the best things to do in Germany. This beautiful Germanic area is located very close to Alsace, which is why many people – including me – decide to turn their trip to Alsace into a tour of Alsace and the Black Forest.
🗺 6 must-visit villages in the Black Forest
To this day, the Black Forest is one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen in Germany.
Even though we visited it in the middle of December, snow and all, I liked it much more than I expected. Its landscapes are tremendously beautiful. Moreover, as the Black Forest villages are usually within walking distance of each other, you can visit several in a day’s sightseeing.
To make it easier for you to plan your trip, I’ve put together this list of the best places to visit in the Black Forest 👇.
📍 Schiltach
By far the most beautiful village in the Black Forest.
Its streets look like something out of a fairy tale. You don’t want to stop photographing every detail, every corner. And you don’t want to stop begging for five more minutes there either.
If you’re short on time, I recommend a stroll around the Market Square, the river area, the Hinteres Städtle district and venture up Schlossbergstrasse, a super-steep street in Schiltach.
Schiltach also has several museums: the pharmacy museum, the history museum and the wood museum.
📍 Triberg
This is another of the most beautiful villages in the Black Forest. Well, they are all beautiful, and each one has its own special charm.
Triberg’s charm lies in its waterfalls. As a village, Gengenbach or Wolfach beat it by a landslide. At least in my case. However, the waterfalls in Triberg are impressive. And even more so if you are lucky enough to see them in snow.
Triberg is also known for its cuckoo clocks. Its house of 1,000 clocks is one of the must-see sights in the Black Forest.
The town is also home to the Black Forest Museum, Weltgrößte Kuckucksuhr and Eble Uhren-Park, two of the biggest cuckoo clocks in the world.
📍Gengenbach
This is one of the must-see towns in the Black Forest. Did you know that Gengenbach was the setting for the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?
It was the first village we visited on the Black Forest route. During the trip to Alsace and this German region, we spent several days alternating countries.
Gengenbach was the first on the list to be crossed off. We went there very early in the morning; the Christmas market was not even open yet. And we liked it so much that we went back in the afternoon again.
Like Schiltach, it looks like something out of a fairy tale. In fact, one of its benches is on my list of benches with the most beautiful views in the world.
In Gengenbach you can’t miss the Town Hall Square – the Town Hall is BEAUTIFUL; yes, in capital letters -, its old town, the Kinzig Tower and the Obertorturm Tower.
If you are travelling at Christmas time, I advise you to visit it in the afternoon. Its market is said to be one of the most beautiful in Germany. As in Turckheim, they make a particular advent calendar by opening a window in the Town Hall every day.
📍Friburgo
A trip to the Black Forest is inconceivable without a visit to Freiburg.
Freiburg, or Freiburg im Breisgau is known as the Ecological Capital of Germany, because of its great involvement in the use of solar energy.
It is a lively and beautiful city. The Cathedral Square or Münsterplatz is one of the most beautiful places to see in the Black Forest. Also on this square you will find a historic warehouse or Historisches Kaufhaus, one of the most beautiful buildings in Freiburg. In addition to this square, you can visit the Town Hall Square, its small canals, the gates of the city wall or its gothic cathedral.
I recommend you to reserve at least half a day, or a whole day, to visit Freiburg. As we had little time to visit the Black Forest, we combined it with Triberg.
📍Wolfach
It is a smaller town than the rest, but I think it is worth a visit. It hardly ever appears on lists of places to visit in the Black Forest. The most essential thing to see in Wolfach is its main street, where the Town Hall is located, and which ends with a beautiful view of the river.
📍Baden Banden
We didn’t have time to visit Baden Baden during our trip to Alsace and the Black Forest. But I’ve included it because it’s one of the places you can’t miss in this German area.
In fact, it has its own airport. Ideal for those who want to drive through the Black Forest without having to fly to Strasbourg or EuroAirport.
Baden Baden is known as a spa town, like Bath in England. Its historic old town, its luxurious casino, a dip in one of its thermal baths/spas or a stroll along Lichtentaler Allee are some of the things to do and see in Baden Baden.
🇩🇪 Other places to visit in the Black Forest
📍Alpirsbach
We visited Alpirsbach because it was close to Schiltach.
It is not one of the prettiest villages to see. And I wouldn’t include it in the Black Forest route if I didn’t have much time. I think there are places with much more charm, but if you want to visit it, you should know that it exists and it is only 15 minutes by car from Schiltach.
Due to lack of time we couldn’t see any of these Black Forest villages. I had them on the list to include them in the itinerary, but in the end they remained in a simple note waiting for a new trip by car to the Black Forest.
📍St Peter
📍Laufenburg
📍Sasbachwalden
📍Freudenstadt
📍Lago Titisee
📍Calw
🛌 Where to stay in the Black Forest
Die Reichsstadt – Hotel und Restaurant, Friedrich Boutique-Apartments, Aqua Aurelia Suitenhotel an den Thermen o Roomers Baden-Baden Autograph Collection are some of the best hotels in the Black Forest.
