Black Forest Excursion

The Black Forest is a region rather than a sight, which is why a private car and a local guide beat any fixed itinerary here. This full day runs from Baden-Baden in the north or Freiburg in the south, and the route is built around what your clients actually want – waterfalls and clockmakers, timber-framed towns, a high scenic road, or vineyards and a long lunch. The forest is close to two hours across at its widest, so the choice of base decides the shape of the day.

From Baden-Baden: the high road and Triberg

From Baden-Baden the day usually starts on the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse, the ridge road that climbs out of the Rhine valley and runs south along the crest past Mummelsee, a small dark lake with a body of legend attached to it. Beyond it the route drops into the middle Black Forest for Triberg, where the waterfall descends the hillside in a series of cascades and the cuckoo clock workshops sit within walking distance of it. Gengenbach and Schiltach are the two towns worth the detour – painted timber frames, a tanners’ quarter along the water, and streets that are still lived in rather than curated.

From Freiburg: valleys, vineyards and the Kaiserstuhl

From Freiburg the day tilts towards food and wine. The Kaiserstuhl, a volcanic hill west of the city, produces the Pinot family in quantity and holds a string of small growers who will receive a private party at short notice. East of Freiburg the Hoellental and Titisee give the classic forest landscape within half an hour of the city, and the Schauinsland road climbs to a summit view over the Rhine plain to the Vosges on a clear day. Freiburg’s own minster and old town, with the water channels running through the streets, make a natural first or last hour.

How the day is arranged

• Around eight hours, private, with a chauffeured vehicle and a guide who knows the back roads
• Pick-up from a hotel in Baden-Baden or Freiburg, or from a Rhine river cruise berth at Kehl or Breisach
• Three or four stops rather than six – the driving between them is part of the experience, not dead time
• Optional additions: a clock workshop, a family distillery, a cheese or ham producer, a winery visit on the Kaiserstuhl
• Admissions, tastings and lunch are quoted separately or settled on site

Season, pace and combinations

May to October is the straightforward window. Winter is genuinely beautiful and the ridge road can close or require snow equipment, so we plan a valley route instead and say so in advance. Autumn is the best of it: harvest on the Kaiserstuhl, low sun in the valleys, and no queue at Triberg. The day suits first-time visitors who want countryside after a city stay, couples, and families – the waterfall path and the clock workshops carry children through the middle of the day. Clients staying longer should look at the seven-day Best of South West nature and myths journey. Regional background is on the Black Forest destination page, cruise and spa-stay arrangements under Black Forest pre- and post-tour programmes, the wider range in our South West Germany portfolio, and vehicles under private transfers and tours.