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The Black Forest |
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Home Freiburg Greater Freiburg University Culture Day Trips About me/Contact |
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No matter what the season, a visit to Freiburg is not complete without an exploration of the Black Forest. In winter, head up to Feldberg (right), which will probably be covered in snow. You get there by taking the train to Titisee then the bus to Feldbergerhof. You can ski here or even just walk up to the peak, it is an easy hike and the view, especially at sunset, is spectacular. You can see to the Alps on a clear day. Stay overnight in one of the mountain resorts if you have the money! |
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The Germans love their hiking, nordic walking and cross country skiing. With views and paths like this, it is easy to see why. The Hochschwarzwald near St Peter and St M�rgen is breathtaking. Buses go up here every few hours, and in springtime the green is so bright it hurts. |
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Nearby towns to visit in the Black Forest include T�bingen, Staufen, Todnau, Titisee, Kirchzarten, M�nster, Heidelberg...the list goes on. Or take in some sun on the wine plains below in Ihringen, Breisach am Rhein or wandering round the Kaiserstuhl. The Freiburg region is the sunniest part of Germany! Trains go every half hour to Titisee and Breisach, and the train ride to Titisee itself is worth it as you climb into the peaks of the Black Forest. |
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In Autumn the forest shows every colour of the rainbow. I find Autumn and Spring are the most beautiful times to go for a hike with Studentenwerk into the Schwarzwald. This is Feldsee, a lake underneath Feldberg, where we stopped to eat our lunch. But if you don't want to go so far out of town, there are plenty of hikes around Freiburg. Walk to the St Ottilian Monastery, ride a bike along the Dreisam river valley to Kirchzarten, hike on Sch�nberg or take the ascent to the windmills on Rosskopf. |
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Titisee was one of my favourite places to visit. The train takes 38 minutes and winds through steep valleys. In summer you can rent a boat on the water, in winter you can hike around the lake, eat apple strudel in a cafe, taste some asparagus soup when it is in season, or buy every Black Forest souvenir you can imagine, from cherry schnapps to witch-dolls to German flags to beersteins to sherpa hats to cuckoo clocks and watches. |
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Some of my more enthusiastic german friends liked to hike or even ride their bikes up to Schauinsland (left). But for tourists there is the cable car, a 20 minute journey above the wind turbines, tree tops and steep valleys. Up the top you can take photos from the look out tower, walk and take in the scenery, visit the cafe and coal mining museum, and I even heard you can rent bikes without brakes and coast the whole way to the bottom. I wonder if that's true.. |
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I absolutely fell in love with Schwarzwald houses. I love their steep rooves, the flowers in their windows, the little water wheels, the cows with bells on them...If you like Schwarzwald kitch, then this is the place for you!!! On most hikes you will come across large crucifixes or shrines, especially where there is a nice view. Sometimes there are natural springs you can drink from, and all marked paths are well signposted with the exact distance to the next town or lookout point. If you are brave you can even hike in one of the canyons or ravines!!! |
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