Search results

Return lathe ​ Precision engineering at its best The Black Forest was already known for its clocks in the eighteenth century. At that time, these were made on the farms and sold by the clock carriers at markets in different parts of the world. In the nineteenth century, the production of clocks shifted more and more to factories established for this purpose, such as those in Triberg, St. Georgen or Schramberg. They also changed the method of production. Until then, the farmers had primarily used wood as a material, but industrial production now used metal. In addition, from now on, highly specialized timekeepers such as alarm clocks or control clocks were also developed. However, there were some companies in the Black Forest, especially in St. Georgen, that already in the nineteenth century produced simple lathes and sold them to the clock-makers on the farms. These companies were initially blacksmiths, which subsequently grew steadily. In the beginning, in addition to the lathes, they also manufactured other components for the clocks, so they were a link in the division of labor in clock-making in the Black Forest. Thanks to the lathe, the individual parts of the clocks could be worked on more quickly and easily by the farmers. The principle of this tool is to clamp a component in such a way that it is fixed but can be rotated around its own axis. Thus, it is possible to machine the workpiece from different sides and even rotate it while it is being machined. In addition, clamping leaves both hands free, allowing for more accurate tool guidance. The use of a lathe, provided that the clamped workpiece is one made of metal, is also called "metal cutting". The former blacksmiths mentioned above grew in the course to become specialists in lathes, which they manufactured not only for clock-making, but also for other fields. They built milling machines and industrial tools. Based on this orientation, in the twentieth century other companies in the field of precision engineering were established, specifically dedicated to the field of consumer electronics, especially in St. Georgen and Villingen. Brands such as Dual, PE and SABA are well known, although they no longer exist. These companies manufactured record players, cassette recorders and tape recorders. Today, the German Phonomuseum in St. Georgen is a reminder of that era. There is also the Hotel Federwerk in St. Georgen, which is set up in a former factory building and brings the industrial history of the place to life. Each room is dedicated in its design to a company or a technical innovation. Thus, the house contains a total of 51 different episodes about the inventors of the city.

Return Clock carrier On foot all over the world The profession of clock carrier developed in the Black Forest from that of glass carrier. It is documented for the first time around 1740. His trademark is also that of the glass carrier, namely the back carrier called "Krätze", woven from willow, in which the clocks were transported. The clock carriers were on foot, because means of transport such as railroads or cars did not exist at that time. Since Black Forest clocks were initially made in domestic workshops, the clock-makers themselves had little opportunity to sell their wares. At that time, however, there were the glass carriers who were already on their way to markets. Therefore, the clock-makers simply gave them their works. Thus, then developed its own association of merchants specializing in the sale of clocks, the clock carriers. They not only brought the world-famous cuckoo clocks among the people. In fact, other clocks were made in the Black Forest. The first wooden timepieces are said to have been made as early as the 17th century, the so-called "Waagbalkenuhren" ("balance beam clocks"). Somewhat better known were the lacquer shield clocks. Around 1843, there are said to have been about 750 clock carriers on the road. Some of them went far away, as far as Russia and Turkey. The clock carriers ensured not least that clocks were no longer just a luxury item. Due to the cheap wooden clocks from the Black Forest and the wandering clock carriers, many people could afford a clock. Schild-clock

Return Freiburg Cathedral ​ Not only the largest church, but also the largest city in the Black Forest: Freiburg Even though Freiburg officially carries the suffix "im Breisgau" in its city name, it is the major city most closely associated with the Black Forest, also its largest city. In fact, in its eastern environs, the mountain slopes rise steeply and one can see the forested peaks towering all around the city. Freiburg's local mountain, the Schauinsland, rises particularly clearly at 1,287 meters. Its peak can be reached from Freiburg by cable car. Freiburg was founded around 1120 by the Zähringers under Berthold II. As a result, like many other Zähringer towns, it has also acquired an oval shape. The old town has been preserved in large parts to the present day, although two of the former four city gates are missing. One of the landmarks of the city is the cathedral. It was built between 1200 and 1513 and has the second highest tower in the Black Forest. It is 116 meters high. It is surpassed only by a 246-meter elevator test tower in Rottweil. The cathedral tower has a viewing platform at a height of seventy meters. It was completed around 1330 and has remained largely undamaged since then. During construction, iron anchors embedded in lead were inserted in the tower's spire to connect the individual parts, which contributed to its high stability. Since then, the Minster tower has served as a model for other church towers in the neo-Gothic style. The oldest work of art within the Freiburg Cathedral is a cross made of oak wood, dating from around 1200, with a height of 2.63 meters and a width of 1.45 meters. It is decorated with several silver palettes and has been placed in the chancel since 2009. Also, one of the total nineteen bells of the cathedral dates from the thirteenth century, more precisely from 1258, and bears the name Hosanna. It is interesting that in the period from 1843 to 2008 it was struck only by itself. There was a musical reason for this: compared to all the other bells, the Hosanna was out of tune by a quarter tone, so ringing it together would have been dissonant. Only since 2008, when a renovation of the entire belfry including a redistribution of the bells was completed, has the Hosanna been able to ring together again. Freiburg has another special feature that is not very common elsewhere: Its Bächle ("brooklets"). Throughout the old town, narrow watercourses can be found along the edges of the streets, with water flowing in them from the Dreisam river. The Bächle are very old, already mentioned in documents around 1220. They are artificial canals with a total length of 16 kilometers, which in the past served to supply water to the inhabitants as well as to the fields. It is assumed that they were created because the groundwater in the city area was very deep and therefore there were only a few wells. Today, the streams serve more for the pleasant cityscape. Sometimes, however, they cause displeasure when tourists accidentally step into them and get their feet wet. But the good thing is that a legend proclaims: Whoever unintentionally steps into a Bächle while visiting Freiburg will soon marry a Freiburg citizen. Well, if that's not a reason to come to Freiburg … The city has a relatively warm climate. However, a special mountain wind ensures that it cools down quickly in the evenings in the city center, the so-called "Höllentäler", which takes its name from the Höllental. However, its air comes mainly from the Dreisamtal. On days with high-pressure weather, it starts about an hour after sunset and brings gushes of cool air from the valley slopes into the city. ​

Return Black Forest Railway Across the Black Forest: With the Black Forest Railway from Offenburg to Constance ​ Do you know the Black Forest Railway? It is one of the most famous mountain lines in Germany and was put into operation in 1873, about 150 years ago. It runs from Offenburg via the Black Forest towns of Hornberg, Triberg, St. Georgen and Villingen to Constance on Lake Constance and is a total of 150 kilometers long. When you travel on the Black Forest Railway, it's quite a steep climb at first. Especially from Hornberg, the line winds its way over 447 meters in altitude until it reaches its highest point in the Sommerautunnel at just over 830 meters above sea level. Of course, a train cannot simply climb such a steep incline. Therefore, when the railroad line was built, care was taken to ensure that the gradient did not exceed 1:50 and that there were no curves with a radius tighter than 300 meters. This was planned so that even long and heavy trains could run on the Black Forest Railway without any problems. In addition, one has tried to lay the tracks always on the southern slope of the mountains, so that in winter the load of the snow is not too strong. Because the train line winds around the mountains several times, there is a place a little below Triberg station where you can see the Black Forest Railway three times on top of each other. The towns of Hornberg and St. Georgen are only twelve kilometers apart as the crow flies, but the railroad line between them is 29 kilometers long. This is due to the fact that it contains two large reversing loops. But probably the most famous thing about the Black Forest Railway is its 39 tunnels. The longest of them is the Sommerautunnel with 1,697 meters. It is located near the town of St. Georgen, which is the highest town on the railroad line. If you take all the tunnels together, they make up a length of 9.5 kilometers. St. Georgen is not only the highest place on the Black Forest Railway, but it also has something that is rare elsewhere: a fire engine that can also travel on rails. At first, of course, the good old steam locomotives ran on the Black Forest Railway. Later, they were replaced by diesel locomotives. In the seventies, the entire line was electrified. For this, the tracks in the tunnels had to be lowered so that they were not too high together with the overhead line. Today, steam locomotives can once again be admired on the line. They are harnessed in front of museum trains that can puff through the tunnels mostly on Sundays in summer. The Black Forest Railway is not the only railroad line that runs through the Black Forest. Besides it, the Höllental Railway from Freiburg to Donaueschingen, which was completed in 1901, is particularly worth seeing. Like the Black Forest Railway, it was planned by Robert Gerwig. At least on the edge of the Black Forest runs the very elaborately routed Sauschwänzlebahn ("sow's tail line"), whose trademark is a "Sauschwänzle" in the figurative sense, namely a tunnel that contains a complete switchback loop, so that the railroad line runs under itself. This really doesn't happen very often, only once in Germany. In addition, part of this line is operated as a museum railroad with steam locomotives.

Return Treetop path Bad Wildbad At eye level with the birds Hiking in the treetops? Yes, you can. On the treetop path in Bad Wildbad in the Northern Black Forest, which has been there since 2014. ​ The total length of the walkable path is 1,250 meters. You move at a height of between four and twenty meters above the ground and therefore have a fascinating view. But that's not all. The treetop path consists not only of the route itself, but also contains a number of intermediate stations, which encourage climbing as well as learning and provide information worth knowing about the flora and fauna of the area. The trail is located on the mountain Sommerberg in a mixed forest at about 750 meters above sea level. Since it has only a very slight incline, it is quite manageable with a stroller. But first you have to climb the mountain. For this you can use the funicular railroad Sommerbergbahn, which was opened back in 1908. It goes from the city to its local mountain, overcoming a gradient of up to 53% on its route. The highlight of the tree top walk comes at the end. What looks like a cup standing on its head is an observation tower. It is mostly made of wood and offers a platform from which you can see as far as the Rhine Valley in the west and the Swabian Alb in the east. If you want to return to the ground, you don't have to walk. There is a tunnel slide with a length of 55 meters, which takes you down much faster. Bad Wildbad is a spa town on the Enz river. It is located in the valley at about 424 meters above sea level, which means that it gets a little less sun than its neighboring towns. The Sommerberg, on the other hand, is not affected by this, hence its name. You can also climb to heights elsewhere in the Black Forest, namely in high ropes courses. You can find them in Schiltach, Höchenschwand, Schramberg or Triberg, for example.

Return The farm from the inside A very clear structure The special thing about the Black Forest farms is the fact that almost the entire farm economy was housed in one large building. Hence, there were not only living and sleeping quarters in the house, but also the working areas and even the stables for the animals. The latter were present on the upper floors. Above, that is, in the attic, hay was stored and threshed. It could then be thrown into the stables through a hatch when needed. Consequently, the interior of a Black Forest farm is arranged in a very specific way. The concept of having everything under one roof ensured short walking distances and encouraged cooperation between the generations, several of whom always lived on the farm. This is called a "single-roof farm". Only the oldest generation, when they were no longer able to actively help, moved to an outbuilding, the so-called "Libding". This means "something stipulated for the lifetime", thus in short "life annuity". The internal structure of the Black Forest farms was also conditioned by the fact that in most cases the peasants practiced subsistence farming. They produced all their own food and utensils (brooms, rakes, dishes, etc.), a circumstance that meant that the people earned next to nothing. So it is not surprising that the peasants tried to gain money by making clocks on the side. These activities were carried out in the living room, mainly in winter. Bathrooms, as we know them today, did not exist in the farms. People washed in a trough in front of the house, which was supplied with fresh spring water. In addition, the interior of the historic Black Forest farms differs from modern houses in that the ceilings of the rooms are relatively low. So if you are tall, you have to be careful not to bump your head when you visit an old farm.

Return Visitor Center ​ Every expedition starts from here. In 2014, the Black Forest National Park was founded. The first and so far only national park in Baden-Württemberg was thus created in two closely spaced areas in the Northern Black Forest. The northern of the two areas belonging to the national park is located around the mountain Hoher Ochsenkopf and covers about 2,400 hectares. The southern part has almost 7,600 hectares and surrounds Ruhestein, a pass at 912 meters above sea level. In the extreme northwest, the park borders directly on the highest mountain in the Northern Black Forest, the Hornisgrinde. The Black Forest National Park is one of the areas in Germany with the highest precipitation, with 180 days of fog. The task of the national park is primarily the preservation of the original nature of this region. In this it can already register clear successes, because above all the population of the capercaillie has stabilized since the establishment of the park. In addition, it fulfills an educational mission. The visitor center at Ruhestein offers a variety of exhibitions and lectures. From there, you can also take part in guided tours through the park. Not only the forests are protected in the national park, but also another type of landscape that is more common in the Black Forest, namely the upland moor. The term does not refer to a particularly high moor, but rather one that slowly curves upward. Similar to the cirque lakes, the upland moors are also a relic of the last ice age. They are areas where pond moss grows, while the subsoil is clayey. This type of soil keeps rainwater from running off, whereupon it is consumed by the moss, which subsequently grows upwards. A national park ranger takes care of the national park as well as guides the visitors. His field of activity is quite diverse. He not only ensures compliance with the measures for the protection of nature, but also supports scientific research by collecting data in the park area, takes care of necessary interventions, the disposal of waste from the park and does a lot of public relations work. The exact job title of the ranger in Germany is "Certified Nature and Landscape Keeper".

Return Feldberg ​ You can't get any higher here: The Feldberg. ​ With an altitude of 1,493 meters, the Feldberg is the highest elevation in the Black Forest. At the same time, it is the highest mountain of all low mountain ranges in Germany and outside the Alps. It is located southeast of Freiburg in an area known as the Upper Black Forest. The Feldberg massif has a total of four peaks. Not far from the main peak, which is also called the "Höchste" ("highest"), is the Mittelbuck, with an altitude of 1,472 meters. To the north of it, 900 meters away from the Höchsten, is the Baldenweger Buck with 1,460 meters. About two kilometers southeast of the main peak rises the Seebuck, which at 1,449 meters forms a kind of foothill. Below it, at 1,109 meters, lies Feldsee, a glacial cirque lake. A total of five valleys are cut into the Feldberg, some of them very deep, especially those to the west. The Zastlertal and the St. Wilhelmer Tal open to the northwest, the Wiesental to the southwest. To the east extends the valley of the Seebach, the later river Wutach, which crosses the Feldsee. The St. Wilhelmer Tal offers a wonderful view of the Feldberg, which can be seen from there above the peaks of the surrounding mountains. Because of its height, the Feldberg is predestined for weather observation. Regular measurements have taken place since 1915, and a station with radar has existed since 1937. Visitors are also amazed by the fantastic and unrestricted distant view of the Vosges, Swabian Alb, Hegau and Alps. In favorable weather, you can even make out the Zugspitze, Germany' highest mountain. Especially in summer, a hike in the surroundings of the Feldberg is worthwhile. Then the diversity becomes clear, which results from the interaction of high forests and moors, the ice-age cirque lakes and the pastures and is unique in this form. It is worth mentioning that the Upper Black Forest is formed and influenced by ice-age glaciers. The Feldsee is thus a cirque lake, the largest of its kind in the Black Forest. It reaches a depth of up to 32 meters and is almost round. The Feldsee forest around it has been declared a ban forest on an area of 102 hectares. The Feldberg is also known for its skiing area. The offer there includes sixteen slopes of various degrees of difficulty as well as five chairlifts and nine lifts. In addition, there are six trails for cross-country skiing. It is amazing that the oldest still existing ski club in Germany was founded here on the Feldberg, the SC Todtnau of 1891. In 1897 the first women's ski race was also held here. The Feldberg can come up with even more special features. Around it lies a nature reserve of the same name, which was even the first in Baden-Württemberg and with 4,227 hectares is also the largest. And in an adjacent valley is Feldberg-Bärental, at 967 meters, Germany's highest standard-gauge railroad station, which is part of the Dreiseenbahn from Titisee to Seebrugg. On the Seebuck there is a tower that can be climbed as a lookout point. It was used as a radio tower, but since 2013 it has contained a museum dedicated to Black Forest ham and a wedding room, the highest in Baden-Württemberg. Not far from the tower is a monument in honor of the Chancellor of the Reich, Bismarck. In the Upper Black Forest there are other prominent mountains, for example the Herzogenhorn with 1,415 meters or the Belchen with 1,414 meters. The highest elevation in the Northern Black Forest is the Hornisgrinde at 1,164 meters. In the entire Black Forest, there are over a hundred mountains that exceed the one-thousand-meter mark. Particularly to the Black Forest Belchen there is a special feature. From its peak you can see in the distance two other mountains with the same name, one is in the Vosges, the other in Switzerland. If you stand on the Belchen in the Black Forest in the evening on March 21 as well as on September 23, i.e. at the equinox, you can see that the sun sets over the Belchen in the Vosges. If you are at the same place in the morning on December 21, at the winter solstice, the sun rises directly over the Belchen in Switzerland. ​

Return Baden-Baden Trinkhalle ​ Princes and crowned heads have already rested here. The city of Baden-Baden is located on the northwestern edge of the Black Forest. Its history dates back to Roman times, which is connected with the hot thermal springs located not far from it. Near the city rises Mercury, not the planet, but a mountain with a height of 668 meters. A little further to the southeast is the highest point of the district, the Badener Höhe, with an altitude of 1,002 meters above sea level. However, the built-up areas of the city lie in the valley of the small river Oos. The Black Forest High Road, a very popular vacation route, starts from Baden-Baden. But why does Baden-Baden have such a double name? To explain it, you first have to know that the Romans called the place "Aquae", which means "spring" or "bath", because of the hot springs. This initially gave rise to the simple name Baden. In the course of history, today's Baden-Baden was the residence city of the Margraviate of Baden until 1689, and its state name "Baden" has its origin in the name of the city. Now, however, there are several towns called "Baden", one is in Switzerland, another near Vienna, and a "Badenweiler" used to be called merely "Baden". So "Baden-Baden" was used as a clarification, meaning "Baden in Baden". A special building of the city is the Trinkhalle, which is located in the Kurgarten. It is ninety meters long and contains sixteen Corinthian columns as supports. It was built according to the plans of the architect Heinrich Hübsch. Inside there are a total of fourteen large pictures painted by Jakob Götzenberger, each depicting a mythical legend from the surroundings of Baden-Baden. The city is best known for its thermal springs, which are up to 68 degrees hot. It is to them that Baden-Baden owes its status of a spa and health resort town, to which it owes many vacationers every year, including celebrities. Nowadays, the Kurhaus hosts a number of concerts and cultural events. In addition, a festival theater has been built in the old city train station, which is the second largest of its kind in Europe. Baden-Baden is an important location for the Südwestrundfunk radio station, which organizes the annual New Pop Festival here in September. Speaking of music, it is a central theme in Baden-Baden. Of international renown is the Baden-Baden Philharmonic Orchestra, whose history can be traced back to the fifteenth century. The orchestra not only performs in the city, but also gives concerts in many other countries. In addition, there is the SWR Sinfonieorchster Baden-Baden and Freiburg. Since 1997, Baden-Baden has also hosted the Herbert von Karajan Whitsun Festival, which since 2003 has included the Herbert von Karajan Music Prize. And Baden-Baden also has something to offer when it comes to forests: Its municipal forest is namely the largest of Germany and covers an area of over 8,500 hectares. In addition, there are several vineyards around Baden-Baden. Last but not least, there is a 73-hectare ban forest, the Battert, in the district.

In our large Black Forest lexicon, read a lot of interesting, interesting and sometimes amusing information about Germany's largest low mountain range, its people, sights and specialties as well as its animal world and unique nature. ​ Find out more about the Black Forest by simply clicking on the individual motifs. MOTIVES capercaillie bear Bannwald St. Peter Baroque Church (Black Forest) farmhouse parlor treetop path visitor center beer brewery Bollenhut comstume hat the farm from the inside St. Blasien Cathedral source of the danube lathe Feldberg rafting (baked Black Forest) trout Freiburg Cathedral tannery glassblowing deer wedding couple Bibeleskäs (Black Forest) cake (Black Forest) kirsch charcoal burning

Return Bannwald Just let nature be nature Usually, forests in Germany are managed. This means that there are foresters who monitor the growth and condition of the trees and intervene if necessary by cutting down diseased trees or trees infested by pests such as the bark beetle. In addition, healthy trees are felled in order to process their wood. In a ban forest, things are different. Here, the forest can grow as it used to, that is, before human intervention. Consequently, there neither are foresters nor any management. This has several effects. Different tree species can grow unhindered. Old trees fall and rot, thus forming new nutrients for the soil. This also creates small clearings that provide habitat for other plants and animals. In the undergrowth, animals find hiding places and can create shelters. Some bird species prefer the broken trunks as nesting sites. In the Black Forest, several areas are considered ban forests, covering a total space of 4,600 hectares. The best-known ban forest is located in the core zone of the Black Forest National Park near Baiersbronn, but it has existed since 1911. It dates back to a 1908 recommendation by Christian Wagner, then a professor of forestry, to preserve the forest, which was already quite pristine at the time. Initially, the area amounted to about 86 hectares. Later, in 1998, the ban forest was expanded to 150 hectares. It is the oldest natural forest reserve in Baden-Württemberg. With 102 hectares, the Feldsee forest on the Feldberg massif is also considerable. If forests are only used economically to a very limited extent, they are referred to as protected forests. There are a total of 11,500 hectares of these in the Black Forest. The term "Bannwald" ("ban forest") is quite old. In the Middle Ages, the word "Bann" described the fact that only the respective sovereign had a right to use a place. All others, for example farmers, were "banished" from it. Thus, "Bannwald" has the meaning that no one has a right of use to the piece of forest. Especially in Baden-Württemberg, the "ban" applies completely; any kind of use is prohibited in a ban forest.

Return St. Blasien Cathedral ​ Big and splendid The town of St. Blasien is located in the southwestern part of the Black Forest, in an area known as the Hotzenwald. Its western border is formed by the river Wehra, the eastern one by the river Schwarza, which also flows through the Schluchsee. In fact, St. Blasien is not far from this lake. St. Blasien is best known for its imposing cathedral, which dominates the townscape from afar. It has existed in its present form since 1783 and is modeled on the Roman Pantheon, reaching a total height of 62 meters. Its dome, which spans 36 meters and is the third largest in Europe, is outstanding. The master builder, the Frenchman Pierre Michel d'Ixnard, also had a well-known model for it, namely the Michelangelo dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The dome in St. Blasien consists of two interlocking shells supported by twenty Corinthian columns. At its outer top is a golden sphere complete with a cross. There is also a gallery that runs along the twenty columns. A peculiarity: if the dome were to be completed in its curvature downwards, that is, if a round sphere were to be formed from it, its lowest point would be exactly on the floor of the church. The dome provides pleasant acoustics, so that the St. Blasien Cathedral is nowadays often used for concerts. At the front of the circular building, which the dome spans, six columns rise, as well as on its outer side two thirty-meter towers, which house a total of ten bells. The last one was added only in 2005. Already early there was a church on the same place. It is said to have been consecrated for the first time between 1088 and 1104. However, it was severely damaged by a fire in 1322 and during the Peasant Wars, so that it had to be rebuilt and consecrated a second time in 1538. But again there was destruction and fire, the last time in 1768, but since its last rebuilding in 1783 the cathedral has remained undamaged. The noble family of the Habsburgs has a crypt in the cathedral, where several bones are buried. The name of the place St. Blasien goes back to St. Blasius of Sebaste, who died as a martyr in 316. Also worth seeing is the courthouse of the village. There you can admire a sundial from the Baroque period. ​