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Return Triberg waterfall Not the highest, but higher than Niagara Falls, although a thousand times less water. In Triberg you can visit the famous waterfalls. They are located near the center of the village and are very easy to reach via several footpaths at different heights. So you can experience a natural spectacle of the special class at close range. The Triberg waterfalls consist of several steps. The river Gutach, coming from Schönwald, passes at 872 meters above sea level first the so-called Upper Falls with a height of sixteen meters. Below follows a steep section in which the water loses another 51 meters in height. This is followed by the Main Falls, which are considered to be the actual well-known section. Here the water of the Gutach falls in seven steps from 805 to 713 meters above sea level. Thus, from the upper edge of the Upper Falls to the lower edge of the Main Falls, there is a total height difference of 159 meters. If you compare the height of the falls with other world-famous waterfalls, it becomes clear how worth seeing the Triberg Waterfall is after all. Niagara Falls on the border between Canada and the USA, for example, has a drop of only 57 meters, while Victoria Falls between Zimbabwe and Zambia has a drop of 110 meters. However, both Niagara and Victoria Falls carry significantly larger amounts of water. The Triberg waterfalls are also used to generate electricity. As this was already done at the end of the nineteenth century, Triberg had electric street lamps from the year 1884, the first town in Germany to do so. The town of Triberg is located at an altitude between 600 and 1,038 meters above sea level. It was first mentioned in a document in 1239. A characteristic feature of the town is the deep cut of the Gutach valley with its steep slopes, which means that the core town alone stretches over 250 meters in altitude. The town became famous primarily because of the waterfalls, but also because of its location on the Black Forest Railway and the formerly very active clock industry. Last but not least, the world's largest cuckoo clock is located here, with a total height of over fifteen meters, and its pendulum alone is eight meters long. You can even walk inside it. You may wonder what the name Triberg means. The first component comes from the number "three". "Triberg" therefore means "three mountain" and refers to the three mountains Kroneck, Kapellenberg and Sterenberg, between which the town lies. Also well worth seeing, although somewhat shorter with a total drop of 97 meters, is the Todtnau Waterfall in the Upper Black Forest. In addition, the Wutach Gorge also has a lot of wildly romantic waterfalls to offer.

Return (Black Forest) cake Probably the sweetest treat of the region You know it for sure, the delicious temptation made of cream, chocolate shavings and cherries with a dash of kirsch? Since the thirties of the twentieth century, the Black Forest Cake is well known, a real export hit and is also produced and served far outside the Black Forest, practically everywhere in the world. They are even said to exist in faraway countries like Tibet, perhaps not always prepared quite true to the original, but the name alone makes the taste. You'll notice that too when you try one. How the recipe originated is still unclear. Conjecture suggests that either the Black Forest woman's costume with the red Bollenhut and the black dress including white blouse could have led to the naming of the cake. However, it could also have been due to the ingredient Black Forest kirsch. In any case, in the 19th century there was a dessert in the Black Forest that was made from kirsch, boiled cherries and cream. Possibly the tart originated from it. The first written record of a cherry tart recipe can be found in 1934 in a book by Johannes Martin Erich Weber from Dresden. The base of the cake is a shortcrust pastry. Several layers are applied on top, to which chocolate sprinkles, cream, kirsch and cherries are added. Of course, the recipe can be varied somewhat. Individual intermediate layers are formed with a chocolate sponge. If you want to measure yourself as an amateur chef against like-minded people and professional pastry chefs, you can do so at the Black Forest Cherry Cake Festival in Todtnau. Since 2006, the festival has been held every two years. In addition to the kirsch cake, there are seasonal cake specialties in the Black Forest. The strawberry cake in the spring and the plum cake in the summer are particularly worthy of mention.

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.

Return The lexicon explains everything worth knowing about the Black Forest region in terms of landscape, culture and tourism in numerous illustrated articles. The work is based on careful and critical research. The author (Dr. Andreas Fischer) was born in the Black Forest, studied linguistics in Konstanz, did his doctorate at the Humboldt University in Berlin and works as a proofreader and editor at a publishing house. sources literature HB Bildatlas Südschwarzwald, HB Verlags- und Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH, Hamburg Schäfer, Jens: Totally everything about the Black Forest. Folio, Vienna, ISBN 783852568201 Scharf, Hans-Wolfgang: The Black Forest Railway and the Villingen depot. Eisenbahn-Kurier Verlag, Freiburg. ISBN 3882557737 internet www.wikipedia.org

Return (Black Forest) kirschwasser Don't even smell it. Black Forest Kirsch has been known for a long time. It is mostly made from sweet cherry varieties such as the black cherry, which grow on the western edge of the Black Forest. It is a high-proof drink and is considered in the Black Forest as the crowning conclusion of every meal with ham and bread, at least that is the tradition. However, it is not recommended for you, because there is so much alcohol in it that the water burns. Black Forest Kirsch is a fruit brandy. It is produced by soaking the cherries in water without the pits. With the addition of special yeast, the so-called mash is created, which ferments for a period of up to three weeks and is then distilled in a still. Depending on the alcohol content of the finished brandy, water must be added to reduce the sharpness. Such fruit brandies can be obtained not only from cherries, but from many different types of fruit, such as apples, pears or plums. One must always register a distillery with the relevant authorities if one wants to produce fruit brandies. In the past, fruit was already grown on Black Forest farms, but not in fields or plantations, but in the form of individual trees. Often there was even an overproduction, so there was more fruit than the farmers could consume. In order not to have to throw it away, it was further utilized. It was either dried in the bakehouse, after bread had been prepared there and the oven was still warm, or it was distilled into alcoholic beverages. A fruit distillery was also part of the Black Forest farms, as was the farm garden. Farm gardens are also cultivated in the present day. On the farm garden route you (a particular hiking path) can see the most beautiful of them.

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 Schluchsee Dam Black Forest water power Lake Schluchsee near the community of the same name is a popular destination for tourists, as it offers ample opportunities for swimming and sailing. It is located at 930 meters above sea level and its deepest point measures sixty-one meters. It is 7.5 kilometers long and 1.5 kilometers wide. Thus, it is the largest lake in the Black Forest. To the west of it, there are two high mountains to admire, the Schnepfhalde, which is 1,282 meters high, and the Habsberg with 1,274 meters. You can hike the entire shore once on a circular path. In its present form, lake Schluchsee has only existed since 1932, when a 63-meter-high dam was built to raise the level of the lake for the use of hydroelectric power plants. The Schwarza stream, one of the inflows, was dammed until the water level had risen by thirty meters. Since then, lake Schluchsee has been Germany's highest reservoir. However, quite a few residents had to leave their homes forever for its elevation, as the shore areas were flooded. Even an old post road and a school building disappeared in the water. Today, electricity is generated with a capacity of about 520 million kilowatt hours per year. The main part of the entire power plant complex is underground. Water flows from the lake Schluchsee through three power plant stages in the direction of the Rhine, falling a total of more than 610 meters and covering a distance of about 25 kilometers. In order to supply the Schluchsee with sufficient water, this is pumped up from the Rhine in the other direction. In addition, part of the water is tapped from the upper course of the river Wutach, the Seebach. Since the water supplied from the Rhine is mostly warmer than that of the Schwarza, lake Schluchsee rarely freezes over in winter, and when it does, the ice is quite brittle. Ice skating is therefore not possible. Since the water level of the Schluchsee has to be reduced occasionally, for example to carry out maintenance work on the power plant complex, there is often discord between the power plant operators and the tourist industry, which would like to keep the level of the lake constant so that swimming and sailing can continue. Besides, the drained shores don't look very nice. Not far from the dam wall is the village of Seebrugg, which is the terminus of the Dreiseenbahn railroad. There is a diving station, from where you can make dives in the lake. If you want to enjoy a beautiful view of lake Schluchsee during a visit, you can do so from the approximately thirty meter high Riesenbühlturm, which is a tower located not far from the village of Schluchsee. If you prefer tobogganing, you can do that in the Rodel-und-Sapßpark, by the way, also in summer. In Schluchsee there furthermore is the "flower path", where you can admire various works of art made of flowers. Source: Schluchseewerk AG

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Return Milchhäusle Quite clever, the Black Forest people: A refrigerator without electricity Most of the Black Forest farmhouses are located on mountain slopes near springs. It is not uncommon for the farms to have a characteristic feature. From the spring, pipes made of wooden logs ran to a trough located not far from the main house. This trough has a wooden – rarely stone – superstructure that resembles a miniature house on stilts. In fact, it is a kind of refrigerator. It gets its cold from the flowing water of the spring, which has an almost constant temperature all year round. In this superstructure, called "Milchhäusle" ("little milk house"), the Black Forest farmers could store their milk in a cool place even on warm days. In addition to milk, other perishable goods were stored there. The farmers of those days washed in the trough, since there was otherwise no running water in the house. Last but not least, the trough had the advantage that fire-fighting water was available at a short distance from the farm in case a fire broke out. In addition to perishable food, grain also had to be stored in a protected manner. For this purpose, there were special granaries that protected it from moisture, especially from precipitation, as well as from pests. Such a granary must, on the one hand, ensure constant ventilation and, on the other hand, be built in such a way that the stored grain can be shifted as easily as possible.

Return Wutach Gorge Adventurous and wild The Wutach Gorge, cut between sixty and one hundred and seventy meters deep, is the epitome of a nature reserve in Germany. It stretches for 35 kilometers between Neustadt and Achdorf, and the area from Kappel to Wutach has been a nature reserve since 1939. The fascinating thing about this area is not only the torrent with its unhindered course, but also the richness of species among plants and animals as well as the geological peculiarities. In fact, the Wutach Gorge is the only untouched low mountain stream in Germany and thus of immense importance from a landscape-historical point of view. From its source to its mouth in the Rhine, the total watercourse is 91 kilometers long and overcomes a difference in altitude of 1,125 meters. However, it is not called Wutach along its entire stretch. It rises at an altitude of 1,440 meters above sea level near Seebuck, the side mountain of the Feldberg, and is still called Seebach here. Thus, the source is only nine meters lower than the peak of Seebuck. A 62 meter high waterfall follows before the Seebach flows through the Feldsee on the northeastern flank of the Seebuck at 1,109 meters above sea level. Afterwards, the Seebach continues in the Bärental valley until it reaches the lake Titisee, which it also crosses. At the outflow, the watercourse is then called Gutach. It flows on to Neustadt until it meets the confluence of the Haslach shortly after the Gutach bridge of the Höllental Railways. The river Wutach is formed here by the confluence of Gutach and Haslach not far from Kappel. Shortly before the two waters meet, their valleys already become gorge-like and are deeply incised. There the nature reserve begins in both valleys. The Wutach winds only briefly through the gorge before another gorge enters from the north, the Rötenbachschlucht. From here, the Wutach turns south and flows as far as the Räuberschlössle before continuing its course to the east. After a while, the Lotenbachklamm gorge opens up to the south, containing four waterfalls of up to eight meters in height, as well as a side stream, which in turn plunges into the gorge from a height of twenty meters. Very close to the confluence of the Lotenbachklamm and the Wutacht Gorge is the Schattenmühle. There you can fortify yourself in an inn before continuing your hike. Downstream the landscape changes. The river Wutach leaves the upper gorge and enters a valley with a wider bottom. Whereas the bedrock was previously granite with an upper layer of red sandstone, it now consists of shell limestone. From here one reaches Dietfurt and further to the former Bad Boll, where from the south the Boller waterfall pours into the Wutach, with its two steps and a drop height of forty meters the highest waterfall within the Wutach Gorge. Not far away follows the Tannegg waterfall. On the other side of the river is an 84 meter long cave called Münzloch. The rock walls are now increasingly made of limestone. The mosses that grow on them extract carbonic acid from the calcareous water, causing the limestone to solidify and form as sintered rock. After Bad Boll the valley narrows considerably, this is called the Middle Gorge. The hiking trail now runs above the river Wutach, nestled against the rock face. This takes you to the Schurhammerhütte, where you have the opportunity to take a break. On its further way, the Wutach inclines to the northeast and partially seeps into the subsoil. In very dry phases, the above-ground river bed can even dry up completely. After the Rümmelesteg, the Wutach flows eastward again, and about two kilometers after the seepage, the water emerges again after having flowed through a cave system. From the north, the Gauchach meets the river shortly after. The Gauchach Gorge is also protected until shortly before Döggingen. From the confluence of the Gauchach it is not far to the Wutachmühle, where the Wutach Gorge nature reserve ends. In its further course, the Wutach turns southwest with the so-called "Wutachknie" ("Wutach knee") near Achdorf and leaves the Black Forest. In its lower valley follows the Lower Gorge, the so-called "Wutachflühen". This section extends between Achdorf and Grimmelshofen. In addition, the river now forms the border between Germany and Switzerland for about six kilometers in two sections before it flows into the Rhine at a sea level of 315 meters. The fact that the Wutach Gorge was a considerable traffic obstacle in the past can be seen in a difference between the Black Forest dialects north and south of it. In the north, the "K" at the beginning of a word (e.g. "Kasten" ("box")) is pronounced as in Standard High German, so in dialect one says "Kaschte". In the south, however, it becomes "Ch" (as in "rauchen"). There it is consequently called "Chaschte". What makes the Wutach Gorge very interesting for geologists are the constant changes that take place there. Thus, in the course of the last decades, rocks have collapsed or slipped several times, and the landscape is in constant motion. All these processes can be observed here unhindered, that is, without man interfering with them or stopping them. Thus, the Wutach Gorge provides valuable information for the study of geological events. It is worth mentioning that from the Seebach more than half of its water is tapped just above the mouth into the Feldsee. It is diverted into the lake Schluchsee and ultimately fed to the hydroelectric system there. In addition to the Wutach Gorge, there are other gorge-like valleys in the Black Forest. Particularly impressive is the four-kilometer-long Ravenna Gorge, a constriction above the valley Höllental. It contains two waterfalls, the larger one has a drop of 16 meters. Course of the Sauschwänzlebahn not far from the Wutach Gorge

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.

Return Tannery Today only street names remind of this craft Tanning is a very old craft that can be traced back to the Stone Age. This is not surprising, because even then there were simple stone tools for scraping and cutting, as well as skins that were pulled from hunted animals. The tannery processes the animal skins and makes leather from them. Especially in the Middle Ages, leather was very important for making clothes, which is why tanning was a common craft. Just as old as tanning is the use of wool from domesticated sheep. Cotton, which is widely used today, is also old, but did not spread globally until the beginning of the nineteenth century. Tanning was a matter of strengthening the animal skin so that it became leather. If it was peeled off, it quickly dried out, and if it came into contact with water, it even threatened to rot. To prevent these processes, tanning agents were used. In the beginning, these were fats or oils, and later on, they were also used in the form of oil of tran or tree bark extracts. However, tanners suffered from a bad reputation, because those who worked with animal hides ran the risk of catching diseases such as anthrax through the decomposition process or via the pathogens contained in the hides. In addition, the hides and the tanning agents sometimes spread very bad odors, which is why the tanners were shunned. In Schiltach, there is the Schüttesäge Museum, which is dedicated not only to rafting but also to the historical development of tanning in the Black Forest. Apart from that, this traditional craft has been preserved in several names. Villingen, for example, is not the only town to have a "Gerberstarße" ("tanner's street").