Freiburg
With its lacy spires, cheeky gargoyles and intricate entrance portal, Freiburg’s 11th-century minster cuts an impressive figure above the central market…
Must-see attractions in The Black Forest
The Black Forest
The Schwarzwälder Freilichtmuseum spirals around the Vogtsbauernhof, a self-contained early-17th-century farmstead. Farmhouses shifted from their original…
The Black Forest
From the baroque-meets-neoclassical Schloss, Karlsruhe’s 32 streets radiate like the spokes of a wheel. Karl Wilhelm, margrave of Baden-Durlach, named his…
Baden-Baden
A Joan Miró sculpture guards the front of this architecturally innovative gallery, designed by Richard Meier. The star-studded collection of modern and…
The Black Forest
Embracing the global craft gin craze, Monkey 47 has scooped awards for its batch-distilled, handcrafted dry gin, with piney, peppery notes. Distillery…
The Black Forest
Sticking out above Rottweil like a sore thumb, the futuristic, environmentally progressive Testturm is the brainchild of steel-engineering giant…
The Black Forest
Niagara they ain’t but Germany’s highest waterfalls do exude their own wild romanticism. The Gutach River feeds the seven-tiered falls, which drop a total…
The Black Forest
Looming above Freiburg, the Schauinsland peak (1284m) is topped by a lookout tower commanding fabulous views to the Rhine Valley and Alps, plus walking,…
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Upper Danube Valley Nature Reserve
The Black Forest
Theatrically set against cave-riddled limestone cliffs, dappled with pine and beech woods that are burnished gold in autumn, and hugging the Danube's…
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The Black Forest
Billed as the best-preserved medieval monastery north of the Alps, this one-time Cistercian monastery was founded by Alsatian monks in 1147. It was born…
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Freiburg
Dip into the past as represented by artists working from the Middle Ages to the 19th century at this superb museum in a sensitively modernised monastery…
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Freiburg
The forested Schlossberg dominates Freiburg. Take the footpath opposite the Schwabentor, leading up through sun-dappled woods, or hitch a ride on the…
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The Black Forest
Sharp angles contrast with graceful swirls on Frank Gehry’s strikingly postmodern Vitra Design Museum. The blindingly white edifice hosts thought…
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The Black Forest
Heading south on the Freiburg–Feldberg road, you’ll glimpse the roaring Todtnauer Wasserfall. While the 97m falls are not as high as those in Triberg,…
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Baden-Baden
The sublime casino seeks to emulate – indeed, outdo – the gilded, chandelier-lit splendour of Versailles. Marlene Dietrich called it ‘the most beautiful…
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Baden-Baden
This 2.3km ribbon of greenery, threading from Goetheplatz to Kloster Lichtenthal, is quite a picture: studded with fountains and sculptures and carpeted…
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The Black Forest
Next to the 13th-century Riettor gate tower and occupying a former Franciscan monastery, the Franziskaner Museum skips merrily through Villingen’s history…
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The Black Forest
A steady and attractive 6.5km walk through spruce forest and pastures from Triberg's waterfall brings you to this 1070m-high 19th-century lookout tower,…
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Breisach
Plonked on a hill above the centre for all to behold in wonder, the Romanesque and Gothic St Stephansmünster shelters a faded fresco cycle, Martin…
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The Black Forest
All the more evocative for its lack of adornment, this 11th-century former Benedictine monastery effectively conveys the simple, spiritual life in its…
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The Black Forest
The town's most outstanding landmark is this former Benedictine abbey, a rococo jewel designed by Peter Thumb of Vorarlberg. Many of the period’s top…
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Freiburg
Join locals relaxing in a cafe by the fountain in chestnut-shaded Rathausplatz, Freiburg's prettiest square. Pull out your camera to snap pictures of the…
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Breisach
Vauban’s French fortified town of Neuf-Brisach (New Breisach), a Unesco World Heritage Site, sits 4km west of Breisach. Shaped like an eight-pointed star,…
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The Black Forest
The treasure-trove Badisches Landesmuseum, inside the Schloss, shelters the jewel-encrusted crown of Baden's grand-ducal ruling family, and spoils of war…
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The Black Forest
Named after the tiny chapel at the head of the Breg Valley, Martinskapelle attracts cross-country skiers to its forested trails in winter and hikers when…
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The Black Forest
The outstanding State Art Gallery presents a world-class collection, from the canvases of late-Gothic German masters such as Matthias Grünewald and Lucas…
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The Black Forest
Between the town’s two tower-topped gates sits the triangular Marktplatz, dominated by the Rathaus, an 18th-century pink-and-cream confection. The…
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The Black Forest
A cable car whisks you to the 1493m summit of Feldberg in minutes. The panorama unfolding at the top reaches across the patchwork meadows and woods of the…
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The Black Forest
Centred on a trickling fountain, the sloping, triangular Marktplatz is Schiltach at its picture-book best. The frescoes of its step-gabled 16th-century…
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Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie
The Black Forest
Set in a historical munitions factory, the ZKM is a mammoth exhibition and research complex fusing art and emerging electronic media technologies. The…
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The Black Forest
If giant cuckoo clocks and Black Forest gateau no longer thrill, how about a trip to the world’s largest loo? Drive on the B33 to Hornberg and there, in…
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Baden-Baden
Rheumatism, arthritis, respiratory complaints, skin problems – all this and a host of other ailments can, apparently, be cured by Baden-Baden’s mineral…
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The Black Forest
Haslach’s 17th-century former Capuchin monastery houses this museum, showcasing flamboyant costumes and outrageous hats, the must-have accessories for the…
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The Black Forest
Buried deep in the forest, the nature-focused Steinwasen Park, 7.5km southeast of Schauinsland, is a big hit with families. A trail weaves past animal…
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Baden-Baden
Standing proud above a manicured park, this neoclassical pump room was built in 1839 as an attractive addition to the Kurhaus. The 90m-long portico is…
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The Black Forest
The Münsterplatz is presided over by the step-gabled Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall) and Klaus Ringwald’s Münsterbrunnen, a bronze fountain and a tongue-in…
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The Black Forest
In the southwest corner of Marktplatz looms the 17th-century red-sandstone Stadtkirche, with an ornate 12th-century Cluniac-style baptismal font, Gothic…
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The Black Forest
The sturdy 13th-century Schwarzes Tor is the gateway to Hauptstrasse and the well-preserved Altstadt, a cluster of red-roofed, pastel-painted houses. The…
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Baden-Baden
Sidling up to the Museum Frieder Burda is this sky-lit gallery, which showcases rotating exhibitions of contemporary art in neoclassical surrounds…
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The Black Forest
Museum am Markt is crammed with everything from antique spinning wheels to Biedermeier costumes. Highlights include the cobbler’s workshop and an…
