General information about Black Forest
Almost every community has its own museum of local history. Many places remind you of the ancient trade of glass blowing and burning, and of course also of the rafts men who transported the huge Black Forest trees all the way to Holland. Mines open their galleries, castles their doors and visitors are welcome everywhere.
Just like a hundred years ago historic steam engines puff across viaducts and up the hills. Because old age is revered in the Black Forest. Many records are broken here.
You will find: the smallest free town of the Holy Roman Empire, Germany's largest leisure park, its highest waterfall and the area where you will find most of the Michelin stars given to restaurants all over Germany.
Somehow all roads lead to the pleasures which are essential for body and soul - the Badische Weinstraße (Baden Wine Route), the Asparagus Route and whatever all the others are called. There is probably one for the Black Forest ham, for the river trout, one for the beer brewed with spring water and one for the mineral water. But all these delicacies are served in every decent restaurant.
Accompanied by a local Riesling, Silvaner (white wines), Burgunder and Gutedel (red wines) from Ortenau, Breisgau, Kaiserstuhl or the Markgräfler Land (wine growing regions in the Black Forest).
And at the end of a meal a potent fruit brandy should not be missed.
But there are even special highlights. The brilliant chefs of the Black Forest have once again managed to receive almost three dozen Michelin gold stars. Due to the open borders to Alsace and Switzerland, Black Forest people are very receptive to innovations coming from the opposite side of the Rhine.
The Black Forest ham, the cherry gateau and the cherry brandy, the tasty honey and fresh trout have long since been as famous as the typical hats with the red pompons from the Gutachtal valley.
Between Pforzheim in the northern part of the Black Forest and Lörrach at the Swiss border families receive royal treatment. Kids are kings. For instance on a farm. They find animals to stroke and everywhere are small creeks.
published by www.germannews.com
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Gerd Bruckner
editor of www.germannews.com