InstaTour – out and about in the High Black Forest

“Oh, there are actually mountains here!” I say in amazement as we drive up the serpentines to the Feldberg nature reserve. From my German colleagues, I get one or two frowning sideways glances from this statement. In my defense, I have to admit that for me the plains simply begin behind Basel and I somehow keep forgetting that there are one or two gentle elevations besides the Rhine plain. Why do I forget? Because for me, the term “Black Forest” has so far been associated with cuckoo clocks, cherry pies, dark fir forests and August 1st holiday exile for dog owners.

“Beautiful landscapes, nature reserves, hiking paradise, swimming fun? Real? Oh yes, I was critical before the weekend trip whether I would like it in this Black Forest. Although, “the Black Forest” doesn’t really exist. Rather, the Black Forest forms a landscape area of over 11,000 square kilometres, which is made up of many small regions.

Even the journey holds surprises. From Freiburg im Breisgau you take the Höllentalbahn through the Höllental, where there is, among other things, a village with the promising name Himmelreich and a rock called Hirschsprung – with all these different names alone you can knit the most adventurous stories.

But I am really surprised when I find out that there are not only conifers in the Upper Black Forest, but also mountains that have earned the name. The Feldberg – the highest among them – is an impressive 1,493 m above sea level. “From up here, you would be able to see the whole of the Alps,” Achim Laber tells us as we catch a glimpse of the idyllic Feldsee through the thick fog. It doesn’t matter, because even this grumpy weather doesn’t stand a chance against the Feldberg ranger. For more than 25 years, he has been a full-time nature conservation warden at the Feldberg, the oldest and largest nature reserve in Baden-Württemberg, and if nature conservation were not his fullest passion, he would probably have had a stellar career in the film business. Instead of a leisurely hike with a bomb view, we are not only looking for blueberries on the gnome path in the capercaillie forest, but above all shelter from the torrential downpours, before we go to the temptingly dry nature conservation center of the southern Black Forest. In the centre itself there is an interactive exhibition on the landscape of the Black Forest – absolutely worth seeing!

Despite bad weather, I learned three things this Saturday:

• there are actually “real” mountains
• The Black Forest is not that black at all
• the people here are – compared to the Feldberg Ranger (you can also experience him here) – simply a blast

I couldn’t sum up my first impression of the Black Forest more aptly than this quote:

That’s just the way it is in the Black Forest – when the fart pops then it stinks

And yes, we will be back when the sun is shining! To test the hiking trails, enjoy the distant view of the Alps and jump into Lake Titisee at the end of the day! Shortly before the onward journey, the sun took pity on us and showed us, at least at the Schluchsee, how nice the area looks sunlit.

Feldberg – highest Black Forest peak and nature reserve

And what else?

Evening atmosphere at Lake Titisee

Good morning Schluchsee

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