There are so many destinations in Europe that can literally take your breath away. Some places you may have heard of and others you may have not. We’ve truly been blessed to call Europe our home for over 5 years now. This has given us the opportunity to visit places that may not have been on our original travel bucket list. We’ve had several lists. The “MUST DO” before we leave Europe, the “Nice to do” if we have time, and then the “Cherry on top” list. The Black Forest was on the “Nice to do” list and I’m so glad we made this trip happen. Take a look at what we found interesting and maybe you’ll add it to your list as well!!!
1) The Scenic drive
The Black Forest in Fall 
Ruins in the Forest
The drive to get to the Black Forest is simply beautiful!!! It looks exactly the way you think the rollings hills of Europe would look ( at least what I thought they should look). We traveled to the Black Forest at the beginning of Fall, which was strategically planned. I wanted to see the trees turning because I expected to see the beautiful fall colors in the Forest and I wasn’t disappointed. As we drove higher up into the Forest, the colors became even more vibrant. If just being near nature and water brings you joy then you will be in your happy place here. As we drove along the road, along beside us was water rushing past as if it was late for an appointment, tumbling over rocks and splashing along the banks. The photographer in me was sooo tempted to stop and take pictures. My hubby knows me so well because he offered to stop but I was being patient and waiting for our destination…..the waterfalls!!!! I did get in a few pics along the way. I couldn’t resist. The drive itself will transport you into another world. A world where time stands still and your worries float away.
2) Visit the Triberg Waterfalls and nature trails
Seeing one of Germany’s highest waterfalls is one of the most popular sites in the Black Forest and it attracts over a half million visitors each year. There’s about seven different stations you can begin at to get to the falls and one of them is wheelchair accessible. We started at the station that was a street or so below the Original Cuckoo clock. There are signs that point you to the waterfalls and parking. You can choose between 3 different trails. One is more through the forest and the other two takes you closer to the falls. It cost 3.50 euro to get in and they only take euro cash, no credit cards. Where the entrance sign is located, there are bathrooms you can use off to your left. Once you go through the entrance, a little further down is where you will pay and enter the park. The waterfall is below and close enough where you can hear it when you enter the park. We started close to the top and walked ourselves down a few stations, not all of them because what goes down must come back up…LOL. It had been raining the days prior so there was plenty of water cascading down. It was such a beautiful sight to see. Make sure to look through the trees as you’re walking down because you may get a few peek-a-boo shots of Triberg.
3) The original World’s largest cuckoo clock
This little spot is right off the road as you’re coming into Triberg. There’s a huge sign in the field that says “Worlds’ largest cuckoo clock” in German. You can’t miss it. Well, I guess you can if you can’t figure out the German words…lol. There’s parking both above the clock and down below, close to the entrance. We parked below and followed the entrance sign. There’s a small fee to get in. Once in, you get to see the workings of the inside of the clock. We met the builder Josef Dold when we first arrived and he showed us the inside of the clock. He also showed us a very small clock as well. It was very interesting to be able to walk around the insides of a clock. There are clocks for sale here as well. I didn’t price compare to see if the prices were better than in town. I didn’t ask but they may’ve been made by the owner. Once you’re done looking around the inside you can head outside and wait for the top of the hour. The clock has a little owl outside who’s head turns, a man who’s axe moves and a water wheel on the side of the clock. While we were waiting for the clock to strike we headed towards the BIG seesaw in the yard. There’s apple trees in the yard along with a little spot to sit and take a pic with fake Apples on top. The clock was 5 minutes slow when we went so just a heads up. The cuckoo bird popped out when it was time, cuckooed twice and went back in. We can now say we experienced it.
4) Visit the World’s largest cuckoo clock
I’m putting this in as a thing to do even though we didn’t have enough time to make it to this. We had something else to do that evening and was a little short on time. This just means that we will have to make another trip to the black forest. This cuckoo clock is located in the Eble Uhren Park in Triberg. It was completed in 1994 after 5 years of construction. It earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1997 and has held that title every since. The clock comes to life every 30 minutes, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to hear it chime. Let me know if you make it there before I do.
5) House of 1000 cuckoo clocks
Door Greeter – COVID Compliant 
Black Forest Certificate of Authenticity
This is a neat little store to visit whether you want to buy a cuckoo clock or not. Parking in the area seemed a little sparse but it could’ve also been that we were short on time and just needed to park quickly. We found a spot but it was only for about an hour. Pay attention to your parking spot and make sure you either put your parking disk in the window or look for the parking meter and mark your time. One thing I’ve learned from living in Germany, they don’t play about giving you a ticket if you go over your time. I wonder how do I know about that…lol. So, back to the shop. As you enter there are clocks everywhere…hence the name 1000 clocks. We knew we wanted to purchase a clock but had no clue what we really wanted. We definitely didn’t know anything about cuckoo clocks. The sales people were very nice and spoke really good English and were so willing to help. They explained to us how to look at a clock and see if it was a daily wind or 7 day wind clock. They also showed us how to tell if it was animated or not. Who knew????? So my tip to you is to already have in your head what you want to spend, do you want to have to pull the weight daily to keep time or weekly, how much animation do you want, does it need to play music or not, do you want battery operated or wound, and how ornate do you want it to be. They do take the VAT (value added tax) form and even if you forget it (like i did) they will allow you to mail it to them and they will credit your credit card back with whatever the tax was for your item. This particular store allowed us to do this. I can ’t speak for others. Again, we were short on time so we weren’t trying to bargain shop, so I can’t share what the other stores had to offer. We were also told before we came to look for a certain certification on the clock. What we got was certified made in the Black Forest which is what we wanted. So yes, we did the touristy thing and purchased a cuckoo clock but i didn’t want to leave Germany and not have one. PLUS, you can turn the cuckoo off if needed….that’s a good thing!!!!
6) Try a slice of Black Forest Cake
Black Forest Cake 
Plum Cake
Soooo, this wasn’t originally on my things to do because I just didn’t put together that Black Forest Cake was from the Black Forest in Germany. I know…..I just wasn’t thinking. I’ve heard about it growing up and even tried it but didn’t put the two together until I started talking about going to the Black Forest with friends and someone mentioned trying the cake from there. So, we tried it. All I have to say is this…..don’t eat it and drive!!! The original cake has LOTS of alcohol in it. It’s traditionally a kirschwasser (clear sour cherry liquor) or you can also use rum. German law mandates that for this dish to have the Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte (Black Forest Cherry Torte/Cake) label it must use kirschwasser. The cake itself consists of several layers of a chocolate sponge cake sandwiched with whipped cream and cherries and topped off with more whipped cream, cherries, and chocolate shavings. Each slice is a party all in itself!!! Just a little side note, I tried a slice of plum cake (looked like a fruit tart but much bigger) and it knocked my socks off!!! Definitely a recipe I want to duplicate and one you should give a try. I’m not even a plum lover but it was YUMMMY!!!
7) Sample Black Forest ham
Black Forest Ham
This is another thing you MUST do while you’re there. Might as well. I always try to taste the local food that the area is famous for. It gives you a completely fresh perspective and appreciation for the work that goes into it and why it may cost as much as it does in the states. Black Forest ham is a very high quality meat originated in this area. If you purchase it in the EU (European Union) then there are strict guidelines that it has to be made in the Black Forest. If you want a sample of the real deal then make sure you give it a try!!!
8) RELAX
Restaurant Outdoor Entrance 
Delish Dinner and Nice Atmosphere 
Hotel Breakfast
Find a quaint place to stay and relax. This area in Germany is the perfect place to simply relax. We found a fabulous hotel right outside of Freiburg, Hotel Hirschen in Freiberg – Lehen. It was a perfect spot. They had a restaurant right on sight which made it very easy our first night because we had dinner at the hotel. They had some of the best spaetzle I’ve had to date. The chef was very accommodating and said he could change up any dish we needed. My mom was with us and isn’t always crazy about German food but he was very willing to make us happy. The breakfast was quite delish. They served hot food as well which is always a plus. This hotel is the type of place that knows who you are when you come down in the mornings. It’s always nice when you have the extra treatment that makes you feel like you’re at home. They also have partnered with a massage business located in front so they have packages that includes massages. I didn’t get a package but my hubby surprised me with a massage and it was wonderful!!! One of the best back massages I’ve had. I don’t like authentic thai massages so I can’t speak to that but the aroma massage I had was fabulous. I believe one positive about traveling is taking the time to truly disconnect and relax. I make sure not to overbook us just so we can have some down time. The Black Forest area is the perfect place to enjoy a little relaxation
9) Visit Freiburg Im Breisgau (commonly called Freiburg)
We made Freiburg our home base for visiting the Black Forest. Freiburg is the 4th largest independent city in Baden-Wuttemberg, Germany. It serves as tourists primary entry point to the scenic Black Forest. It was the perfect spot for us based off of the areas we wanted to visit. It’s about an hour to Colmar, Baden-Baden, Triberg, Titisee Lake, and other interesting sites. We had dinner here on the second day and was pleasantly surprised by the City. We really expected it to be more of a small quaint little city similar to Triberg and Colmar but it had even more than we expected. As you drive into the old town area you’re greeted with a huge tower guarding the entrance into the shopping area. This seems to be the happening area of town. There’s an indoor market that you can shop around and get some delicious treats. Even though this area is the old town there’s lots of opportunities for shopping and tasting scrumptious food. We were a little surprised by all of the popular stores in the area. It had more of an urban feel than old town. It was a good mix of both worlds. You should have no problem finding a place to eat and enjoying the night life here. We will definitely be returning.
10) Take a day trip to Colmar and visit the Statue of Liberty
Take a Boat Ride 
Declare your Love 
Little Venice 
Flammkuchen 
Old Town Colmar
Colmar was on my places to visit list since forever!!! We finally made it with this trip. I had heard about how cute this city was and it didn’t disappoint. Colmar is the type of city that around every turn is a photo-op. You have several cute spots that you must visit while you’re there. One of the spots is “Little Venice.” If you’ve seen any pictures of Colmar, I can guarantee you one of them would be of this area. There’s a beautiful bridge that’s the perfect spot to take your iconic photo. There’s also another beautiful spot by the cathedral where you can also get some amazing photos. The cobblestone old town makes this city such a beautiful place to walk around and people watch. Another spot for great pictures is near the indoor market. The street is lined with beautifully colored buildings with a water canal running through it where you can catch glimpses of tourist boats floating by. There’s also a place to show your undying love for your significant other by placing a locket on the railing by the water. You will definitely want to snap some pictures in this area. Don’t forget to grab a flammkuchen in the indoor market. We walked the market a couple of times just taking in the food choices and enjoying the variety of food. I love markets so i’m always on the hunt for them. I feel markets are one spot you’ll find locals doing their everyday tasks. You never know who you will meet when you’re chatting over food. After you have soaked in all of the sites on this side of town you must head over to the Statue of Liberty.
There is a replica of the statue in Colmar. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United states. The designer of the Statue of Liberty was from Colmar and the metal framework for the Statue of Liberty was made by the same person that built the Eiffel tower (fun fact). To get a good picture of it, we parked in the shopping center parking lot and took a picture from the street. It’s located in a round about which makes it a little challenging getting the shot. It was a fun way to end our trip to Colmar.
This trip was such a great trip to take for a long weekend or more!!! We toured just enough to make us want to go back and see other sights that we missed this go round. I’ll keep you posted when we do.