Group Tour Operator and DMC for the Black Forest, Germany
Bargain Black Forest Break
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Black Forest, Germany
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Titisee Lake, Black Forest
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Freiburg main square, Black Forest
Experience the hospitality of Black Forest and this bargain break to the West of Germany
Enjoy a group tour to one of Germany’s most varied holiday destinations. The Black Forest region boasts gentle valleys, waterfalls, spectacular gorges and mountains densely covered with fir and spruce. A quaint area of timber farmhouses, traditional local costume and world famous gâteau, the Schwarzwald is a delightful place to visit.
From the curious cuckoo clocks of Furtwangen to the sheer natural wonder of the Rhine Valley and Germany’s tallest waterfall, this group trip winds through a storybook Germany (and a little bit of Switzerland) delightfully lost in time.
Read MoreIt’s Always Sunny in Freiburg
Germany’s warmest town, Freiburg is blessed with 2000 hours of sunshine each year and annually produces as much solar energy as the whole of Britain. Sitting at the foot of the woody Black Forest slopes, the university town’s cobbled streets stretch from its medieval old town through the vibrant market plazas beside the impressive Freiburg Minster.
Passing from Freiburg through the stunning mountain roads of Schauinsland and Felburg, the Schluhsee reservoir lake opens before you. It’s sparkling waters bathing the lakeside resort of Titisee’s many traditional cuckoo clock shops in reflected light. The spa town is the ideal place to take a tour on the lake or even just kick back with a slice or three of Black Forest Gâteau.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo Clock Museum
Through the beautiful Kinzig and Elz valleys and past the baroque church of St. Peter, the traditional clock-making town of Furtwangen hosts the German Cuckoo Clock Museum. However it is the Panoramic Road beyond the town that is the true attraction here, offering striking views over the Black Forest, Rhine Valley and the peaks of the Alps and Vosges mountains.
The town of Triberg holds a few unusual records. Its Black Forest Museum in Triberg houses the world’s largest cuckoo clock while the nearby Gutach River features Germany’s tallest waterfall, thundering down over seven cascades to a depth of 163-metres.
The Pigtail Train of Wutach Valley
Across the Swiss border, the Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen are Europe’s grandest waterfalls. The nearby medieval Swiss town of Schaffhausen features all the quaintness of a traditional German settlement – so much so that, during the Second World War, Allied pilots mistook it for a German town and made it the only Swiss town struck directly by the war.
Nearby, Blumberg is the start point for the Wutach Valley Railway. Featuring some of Germany’s most unusual and impressive stretches of rail, its twists and turns have earned it the nickname Sauschwänzlebahn (the Pigtail Line). The line runs 9-km as the crow flies but meanders leisurely across 25-km of bends before reaching its destination.
An Ideal Place to Stay
Enjoy a blissful stay in the Black Forest based at the charming Bären Hotel in Oberharmersbach. Included are a three course meal – with choice of main course from the second evening – and tea or coffee afterwards.
Furthermore, enjoy as an evening of live music and a piece of Black Forest gâteau with tea or coffee on a day of your choosing. Make the most of this offer to experience the best of the Black Forest.
Are you are looking for an alternative way to experience Black Forest? Check out our Supreme taste of the Black Forest for those with a different palette.
Dates
Dates throughout 2023
Suggested itinerary by coach
Day 1/2
Travel to the Black Forest
Travel to Dover for the short sea crossing to Calais. Continue south through France stopping for an overnight stay in the Reims area. Next day enjoy the breathtaking scenery before arriving in the Black Forest for the next 4 nights. If time permits, begin exploring the local area before dinner in your hotel.
Day 3
Black Forest Exploration
On this introductory tour of the Black Forest, stop first at Freiburg, a charming medieval city known as the “Gate to the Black Forest.” Perhaps browse the daily morning markets in the square around the city’s majestically imposing Gothic Freiburg Minster, or simply take a stroll through the cobbled streets and absorb the atmosphere of this beautiful city.
Leaving Freiburg, travel along the scenic Schauinsland and Felberg mountain roads, via the picturesque Schluchsee reservoir lake to the beautiful lakeside resort of Titisee. A beautiful spa town with cuckoo clock shops and relaxing nature walks where you could enjoy a short lake cruise and perhaps some traditional Black Forest Gateau.
Day 4
Triberg, Waterfalls and Cuckoo Clocks
One of the Black Forests’s most enduring exports – besides the eponymous gâteau – is the cuckoo clock. Take a drive through the picturesque Kinzig and Elz valleys to St. Peter, where you can visit a beautiful Baroque church. Continue through wonderful scenery to Furtwangen, a traditional clock-making town and home of the German Cuckoo Clock Museum.
Continue along the ‘Panoramic Road’, so called because of the views over the peaks of the Black Forest, the Rhine Valley,the Vosges Mountains and the Alps. Once in Triberg you will discover Germany’s highest waterfalls, Europe’s largest collection of barrel organs and the world’s largest cuckoo clock! The Black Forest Museum displays fascinating mechanical musical instruments and handicraft of ages long passed.
Day 5
Rhine Falls and the ‘Pigtail Train’
Today, cross into Switzerland to view the spectacular Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen. There are many riverside vantage points, or take a ferry ride to a rock in the middle of the falls for a close-up view (not for the faint hearted!).
Visit the medieval town of Schaffhausen on the way to Blumberg for a ride on the Wutach Valley Railway, one of the most unusual and impressive stretches of railway in Germany. Because of the twisting route of its central section, it is popularly known as the Sauschwänzlebahn – the ‘Pigtail Line’. The nickname was coined because the distance between the two end stations is only 9.6km. However, the twisting route it takes to reach the terminus, including Germany’s only loop tunnel, results in a journey of 25km. It’s a memorable experience.
Day 6/7
Departure
The time has come to depart the beautiful landscape and delicious tastes of the Black Forest. Begin your homeward journey with a final overnight stay in France before heading for Calais and the ferry home.
Additional idea
Alsace Wine Road
A journey into the beautiful French Alsace is highly recommended. Drive through the renowned wine region and stop along the way at one of the vineyards for a tasting of the Alsace wines.
Continue on to Strasbourg, a city with a rich French and German history. The town centre, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers plenty in the way of culture and cuisine. Particularly worth visiting is the monumental Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg. Inside is one of the world’s largest astronomical clocks, dating back to the 1800s (small locally-payable entrance fee applies for the astronomical clock). Perhaps enjoy a 70-minute boat cruise of the historical city before returning to your hotel in the Black Forest.
Featured hotel
Bären Hotel, Oberharmersbach ***
This excellent 3* family-run hotel as its own in-house butchery and bakery as well as a lovely bar/restaurant area. Coach parking available. All rooms have a TV, hair-dryer, safe and ensuite with shower.
You may also be interested in:
Secrets of the South – Undiscovered Germany – NEW GROUP TOUR
| Dates | Half Twin | Single Supplement |
| Dates throughout 2023 | From £299.00 per person | From £89.00 per person |
