Vacation in the Black Forest
The Black Forest is one of the most popular destinations among Israelis and many Europeans, thanks to a winning combination of Europa-Park – a huge, top-quality amusement park (in my opinion the best in Europe), the option to stay in one place for at least a week while taking day trips across three different countries: Germany, Switzerland, and France (Alsace and Lorraine), and a wealth of active nature recreation options: rope parks, alpine coasters, cycling, horseback riding, hiking to waterfalls, and more.
Its great popularity means that for most months of the year, especially during the summer and Passover/Easter (which always coincide), demand far exceeds supply. Those who do not book lodging a year in advance are left with less attractive and much more expensive places, or are forced to stay far from popular tourist attractions.
Recommended Holiday Villages and Hotels:
Holiday Village
Feriendorf Oefingen, Bad Duerrheim
A holiday village in the spa town of Bad Dürrheim, in a pastoral location at the southeastern edge of the Black Forest, about a 40-minute drive from the popular Lake Titisee. The property features well-equipped private villas with a private yard or balcony. The village offers several villa layouts suitable for family accommodation.
"Waldhotel" Spa Hotel
Das Waldhotel - Genuss & Wellness am Notschreipass
A 4-star spa hotel offering family rooms and suites.
The hotel features a large indoor swimming pool with panoramic views, an excellent restaurant (serving wonderful breakfasts), a natural spa, and a fitness room. The hotel has an elevator (including a wheelchair-accessible room), a children's playground, bowling, billiards, table soccer, and table tennis.
The hotel is ideally located for star trips across the southern Black Forest in a pastoral forested setting in the town of Todtnau, where Germany's finest alpine coaster is located. Visitors take a two-seater chairlift up to the launch point at the top of the mountain and glide down along a 2.9 km track. The route includes sharp turns and three 360-degree loops. The site operates in all weather conditions. Nearby is the hiking trail to Todtnau Waterfalls Todtnauer Wasserfall. An easy ~500-meter hiking trail through the forest leads to a beautiful viewpoint of the 97-meter waterfall, considered the highest natural waterfall in Germany.
"Vital Grüner Baum" Family Hotel
Grüner Baum Naturparkhotel & Schwarzwald-Restaurant
A 3.5-star family hotel near the town of Todtnau in a wonderful location for star trips in the Black Forest.
The hotel features family suites and double rooms. It boasts an excellent restaurant, a sun deck, and nature trails starting right outside the hotel, where guests can hike or ride electric bikes (free 3-hour use during your stay).
Numerous tourist attractions are nearby. The most attractive for families is a charming amusement park named "Steinwasen Park", located just a 10-minute drive from the hotel. The park offers a wide variety of activities and attractions: a long suspension rope bridge stretching 218 meters and hanging 30 meters above the valley (considered the longest of its kind in the world), space coasters, a 4D cinema, a wet River Splash ride, a chairlift, an 800-meter bobsled run alpine coaster, an electric mountain coaster, an ice cave, and a small zoo featuring 20 wildlife species in their natural habitats.
More articles about the Black Forest:
♦ Trip to Europa-Park and the Black Forest
♦ Recommended Hotels for Families in the Black Forest
Europa-Park
All these accommodation options are located about an hour's drive from EUROPA PARK – the second largest amusement park in Europe and one of everyone's favorites.
The park is divided into 13 country-themed areas. Each part of the park recreates the scenery of a different European country, with its food, architecture, music, and above all: plenty of state-of-the-art amusement rides, including massive and unique roller coasters. The park features ten roller coasters.
In addition, the park features three other themed areas: "Adventure Land" (Abenteuerland) – where you can take a raft trip through a rainforest or sail on an African riverboat in the footsteps of Mark Twain.
"The Enchanted Forest" (Märchenwald) – an area of the park where you will discover the Seven Dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, the Witch's House, and many other fairy tale characters. A standout highlight in this area is the Grimm Library, featuring an effects-rich 3D show.
"Children's World" (Welt der Kinder), packed with attractions, activities, and shows for little ones.
The park has over 100 attractions, including the tallest and largest roller coaster in all of Europe, bobsled rides, raft rides in an African jungle, and a life-size replica of the "Mir" space station. There is also a dedicated area for toddlers where you'll meet fairies and dinosaurs. The park also hosts various shows and competitions.
It is recommended to dedicate at least one full day to the park. Die-hard amusement park enthusiasts who wish to ride their favorite attractions multiple times without missing out on the various shows can easily enjoy spending two days here. Europa-Park is suitable for children of all ages, from toddlers to adrenaline-seeking teens. It features everything from gentle, scenic rides to thrilling, high-energy coasters.
The most popular attractions among thrill-seekers:
"Blue Fire Megacoaster" - A roller coaster that accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds. Located in the Iceland themed area.
"Silver Star" - The tallest and largest roller coaster in Europe. Located in the France themed area.
"Euro-Mir" - A roller coaster that hurtles toward the ground at 80 km/h while executing sharp spins. Located in the Russia themed area.
"Eurosat" - An indoor roller coaster ride through total darkness. Located in the France themed area.
"Atlantis Adventure" where, while riding in rotating cars in the dark among dinosaurs and various creatures, you shoot laser guns at targets to rack up points. Located in the Greece themed area.
"Paradise Baths"
Another popular attraction located just a 30-40 minute drive from the holiday village and hotels mentioned here is:
A visit to "Paradise Baths" in the Black Forest (Badeparadies Schwarzwald) – a modern indoor water park considered the largest in the Black Forest. Located in Titisee near the town's train station, the park is designed like a Caribbean beach with abundant palm trees and lush tropical vegetation. The entire roof is a panoramic glass dome that opens on days with pleasant weather. The park features a wave pool and 18 sophisticated water slides totaling 680 meters in length, including steep, winding slides for the daring as well as slides suitable for younger kids.
Nearby is a ropes and zipline park named "Forest Fun" Park – featuring five courses at varying heights and difficulty levels. Course 1 is about 4 meters above the ground, while courses 4 and 5 reach heights of around 20 meters. The fifth course is the most challenging, suitable only for ages 14 and up, and finishes with a ~60-meter zipline.
The courses include ziplines (Flying Fox), "spider webs", rope bridges, and other balance and fitness challenges integrated directly into the forest canopy.
There is also a special mini-course suitable for young children starting from age four. On the other courses, children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
Lake Schluchsee
Another great lake nearby is Lake Schluchsee. It is the largest lake in the Black Forest and the highest reservoir lake in Germany, situated at an altitude of approximately 930 meters above sea level. Long considered the cleanest lake in Germany, it has evolved into the Black Forest's primary center for active recreation and water sports. Surrounding the lake are 160 km of hiking trails. The adjacent town of the same name, Schluchsee, was even awarded the title of "Germany's Favorite Hiking Destination" a few years ago. Encircling the lake is an 18 km path that runs right alongside the water's edge, very popular among cyclists. On a nice day, it is highly recommended to rent bicycles near the lake (close to the gas station) and ride around it. In addition, the surrounding area features another 300 km of cycling trails for all skill levels, from easy to challenging.
Beautiful and Interesting Towns and Cities:
The Black Forest has several charming and interesting towns and cities worth visiting during your stay in the region. The largest of them all is Freiburg, the "Capital of the Black Forest" – a beautiful city with a historic center and quaint water canals (Bächle). The old town center is exclusively pedestrian-friendly.
Don't miss a visit to picturesque St. Blasien, and make sure to dedicate a full day to Lake Titisee and the charming towns surrounding it; this scenic area offers a particularly wide range of leisure and holiday activities.
Another great town north of the holiday village and hotels is Gutach:
A town of 4,400 residents brimming with family attractions right in the heart of the Black Forest, about 20 km northeast of Freiburg. In town, you can visit the top open-air museum in the Black Forest, the Vogtsbauernhof Freilichtmuseum.
Take a ride on the fast alpine coaster Vogtsbauernhof Gutach – a 1.2 km track featuring sharp twists, jumps, and tunnels. Thrill-seekers can hit very high speeds down the track.
Additionally, the town features a large, high-quality Barefoot/Sensory Park (Park mit allen Sinnen) and a nice mini-golf course. The town is full of traditional Black Forest timber-framed houses as well as scenic walking trails.
On the way back, it is wonderful to stop at the "Witch's Hole" (Hexenlochmühle). The name translates to the mill of the witch's hole. It is an ancient wooden house with an operating water mill powered by wooden wheels driven by river water. The mill was built in 1825 and has been owned by the same family since 1839.
Inside the building is a large souvenir shop selling cuckoo clocks, woodwork, dolls (mostly witches), jewelry, and various regional delicacies. The courtyard features a tourist restaurant and several wooden benches for resting and taking in the views. After visiting here, the witches' houses in the Brothers Grimm fairy tales feel much more real...
Nature Trips
It is recommended to combine visits to amusement parks and various attractions with nature excursions. The Black Forest is filled with opportunities for hiking, cycling, boating, swimming in lakes, and more. Germany's highest waterfalls, Triberg Waterfalls, are also located right in the Black Forest.
