Black Forest

Mountain Range · Baden-Württemberg, 🇩🇪 Germany

Area 6,139 km²

Time zone Europe/Berlin

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Featured Lists

Carsten Frenzl / CC BY 2.0

Black Forest Must-Sees

The Black Forest features a diverse range of natural landmarks and historical sites. This selection includes dramatic natural monuments like the 97-meter Todtnau Waterfall and the secluded Zweribachfälle. Engineering and recreation are represented by the scenic Black Forest Railway and the Hasenhorn Coaster. The region's history is preserved in the Roman pottery kiln, the Narrenmuseum carnival exhibits, and several medieval ruins, including the Roggenbacher Schlösser and Ruine Ramstein, which offer insight into the area's defensive architecture and cultural heritage.

11 places

View Points and Observation Towers

Explore the diverse topography of the Black Forest through a collection of historic castle ruins, purpose-built observation towers, and natural rock outcrops. This list features specialized vantage points ranging from the 25-meter Riesenbühlturm near Schluchsee to the wheelchair-accessible Dreitälerblick. Highlights include views of the Swiss Alps, the Todtnau Waterfalls, and the historic timber-framed architecture of Altensteig, alongside steel towers like Hubenloch situated within urban rose gardens.

19 places

Markus Schaefer / CC BY-SA 3.0 de

Regional Heritage Sites

This collection highlights the layered history of the Black Forest region, spanning from the Iron Age to the 18th century. It features significant archaeological sites like the Magdalenenberg tumulus and a 2nd-century Roman pottery kiln, alongside medieval castle ruins such as Fautsburg and Ramstein. The list also documents regional folk piety through numerous 'Bildstock' shrines and stone wayside crosses that mark historic paths and rural boundaries.

24 places

Klaus Graf / CC BY 3.0

Castles and Historic Buildings

This collection features medieval hilltop castle ruins and historic fortifications across the Black Forest region. Highlights include the partially preserved Schloß Berneck, situated on a dramatic rocky spur, and the twin ruins of Roggenbacher Schlösser. These sites, ranging from the foundations of Ruine Ramstein to the Fautsburg ruins overlooking the Enz valley, showcase the medieval defensive architecture and strategic positioning characteristic of the Northern and Central Black Forest.

9 places

Neptuna / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Germany's Majestic Waterfalls

Explore the diverse water features of the Black Forest, ranging from the 97-meter drop of the Todtnauer Wasserfall to the secluded Zweribachfälle nature reserve. This collection highlights glacial landscapes like the Hängetal des Stübenbachs and the steep rocky terrain of the Teichschlucht gorge. These sites demonstrate the region's geological history, featuring multi-stage cascades and protected forest environments situated between Freiburg and the High Black Forest.

5 places

Anghy / Public domain

Sacred Sites and Churches

This collection features significant religious architecture and traditional wayside shrines across the Black Forest region. It includes the Neo-Gothic Protestant church in Ebhausen, built in the mid-19th century, and the Catholic parish church of Seliger Bernhard in Gausbach. A prominent feature of the list is the series of historic 'Bildstöcke'—traditional stone shrines that serve as markers of regional heritage and local faith, with examples dating back to 1783.

13 places