Frankfurt to the Black Forest – A long weekend away

I ventured south of Frankfurt to the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) and have created a small itinerary for if you fancy getting out of the city on your next weekend away.

Where to stay

I would recommend staying in either Altglashütten-Falkau or Titisee. Altglashütten-Falkau if you fancy a small guest house or apartment in a quiet area or Titisee, which is very touristy but means you have more on your doorstep. Both are easily reachable within approx 3 hours if travelling from Frankfurt am Main by train.

Friday – Titisee

I arrived on Friday morning and after a walk through the forest in Altglashütten-Falkau, I headed to Titisee for the afternoon. Titisee was lovely – as I said very touristy but it has a beautiful lake and offers a handful of restaurants. I would take a quick look at Trip Advisor before dining, but I can recommend Mona Lisa, the Italian restaurant, because of its good food and very friendly staff. Hiring a boat on the lake after having a few scoops of ice-cream left a good taste after my first day in the Black Forest and I was looking forward to more exploring over the rest of the weekend.

Saturday – Ravenna Gorge hike

I loved hiking the Ravenna gorge! There’s an impressive railway track in the lower part of the gorge but I actually preferred the hike and being surrounded by the forestry and waterfalls. You can catch the train to Hinterzarten and from there, more or less follow the signs to Ravenna Gorge (Ravennaschlucht). It was totally worth the 10km hike and was so refreshing to be away from the city.

As the weather was overcast, I headed to the Badeparadies swimming pools in Titisee to chill for a couple of hours. The ‘Palmenoase’ area offered special pools with various salts etc, a bar in the pool (literally) and an outdoor pool and relaxing area.

Black Forest Tourist Card

I was able to visit the Badeparadies for approx €5 for two hours instead of around €20, which I personally think is a rip-off. This is because I had a Black Forest Tourist Card (Hochschwarzwald Card) which is offered for free if your accommodation charges tourist tax of approx €8 per person. I also travelled free of charge on all regional public transport and experienced some of the tourist attractions for free. Deffo saved a few cents with this one!

Sunday – Feldberg/ Feldsee hike

Hiking up Feldberg (Feld mountain) and arriving at  Feldsee (Feld lake) had to be my favourite part of the entire weekend. My feet were sore after the 12km hike up and down the mountains but the views were spectacular. I took the 7300 bus to Feldberger Hof, beginning the hike at around 9:30am and finishing up at around 3:30pm (including a lunch break and stopping to take in the views).

I then got the bus straight back to Titisee where I sat at the side of the lake to relax before heading back to the guest house for the evening.

Monday – Freiburg

If travelling by train, you’ll need to change at Freiburg in order to complete your journey. I made the most of this by checking out from my accommodation in the morning and heading to Freiburg for half a day before catching the train back to Frankfurt in the late afternoon.

As well exploring Munsterplatz, Freiburg Munster and Munsterplatz Market, I would really recommend stopping for food at Yepa Yepa, a top rated Mexican restaurant on Trip Advisor. I wasn’t expecting to find this recommendation either, but it was so good and for those who don’t eat meat, there were vegetarian and vegan options too!

Quick Tips

• Make your trip a 3-day weekend by combining Titisee and the Ravenna Gorge hike into one day.
• If you travel by train, I would recommend staying in a hotel/ guest house, rather than an apartment as supermarkets are very far and few between.
• The trains only come once an hour, which wasn’t too bad but you’ll need to plan ahead.
• The weather will make a huge difference so leave room to be spontaneous.
• You can leave your suitcases/ bags in the lockers at Freiburg station, so don’t worry about having to drag them around for the day.
• Try out Black Forest gateau whilst you’re there!