Löffingen and the Baar (Dittishausen, Löffingen, Donaueschingen, Bad Dürrheim)
Dittishausen, a village belonging to Löffingen, holds the largest single group of our Black Forest houses. The Wutach Gorge, one of the best gorge walks in Germany, starts a short drive south. Donaueschingen has the spring in the palace park that is counted as the source of the Danube, and Bad Dürrheim is a spa town with a large brine pool complex. Zurich airport is around an hour and a quarter away.
Best for: Walkers who want the Wutach Gorge and quieter, cheaper villages
Not for you if: You want steep wooded valleys around the house: this eastern side is rolling farmland and open plateau.
Titisee, Schluchsee and the Feldberg (Schluchsee, Feldberg, Falkau, Lenzkirch, Hinterzarten, Eisenbach)
The Feldberg, at just under 1,500 metres, is the highest point in the Black Forest and its main ski area, with lifts above Falkau and Feldberg village. Schluchsee is the largest lake in the forest, with a lakeside path and boats in summer. Hinterzarten is a ski-jumping village with a smarter feel, and Lenzkirch and Eisenbach are quieter and cheaper. Freiburg is about 45 minutes away, and Basel airport around an hour and a quarter.
Best for: Skiing in winter, lake swimming and long walks in summer
Not for you if: You want quiet lakeshores in August: Titisee in particular fills with coach parties.
The southern Black Forest (Bernau, Menzenschwand, Todtmoos, Todtnau, Höchenschwand)
Open high pastures with views south to the Alps on clear days. Bernau and Menzenschwand sit in wide valleys below the Herzogenhorn, and St Blasien, just down the road, has a huge domed abbey church. Todtnau has a waterfall walk and a summer toboggan run on the Hasenhorn. Höchenschwand sits on a plateau known for its Alpine views. Basel airport is about an hour away.
Best for: High walking country and small family ski lifts
Not for you if: You need shops and restaurants within walking distance: villages are long and spread along the valleys.
Triberg and the Kinzig valley (Schonach, Hausach, Hofstetten, Schiltach, Alpirsbach)
Schonach sits above Triberg, whose waterfalls are among the highest in Germany. Down in the Kinzig valley, the Vogtsbauernhof open-air museum at Gutach, next to Hausach, shows the old thatched farmhouses, and Schiltach has one of the best half-timbered centres in the region. Alpirsbach has a Romanesque monastery and a brewery you can tour. Stuttgart and Strasbourg airports are each roughly an hour and a half away.
Best for: Families who want waterfalls, cuckoo clocks and an open-air museum
Not for you if: You want to avoid tour coaches: Triberg's falls and clock shops are busy all summer.
Baiersbronn and Baden-Baden (northern Black Forest)
Baiersbronn is a sprawling forest parish known for having several Michelin-starred restaurants. The Black Forest High Road runs along the ridge past the Mummelsee and into the Black Forest National Park. Baden-Baden is a spa town with Roman-era baths, the Friedrichsbad and the Caracalla Therme, and a large casino. Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden airport is about 15 minutes from Baden-Baden and around an hour from Baiersbronn.
Best for: Food lovers, spa days and national park walks
Not for you if: You want a cheap week: Baden-Baden and the Baiersbronn hotels set the prices up here.
The Kaiserstuhl (Endingen, Vogtsburg, Sasbach)
The Kaiserstuhl rises out of the Rhine valley north-west of Freiburg, terraced with vineyards for Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. Vogtsburg is a cluster of wine villages including Oberrotweil and Burkheim, Endingen has a small old town with a market square, and Sasbach sits on the Rhine with France across the river. Spring brings wild orchids to the slopes. Basel airport is around an hour away, and the forest about 40 minutes east.
Best for: Wine tasting, cycling and the warmest weather in the region
Not for you if: You want forest walks from the door: this is a volcanic wine hill in the Rhine plain, west of the Black Forest proper.
