The hook
The dark, densely wooded hills of Germany's southwest corner, home of the cuckoo clock, the gateau, and a landscape of fir, waterfalls, and spa towns that fed the country's fairy tales.
01Why it's worth it
The Black Forest gets its name from stands of fir so thick they shut out the light, and that brooding wood is the source of a lot of German folklore, including tales the Brothers Grimm gathered. It is a gentle rather than dramatic place: rounded upland ridges, cold lakes, the tumbling Triberg waterfalls, and a craft tradition of intricate cuckoo clocks you can still watch being made. The old grand spa town of Baden-Baden sits at its edge, trading on thermal waters. Food is a real draw, from the layered cherry-and-cream Black Forest gateau, which comes from here, to smoked ham and long-aged bacon. It works best as a slow drive-and-walk region: the scenic ridge roads, the trails between villages, a soak in a spa, rather than any single must-see sight.
02How to experience it
Drive a ridge route like the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse and stop to walk into the woods and to the Triberg falls. Take the waters at a spa, eat the real gateau where it was invented, and buy a clock from a workshop if the craft appeals. In December the forest towns run some of Germany's prettiest Christmas markets.