Black Forest Walking

The Black Forest, Germany, can be found in the state of Baden-Württemberg, tucked away in the south west corner of the country, close to the border with France. The towns most associated with the Black Forest are the university town of Freiburg to the south and the fashionable resort town of Baden-Baden to the north; both make good bases for exploring the area.

Relatively small at 150km long by 50km wide, The Black Forest (Schwarzwald in German) has an interesting and varied history, accounting for its fame despite covering such a small area. One of the locations of the 17th-century peasant’s uprising, the Black Forest has long been associated with traditional farming, forestry works and other traditionally working-class professions. Residents used the material most in abundance to create their wares. Wooden buildings, farmsteads and items such as the famous wooden cuckoo clock are still almost exclusively associated with the region.

By the 19th century, the forest had been almost completely deforested, which just shows how much wood was extracted and used for commercial purposes. Luckily for us, it was subsequently replanted and the Black Forest National Park was established in 2014; Baden-Württemberg’s first national park. Aside from the ubiquitous cuckoo-clock, fairytales and dense canopy of trees, the Black Forest is also known for its fantastic hiking trails, don't miss out on the chance to get close to nature in this mythical forest.

Also known in English as a Black Forest Gateau. It is the Black Forest’s most famous export despite not being named after the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) mountain range in southwestern Germany. Rather it got its name from Kirsch, a popular liquor from the region, distilled from tart cherries grown in the region, the ingredient which with it gives the cake its distinctive flavour.

It is easily recognized by its chocolate, cherry and whipped cream layers topped decoratively with more cherries, whipped cream and chocolate shavings. It has grown to be the most popular cake from Germany and among the world's best cakes.

You can not leave the region without trying at least one (or multiple slices) of this show-stopping cake.

Macs Adventure has been running self-guided walking holidays in Germany since 2008.  Whether you like mountains and hills, lakes, rivers, dreamy villages and well preserved medieval cities, Germany has something to offer for everyone. This abundance of wonderful places to explore led us to seek out more and more areas to help people discover Germany on foot. 

From humble beginnings, we now send over 2000 walkers to Germany every year, each walking the route that excites them the most. We provide the freedom to choose your route, itinerary and travel companions and discover Germany at your own pace. 

We know how daunting it can be, setting off on an adventure of this scale and we quickly realized how important it was to have amazing partners on the ground in Germany to deal with any issues that you might come across.  We are proud to say that we work incredibly closely with all our accommodation suppliers and luggage transfer teams, and should you have the slightest issue, they will fall over themselves to help you out. 

We offer a flexible, tailor-made hiking experience that gets you comfortable, friendly overnight accommodation in local B&Bs and guesthouses. We carry your bags to lighten your load so you can concentrate on simply putting one foot in front of the other and enjoying the unique culture, food and scenery of Germany. No hostels, no leaky tents, no heavy bags on your back just a straightforward active holiday that you can book with confidence that we have it all covered for you. 

We want to showcase our expertise by giving you all the resources you will ever need.  We have free guides, comprehensive videos, and a host of staff with their own German experiences in the planning stage, waiting to answer your questions. On the route, we use high-quality digital mapping and the best maps and guidebooks to make sure you find your way.  

We love the diversity of walking in Germany, and our main aim is to make sure that you do too.