DESTINATIONS BLACK FOREST GERMANY


bombs, but the unique design of the spire – an ornate perforated, latticed design – allowed the shockwaves to pass through. Climb to the top of the cathedral for beautiful views over the town and the hills beyond. But I opt for a different viewpoint,


from nearby Schlossberg hill, which towers over the town. A cable car takes me to the peak, where I enjoy dinner at the Dattler, a hilltop restaurant that dates back to 1882 and is famous for its apple pie. I choose to walk back to the city


centre, grateful that we opted for the gondola on the upward leg. It’s a hot day, although nothing unusual for Germany’s hottest region.


SAMPLE PRODUCT


Kirker Holidays offers a three- night break to Freiburg, including accommodation at the Hotel Zum Alten Bären, flights to Basel


and car hire, from £779 per person. kirkerholidays. com


Inntravel offers an eight-night, self-guided A


Walk in the Black Forest holiday from £1,050 per person. The price includes two nights in Freiburg at the


Hotel Oberkirch, six dinners, two picnics and travel on local buses and trains. This holiday operates between May and October. inntravel.co.uk


60 travelweekly.co.uk 28 September 2017


w COURSE OF NATURE Germany's love of precision means that getting to neighbouring villages and towns is easy, thanks to an extensive rail network that connects the tiniest of villages. Our first stop is Hinterzarten, a beautiful commune filled with hikers, cyclists and Alpine-style chalets hiding behind flower-filled window boxes. I hike through meadows of wildflowers and past quaint shepherds’ huts, the only noise being the odd gasp from an exhausted hiker. Occasionally we hear an electric whir as a Lycra-clad cyclist overtakes us. Bikes aren’t the only electric form of transport – electric cars are popular, too. Tourists who stay for two or more


Hiking through meadows of wildflowers and past shepherds’ huts, the only noise is the odd gasp from an exhausted hiker


nights in the Black Forest receive a Red Inclusive Card. This region-wide discount card provides free access to more than 70 attractions and a free test drive in an e-car. Since 2015, these vehicles have been dotted across the


Black Forest, creating the world’s first rural e-car sharing scheme. But remain within the confines of a car and you’ll miss the Black Forest’s best bits – the tapping of woodpeckers and the rich smell of fragrant herbs. I learn more about the latter from Josef Fehrenbach, owner and head chef of the Waldhotel Fehrenbach, on the outskirts of Hinterzarten. With his untamed hair and equally untamed passion for local ingredients, Fehrenbach has something of the mad scientist about him. He leads us into his sprawling garden and plucks fragrant sprigs of nettle and comfrey, passing them to me to smell and chew. Later, he tears a huge dark-green leaf from a bush and tells me to place it in my shoe; sure enough, my feet instantly feel cooler. Our alfresco lunch features his


favourite ingredients: a mushroom soup and flower-adorned salad drizzled with a nettle-based dressing. I skip dessert knowing that I’ll soon be sampling another local delicacy: Black Forest gateau.


ABOVE: Freiburg


LEFT: Park Hotel Post


w PROOF IN THE PUDDING At Café Schnapshäusle, in nearby Feldberg, shelves heave with hand- painted crockery and the queues for the legendary cakes snake out the door. Downstairs, a kitchen has been turned into a demonstration area, where visitors can watch employees squeeze perfect curls of fondant out of icing bags and sandwich the famous cake’s layers together with the help of the potent, cherry liqueur-infused filling.


PICTURE: SHUTTERSTOCK; THOMAS HANSMANN


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