Everything about Black Forest totally explained
For the suburb of Adelaide, please see Black Forest, South Australia; for the CDP in Colorado, please see Black Forest, Colorado.:
For the cake or the gateau, please see Black Forest gateau.
The
Black Forest (
German Schwarzwald) is a
wooded mountain range in
Baden-Württemberg, southwestern
Germany. It is bordered by the
Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the
Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493
meters (4,898
feet).
The region is almost rectangular with a length of and breadth of . Hence it has an area of approximately .
Geography
Geology
Geologically, the Black Forest consists of a cover of
sandstone on top of a core of
gneiss. During the last
glacial period, the
Würm glaciation, the Black Forest was covered by glaciers; several
cirques such as the Mummelsee are remains of this period.
Rivers
Rivers in the Black Forest include
Danube (which has its source in the Black Forest),
Enz,
Kinzig,
Murg,
Neckar, and
Rench. The Black Forest is part of the
continental divide between the
Atlantic Ocean catchment (drained by the
Rhine) and the
Black Sea catchment (drained by the Danube).
List of highest mountains
Political
Administratively, the Black Forest belongs to the following districts (
Kreise). In the north:
Enz,
Pforzheim,
Rastatt, and
Calw; in the middle:
Freudenstadt,
Ortenaukreis, and
Rottweil; in the south:
Emmendingen,
Schwarzwald-Baar,
Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald,
Lörrach, and
Waldshut.
Ecology and Economy
The forest mostly consists of
pines and
firs, some of which are grown in commercial
monoculture. The Black Forest, like other forested regions, has had areas damaged by
mass logging. Due to logging and land use changes the forest proper is only a fraction of the size it used to be. The storm
Lothar knocked down trees over hundreds of acres of mountaintops in
1999. This left some of the high peaks and scenic hills bare, with only primary growth shrubs and young fir trees.
The main industry is
tourism. In addition to the towns and monuments noted below, the Black Forest is crossed by numerous
long distance footpaths, including some of the first to be established. The
European long-distance path E1 crosses the Black Forest following the routes of some of the local long-distance paths. In addition there are numerous shorter paths suitable for day walks, as well as
mountain biking and
cross-country skiing trails. The total network of tracks amounts to around, and is maintained and overseen by a voluntary body, the
Schwarzwaldverein (Black Forest Society), which has around 90,000 members (figures from Bremke, 1999, p.9).
Points of interest
The cities of
Freiburg and
Baden-Baden are popular tourist destinations on the western edge of the Black Forest; towns in the forest include
Bad Herrenalb,
Baiersbronn,
Freudenstadt,
Gengenbach,
Schramberg,
Staufen,
Titisee-Neustadt,
Hausach and
Wolfach. Other popular destinations include such mountains as the Feldberg, the
Belchen, the
Kandel, and the Schauinsland; the
Titisee and
Schluchsee lakes; the
All Saints Waterfalls; the
Triberg Waterfalls, not the highest but the most famous waterfalls in Germany; and the
gorge of the
River Wutach.
The
Vogtsbauernhöfe is an open-air museum that shows the life of
16th or
17th century farmers the region, featuring a number of reconstructed Black Forest farms. The
German Clock Museum in
Furtwangen shows the history of the
clock industry and of
watchmakers.
For drivers, the main route through the region is the rapid E35 motorway, but a variety of sign-posted scenic routes such as the Schwarzwald-Hochstrasse (
Baden-Baden to
Freudenstadt), Schwarzwald Tälerstrasse (the
Murg and
Kinzig valleys) or Badische Weinstrasse (Baden Wine Street,, a wine route from
Baden-Baden to
Weil am Rhein) offer calmer driving along high roads.
(External Link
). The latter is a picturesque trip starting in the south of the Black Forest going north and includes numerous old wineries and tiny villages.
Due to the rich mining history dating from medieval times (the Black Forest was one of the most important mining regions of Europe around 1100) there are many mines re-opened for the public. Such mines may be visited in the Kinzig valley, the Suggental, the Muenster valley and around Todtmoos.
Animal life
In addition to the expected kinds of wildlife to be found in a European forest area, the following types of animals may be observed in the Black Forest: [http://www.blackforest-tourism.com/index.php/layout/set/print/sprachversionen/natur/natur_mit_allen_sinnen_wahrnehmen
1]
Culture
Dialects spoken in the Black Forest area are
Alemannic and
Swabian.
Fasnet
The German holiday of
Fastnacht, or Fasnet, as it's known in the Black Forest region, occurs in the time leading up to Lent. On
Rosenmontag, or the Monday before Ash Wednesday, crowds of people line the streets, wearing masks. One prominent style of mask is the Black Forest Style, originating from the Black Forest Region.
Crafts
Wood-carving is a traditional cottage industry in the region, and carved ornaments are now produced in substantial numbers as souvenirs for tourists.
Cuckoo clocks are a popular example; although they were not, as is sometimes claimed, invented in the Black Forest, they've been made in the region since the early 18th century, and much of their development occurred there.
Culinary
Black Forest ham originated from this region, and so, by name and reputation at least, did the
Black Forest gateau (Black Forest Cake). The Black Forest variety of
Flammkuchen is a Badisch specialty made with ham, cheese, and cream.
Pfannkuchen, a
crêpe or
crêpe-like (
Eierkuchen or
Palatschinken) pastry, is also common.
Gallery
Image:Feldberg.JPG|The Feldberg.
Image:Blick über den Mittleren Schwarzwald 2.JPG|A view in the Middle Black Forest.
Image:Schwarzwald 1.jpg|Black Forest
Image:titisee_winter.jpg|The lake Titisee, popular year-round.
Image:schwarz-wald.jpg|Black Forest trees in the snow.
Image:clock_forest.jpg|The Black Forest is known for its native clock makers
Image:freistadt.jpg|The Münster in Freiburg, the region's biggest city.
Image:kinzig.jpg|River Kinzig passing through the Black Forest.
Image:Mummelsee.jpg|Lake Mummelsee
Image:Jugendherberge Schloss Ortenberg.jpg|Ortenberg Castle near Offenburg (now a Youth Hostel)
Image:Bodensee vor Ueberlingen.jpg|Lake Constance bordering Austria and Switzerland
Image:Avg-853-02.jpg|Black Forest Train near Karlsruhe
Image:Burg Hohenzollern mit Schwarzwald2.JPG|Hohenzollern Castle; backdrop: Black Forest
Further Information
Get more info on 'Black Forest'.
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