TRAVEL SHEET
Destination:
THE BLACK FOREST (Germany)
passing through Switzerland (Lake Luzern)
and Lake Konstanz (german side)
THE BLACK FOREST AND LAKE KONSTANZ (GERMANY):
“To Breathe” the pristine Nature and to plunge into the large woods and lakes
A very appropriate Travel for Senior travellers!!
The emotion of a full immersion into the pristine Nature of woods and lakes, pitoresque villages, genuine people, walks, boat tours surrounded by a pure and brilliant nature, clean and fresh air and preserved enviornment which is enhanced with great care .. No smog, no chaos, no traffic at all, not even in August!!
The Black Forest area is a paradise for walkers, for trekking on foot or by bike but it is accessible to everyone, with good care and attention to people with disabilities.
Reason for the destination’s choice
As I was (at that time) still working as an employee in a Company that was closed in August for 3 weeks (since ever .. as in our typical italian tradition ..) and, of course, since many years personally abolishing any seaside destination in Italy in August … Every year I was looking for an ideal travel solution for the month of August, for a travel lasting around 15 days.
The Black Forest has been one of our favourite destinations for a long time.
Transports
For visiting the Black Forest it is better go by car (or by camper), as to be free to move around. For our travel, leaving from Piemonte region (Italy), we decided to go by car and, to break the journey, we planned to stop for a couple of days in Switzerland (by the Lake Luzern); then, we drove to the Lake Konstanz (german side) where we stopped for a few days.
The last part of the journey by car was towards the Black Forest (Germany).
Accomodation chosen
1 boutique Hotel (for 2 nights) by the Lake Luzern (starting point by boat towards Luzern and surroundings)
1 Loft (Cottage of a large private house having its garden and vegetable garden) by the Lake Konstanz (german side).
1 (marvellous) private house in a small village in the Black Forest, near Freudenstadt.
What we have Seen / Done / Visited:
We are passionate about Art, particularly modern and contemporary art, we love the biggest 20th century painters and sculptors, but we also like innovative art, Graffitis, Murals and Street Art.
We like immersing ourselves in Nature, see stunning landscapes, the most characteristic colours of every place… the skies, the lakes, the woods, people and their way of living.
- Boat tour on the Lake Luzern
- Luzern city centre on foot
- Visit of Rosengarten Collection in Luzern
- Boat Tours on the Lake Konstanz
- Konstanz city centre on foot
- Bus tours in the country and villages by the Lake Konstanz
- Trips by train from Konstanz
- Visit of Mainau Island (reached by public bus from Konstanz city centre)
- Visit of Meersburg island (reached by boat)
- Freudenstadt city centre on foot
- Visit of some characteristic villages in The Black Forest
- Walks in the villages, woods and by some lakes in the Black Forest
- Visit of the famous spa town of Baden-Baden
- Visit of the Lake Mummelsee (Black Forest)
TOP EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES
Bare Foot Park
We had so much fun and we laughed like children.. it is a fantastic emotional / sensorial experience, for the contact of the feet with the wood’s different kinds of terrains … This gives you a sensation of wellness and freedom, with great fun as well!!
Boat Trip on the Lake Konstanz (on Sunday) with the marching band (playing live)
They were playing typical pieces and it was possible to have breakfast or lunch on the boat.
This experience can reveal a lot about the local people’s habits.
Treetop Walk park (walk on the top of the trees)
A marvellous experience!! Beyond description!! We almost brushed a squirrel …
You can visit the Park by walking on very easy paths (suitable on a wheel chair, as well as for people walking with a cane) having a very gentle slope as to reach gradually the top of the trees up to 30 / 50 metres of height, fully safely!!
It is a full immersion in the wood and in the wood’s life!!
At the end of the path there is a huge spiral (having a comfortable walkway, always having a slight uphill slope) that leads to the very top of the big trees, with a spectacular 360° panorama view in any direction ….
An emotional experience for feeling like Elves in the woods of the Fairies …
What we have never missed
We always try not to miss anything important in life .. pretty much all the time .. When travelling, even more …
Every day in the afternoon, after walking and exploring: quite a large slice of cherries’ cake (The Black Forest’s cake “Schwartzwalder Kirschtorte”) with tea: so good!! Slurp! Despite its “creamy” look , the cream is very fresh and light, not too sweet at all. We also tasted other kind of cakes made of wild berries, chocolate, etc..
The fabulous german BREAD, above all the brown breads, with all kinds of seeds and the famous Bretzel ..so good! (I don’t know why but, it didn’t seem to be so ..).
We received as a gift the Ravioli Maultaschen (and Mario cooked them): at first sight we wouldn’t bet on them… but we really liked this typical specialty!! (Anyway, Mario did not cook them in the broth as it would be the original recipe, but “italian style” with tomato sauce …).
Typical lunch with Wurstel, fries and local beer in the german mug! I can’t say how much we like beer!!
All the time we bought and cooked local specialties, including very good wines of the Lake Konstanz area, for example.
We also liked the german salami, such as the Black Forest ham.
When possible in english or even better if you speak german … talking to the local people is always essential!!
Fun fact
I don’t speak german (except for a very few essential words) but I thought to be fine with german people as they usually speak english well..
I had not considered the fact that we were in a small village in the Black Forest.. where, needless to say .. almost no one could speak english!
The (woman) baker’s husband (the bakery close to home where we used to buy our favourite bread by pointing everything we wanted to buy with gestures..) could say some words in english and so I could ask where the butcher’s was and he could ..somehow .. give us the indications ..
You won’t believe me .. but we managed to get lost in a few streets of the small german village.. and we were going around looking for the butcher’s .. without finding it … 🙂 Finally, we came back to the baker’s husband who, so kindly, went out to guide us there personally to the butcher’s shop that was not far … We had passed in front of it at least twice but in the shop window there were wooden and flowers’ arrangements .. there was no sign and so we thought it was the florist … hi hi …
The two women butchers did not speak english either but we managed to point the pieces of meat we wanted to buy (Mario’s father was a butcher, so he is a great expert about meat) with gestures! The meat was excellent!!
German people of the areas we visited are extremely kind and available, I can assure that!!
.. Sooner or later it had to happen to me too .. what it almost never happens to me .. that is to say that no one speaks any of the languages I speak … A new experience for me ..
If you want you can understand each other all the same for the essential things … You can communicate with gestures and by using facial expressions ..
Mario makes himself clear by drawing fast sketches… Everybody is surpised but it is really effective!!
I discovered that
In Germany you don’t pay the toll on the highway! Moreover, petrol costs less than in Italy!
In Switzerland, on the contrary, you also pay for going to the toilet in gas stations (no matter if you buy a drink or food). In Switzerland not only petrol is so expensive, but everything is very expensive for us italians! (Luckily, at least we spent there just a very few days..).
In Germany, buses are very punctual to the bus schedules (even though I don’t speak german, I found it simple to understand the buses and trains’ schedules ..).
The boats too are very punctual and on the lakes the boats are used like regular public transports.
On the Lake Konstanz, shores form like small beaches in various areas: people go there as if they were going to the seaside with the beach umbrella and they bathe!
In fact, water is immaculate and clear and many people play various sports: boating, canoeing, etc..
In Germany, shoppping at the supermarket (for many products) in general costs a little less than in Italy, at least on the german side of the Lake Konstanz and in the Black Forest.
We were struck by the respect for nature and for the land, cleanliness and extreme care of trails and footpaths, of woods and streets .. in a world, of the whole territory!!
German people are very civilized, polite and kind!! (At least, for sure in the areas that we visited).
