2 days in Black Forest

Gengenbach is where I have and will again stay. Pictureque marktplatz, old town, good train connections. Schiltach would be another place to consider - worth a visit in any case

Here's another recommendation for Gengenbach. I stayed there for 4 nights in May of 2022 and absolutely loved it. It's the perfect base for the area. It is on the main train line so it's easy to get to some of the other villages in the area. Gengenbach itself is extremely picturesque and has been called a "chocolate box" village. It has a beautiful Altstadt and lots to see and do, including many hikes in the area. I could easily have stayed longer.

If you stay there, you receive a free KONUS card that entitles you to free public transportation through most of the Black Forest. You can take a ride using the picturesque Black Forest Railway and travel to some of the other towns near there, like Schiltach that Stephen mentioned.

The town also has quite a few very nice restaurants. I had some excellent meals while staying there. I stayed at the Stadthotel Pfeffermühle, which was also excellent and reasonably priced (good breakfast, too!) and a quick 10 minute walk from the train station.

ETA: While you're there, don't miss out on a visit to the Vogtsbauernhof museum (open air museum) in Gutach. It is an open air tour of historic farms showing how people lived and worked in the Black Forest up to 600 years ago. It really is a must-see. https://www.vogtsbauernhof.de/en

I also am a fan of Gengenbach. "Picturesque" as can be. I was there in shoulder season in 2017. It was pretty quiet. I enjoyed sitting on the main square eating ice cream and watching the world slowly go by. As noted above, KONUS card... good rail connections... etc.

For the GAS tour I did in 2019, we also went to Vogtsbauernhof, and it was really fun. Definitely think that is worth checking out!

We also did a toboggan ride not too far from there, which was a hoot! Can't recall the name but I'm sure you could find it on Google Maps if needed. Not sure when you're traveling, but I'm guessing it closes in inclement weather.

Yes…one more vote for Gengenbach. Did 4 days in July. Loved it and from there on Konus pass saw Freiburg and Strasbourg. No regrets taking this suggestion from fellow forum recommendations.

I routinely suggest Gengenbach for a good travel base as well, in part because of its desirable location on the Black Forest Railway and near the north-south Rhine Valley Railway junction town of Offenburg... easy to get to, easy to leave on a day trip to Strasbourg FR, Freiburg, Basel, and other smaller towns in this part of the Black Forest. The handsome town itself is another great reason for being there. It's a photogenic little place for sure.

OTOH, I think I'll suggest a couple of additional options too. One place I stayed many years ago was on Lake Titisee, at the extreme south end of the lake where the Veltishof youth hostel is located. "Picturesque" had no better definition, I thought. Years later, I returned to the area for a hike across Hochfirst peak through the thick forest between Neustadt and Titisee. The enormous views from the Hochfirst lookout tower across Titisee and over to the Feldberg there were great as well. If "picturesque" means you are looking for lots of forest and mountain-feel, there are places like this elsewhere in the Black Forest as well, places which might suit you better than Gengenbach.