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Stop in Freiburg vs Staufen during Black Forest drive

After sleeping in Baden Baden we will be driving the Extended Black Forest route south through Triberg. Then will most likely take the route through St. Margen over Mount Kandel. Our destination for sleepling that night is Colmar, France. I'm thinking we'll only have time to stop to explore either Freiburg or Staufen without getting too exhausted. Looking for suggestions which to explore during our 1 day in the Black Forest. We also like short scenic hikes. Maybe we'll get that at the waterfall near Triberg. Thank you for any suggestions!

Posted by
2541 posts

Staufen is a pretty and pretty sleepy stop if that is what you want. Freiburg is a good sized city. I'm surely in the minority on this one, but enjoyed the nearby Lake Titisee.

Posted by
7072 posts

"...we will be driving the Extended Black Forest route south through Triberg. Then will most likely take the route through St. Margen over Mount Kandel. Our destination for sleepling that night is Colmar, France. I'm thinking we'll only have time to stop to explore either Freiburg or Staufen without getting too exhausted."

Freiburg and Staufen are peripheral to the Black Forest. It sounds as though you aren't stopping over within the Black Forest much at all except for Triberg. Maybe you should check out a few more places:

Gutach & the Vogtsbauernhof: http://www.bensbauernhof.com/gutachimschwarzwald.html
Haslach: http://www.haslach.de/,Lde/startseite/tourismus/Sehenswertes.html#id229565 (use google translate)
Schiltach: https://www.schiltach.de/en/Home
Wolfach: http://www.dorotheenhuette.info/index.html?&L=1
Gengenbach: http://www.stadthotel-gengenbach.de/files/gengenbach-innenstadt.jpg

Posted by
218 posts

As Bruce said, Staufen is small (8000) and Freiburg is a big city (220 000), with lots of traffic and parking needs. (Baden-Baden, by comparison, is around 60 000, so only a quarter the size of Freiburg.). If you're driving through Triberg, I'd suggest doing your hiking there, then stopping in Staufen on your way to Colmar for an afternoon snack or a late lunch. You can walk this pretty little town in a half hour, but it has plenty of shops and cafes. Freiburg is a pleasant city to wander, but it will require more time and planning.

Posted by
32355 posts

brenda,

As it's a larger city, Freiburg will offer more to see, more restaurants, etc. Of course parking may be an issue, so you'd have to check that. The Cathedral in Freiburg is magnificent and worth a visit (IMO). They regularly have street markets around the Cathedral, which are a good place to sample the local Bratwurst or whatever.

Posted by
9 posts

Thank you all for your suggestions! My goal is to get a taste of typical Black Forest (well, as much as I'm able in a 1 day drive.) My ancestors are from Black Forest region, but I don't know which town.

I didn't realize Freiburg was such a large city, so I will skip it. Will plan to do the extended drive with a stop in Triberg to see the town & hike waterfalls. Then will most likely stop in Staufen. Thank you Russ for the additional places to check out. I really wish I knew where my family was from, but the last name of Schmidt is too common.