Don't-Miss/Don't Bother Black Forest Sights

It depends a lot on what you like. I like quaint, traditional small German towns, natural scenery, and museums with an historical or educational bent. I don't particularly like cities and overly touristy attractions. I've spent a lot of time in the northern Black Forest, and that's the part with which I am most familiar, and favor. I spent a most enjoyable afternoon in Calw, home of Hermann Hesse, a quint town filled with Fachwerk buildings. Had lunch in a very avant garde cafe. Freudenstadt is very interesting. I thought Baden-Baden was greatly overrated (unless you are into gambling there was not much there - a glitzy pedestrian shopping mall and a westernized bath). If you want a traditional German spa, go to the Palais Therme in Bad Wildbad - old spa beautifully decorated in a Moorish theme in a very scenic, small town. I've never stopped there but I think the Black Forest open-air museum looks interesting. Starting near the open-air museum is the Schwarzwaldbahn, a rail line that hugs the sides of the steep, narrow Gutach valley up to Triberg, with switchbacks and waterfalls. I was there on a day in late December, with fresh snow on the valley and bright sunshine. I thought it was spectacular. At the south end of the Schwarzwaldbahn, Triberg is known for it's cuckoo clock shops. I was in Titisee once and thought it was very tourist, but not much else.

There are several towns in the "Black Forest" where we have stayed that we really enjoyed: Staufen and Gengenbach. Both are small and can be visited in a several hours or would make a good base for day trips to surrounding areas. I also agree about the previous poster's comments on Baden Baden and concur that the Black Forest is a bit overrated when compared to other areas of Germany and the US. We were very disappointed in our drive along the Black Forest High Road. Again, nothing spectacular IMO. Many of the trees close to the road had been recently cut down. We also visited Freiburg and while it is a bigger city than Staufen and Gengenbach, the old part of town is beautiful.

Rather than the Black Forest, why not stay in the Taunus Mountains? There you will find Bad Homburg, which also has one of the oldest casinos in Germany as well as luxurious spas. Roman sites abound here, like the Saalburg, or you could visit the summer residence of Kaiser Wilhelm 2. Nearby is Kronberg with its original Staufen castle built in the 1200's, or Glauburg with its Celtic treasures (they just opened a new museum highlighting the amazing finds from this area) or Buedigen which is a medieval walled town offering a similar experience to Rothenburg but without the massive amounts of tourists. Idstein is also well worth visiting in the Taunus, as it, along with Buedingen are towns that are located along the Fachwerk (half-timbered) Route. Wiesbaden, tho not in the Taunus, also has a world famous casino like Bad Homburg, and lovely old spas, as well as great architecture, though it is more middle 1800's.

I have to agree with James above. The Black Forest is a great place to travel through, but I'm not sure I would want to spend a lot of time there. It's not really scenic and we experienced no great sweeping vistas. That said, we had a wonderfully serendipitous experience in the small town of Seebach, nestled deep in the Black Forest. On Saturady evening we were sitting on the balcony of our inn, and at six o'clock sharp, the churches throughout the valley started ringing. It seemed to go on for ten minutes or more, each church adding to the overall effect, until the final single tolling of one bell ended the concert. It must have been orchestrated, but it was awe-inspiring nonetheless. That seems to be my experience with the Balck Forest: nothing overwhelming, but great local gems that once you experience are forever with you.

3-5 days is about right for the BF. As Lee mentions, Calw is very attractive. Schiltach even more so, IMO - you don't find the collection of half-timbered buildings you find in these two places just anywhere in Germany. Gengenbach is an adorable place as well. Hornberg, Hausach, Löffingen and Villingen are great little towns too. These towns were all of minimal importance during WW II and were not heavily shelled like much of Germany was; the locals' way of life is more traditional than in most places, and certain customs remain. Visiting the BF towns is a small bit like time travel. Several towns off in the woods have spa facilities, Bad Liebenzell, Bad Wildbad, Bad Herrenalb, Bad Peterstal, Bad Teinach-Zavelstein among them. The BF is largely popular for its outdoor scene - mountainbiking, Nordic walking, winter skiing, hiking from village to village over this peak or that one. The Wutach Gorge is popular with hikers too. I spent 5 days a couple of years back based in Löffingen and made daytrips all over, including one to Basel; train and bus travel is free in the BF if you stay in one of 130 different BF villages. Two outstanding scenic train routes - the Hell's valley route east from Freiburg and the Black Forest Railway out of Offenburg - provide excellent scenery as they wind their way through the mountains. I also enjoyed a hike between Neustadt and Titisee (attractive landscapes) over Hochfirst peak, only a hike of a couple of hours, but memorable. Triberg is overrated as a destination. The waterfall is a waterfall. I thought the BF museum there was excellent, but there's almost nothing in English, and your German needs to be good to appreciate what you're seeing there. About the free train travel: http://www.blackforest-tourism.com/konus

As for sweeping vistas, unlike Charlie, I found them in many spots, even just outside Freiburg - just drive or catch a bus up to St. Peter or St. Märgen and you'll be rewarded on a clear day. It's not the Alps, but it's VERY scenic.

Thanks, everybody! I'll definitely take your suggestions into consideration.

And as Rick suggests in his Germany guidebook (and, rightfully so, in my humble opinion), don't miss the Friedrishbad in Baden-Baden, one of the great spa/health & wellness experiences in Europe. Can't say I'm much of a "spa guy" at home, but the Friedrishbad is in a class all its own. Memorable, fun and relaxing for sure; was a nice break in the middle of a heavy dose of traveling/sight-seeing. When you leave after the approx. 3-hr experience, you'll feel like a million bucks. And, in general, Baden-Baden is a very pretty town. Spent a few great night there a few yrs back; used it as a home-base for exploring other areas of the black forest, including Triburg. And if you're looking for a hotel in Baden-Baden, this place is great: http://www.hotel-am-markt-baden.de/ Was a typical "Rick-suggested" hotel; small, homey, family run, clean, and an excellent value. Great location, right near the Friedrishbad and center of town, and quiet at night. It's on a square just across from a prety church. If you have not gotten it yet, do yourself a favor and get Rick's Germany guidebook; he lays out "the best" to see & do in the Black Forest, as well as in the rest of Germany, of course. Have a great time!