Next on our list is to visit the land of the Grimm Fairy tales. Welcome to the Black Forest! One of Germany’s beautiful treasures. We find ourselves exploring the quaint little city called Triberg. We highly suggest renting a car and driving through the scenic Black Forest. We decided for this family trip we would check out the beautiful little city of Triberg. Triberg is small yet has a lot of fun activities for the whole family to enjoy. It’s also the place to purchase a beautiful authentic Black Forest Cuckoo Clock.
Where to stay
We decided to stay at the 4 star Parkhotel Wehrle. This was the best choice we made during the whole trip (besides purchasing a real authentic cuckoo clock) The hotel is very beautiful and has that german charm. We decided to stay in the spa section of the hotel.
The hotel is broken up into two buildings one offering access to the spa and one that doesn’t. Our building was up on a hill so we had a bit of a walk which was a little difficult to do with all our bags. Along the walk up you pass an adorable outdoor cafe. The inside of the building could use a renovation along with our room but it was clean and a nice size so we were happy. We had a beautiful balcony with chairs and table overlooking the outdoor part to the spa and the garden. The only downfall is the rooms didn’t have ac which is unfortunately not that common for hotels in Europe. The only problem was that you couldn’t open a window, only the door to the balcony and that didn’t feel very safe especially when you have small children. Also the large church next to the hotel will surly provide a wake up call when the bells ring.
Now let’s get to the good part… The spa! It was just wow! The type of spa you would expect a 5 star hotel to have. The pool was beautiful and there were these gorgeous large windows with a stunning view of the town. It’s easy to want to spend your whole vacation right there. They offered a lot of amenities for the guest to enjoy. There was a large hot tub and a huge outdoor section filled with hammocks and chairs overlooking the garden. The gym was stunning and had a decent selection of equipment along with large windows providing the same view as the pool. The spa alone will have us coming back to the hotel for another visit very soon. I have tried a few different treatments from the Spa. I’ve had my eyebrows shaped, relaxing body massage, and a wonderful facial. The spa rooms are just so clean and beautiful. They over look the forest which makes it very relaxing.
Now onto another favorite of mine, the breakfast. The main hotel lobby is very beautiful and seems to be a very popular choice as a small wedding venue. you will notice that the hotel lobby smells amazing. They actually sell the candles and air fresheners which was a very tempting purchase. There was a nice selection for breakfast everything was clean and nicely displayed. they have an adorable outdoor cafe located between the two hotel buildings. Perfect place to enjoy a cup of coffee!
The restaurant also has some of the best food for dinner. Their restaurant is wonderful. we usually do room service for dinner since we like to spend a lot of time in the pool and we can enjoy the delicious meals in our own room. Great option for families!
Fun activities in Black Forest
Activities in Triberg
Triberg Waterfall– One of the prettiest waterfalls in the Black Forest is located just minuets from the hotel. Its a wonderful way to spend an hour or two of your day. Entrance fee is 8.50 euros for a family but our hotel stay came with free tickets. They offer a bag of peanuts that you can purchase for a euro to feed the squirrels along the path.
There are two different paths one more difficult and steeper and the other more family/stroller friendly. We took our time walking and exploring and were out in just over an hour. There were bridges and platforms along the path offering great views of the waterfall. The hike was easy enough for our 2.5 year old to do. It was a great way to burn some energy which lead to a nice long nap! If your feeling very adventurous you can take a zipline back down!
Triberg was the perfect location for the third photo shoot for our fairytale photo series where we did Red Riding Hood since the Black Forest was the home of the story!Also Triberg is absolutely beautiful to visit during the snow!
House of 1000 Clocks– Just a short walk from the Waterfall entrance and the hotel you will find this very fun spot! This is a must visit. It’s decorated for tourists making the large displays a great photo backdrop. There are so many different types of clocks inside. They also have a great section of random souvenirs. Although it was great seeing all the beautiful clocks, this isn’t the place you want to buy a real cuckoo clock. The prices are also a bit high for my taste. That being said I did purchase a few small decorative cuckoo clocks for some fun decor and souvenirs gifts for family and friends and it was a very fun shop to check out.
Pinnochio’s Pizzeria– After spending hours at the spa until it closed (10pm) we totally forgot about getting dinner! After a quick search for restaurants that were open till 11pm, our options were quickly narrowed down to just one place. Pinnochio’s Pizzeria. We walked the short distance from the hotel and were pleasantly surprised by the restaurant. We just ordered take out so that we could watch a movie while we ate back at the hotel. While waiting for food I enjoyed a delicious espresso. The pizza and appetizers were delicious and hit the spot. The restaurant had a fun Pinnochio theme decor that was just adorable. The place seemed very family friendly and I saw a few families eating there. I highly suggest eating here.
Cafe Scheefer– Well it’s hard to go to The Black Forest and not try Schwarzwaelder Kirch, or Black Forest Cherry cake! We found the cute little bakery/ restaurant walking distance to the hotel that claims to serve the original recipe. We each ordered a large slice and a glass of much-needed cold milk. The little bakery was adorable and they had many wonderful treats that caught my eye. The cake was delicious but very rich. It was hard to finish it all and would have been a much better idea to split a slice. The next time we return I would try the apple pie because it looked amazing! The black forest cake has multiple layers of a chocolate sponge cake filled with schnapps flavored whip cream (so not the best choice for the kids!) and cherries. There are chocolate shavings and more cherries on top. There is a story that the cake was inspired by the traditional dress women wore in the Black Forrest which were black dress worn with a white shirt and a hat with red pom-poms. To learn more about the bakery click here.
Oli’s Clocks– If you are looking for extreme details and something very special then you will find just that at Oli’s Clocks. This beautiful shop is located near the entrance to the waterfall. The shop is much smaller than the House of 1000 Clocks but what they lack in space they make up for by filling their inventory with the most beautiful and hand crafted Cuckoo Clocks. The shop is a family run business and that just makes it that much better. Every member of the family is so passionate about the work they do and they absolutely love to tell their story and show you what makes their clocks so special. Warning once you see a Oli Clock you won’t be able to look at any mass-produced cuckoo clocks the same way ever agin. Oli is one of the few last Master Carver that are in the area who still create such beautiful work. His clocks have so much attention to detail that you won’t find anywhere else. To become a Master Carver one has to train and go before a Government panel to take a test to be licensed as a Master Carver and its something he has to re-test for every five years just to keep. One added bonus is that the shop will ship your clock back to the states for you if you need. A great option is your luggage is already full. Spend some time looking around the shop and learning about the special clocks. It’s pretty hard to leave without wanting to purchase a clock. We ended up purchasing a clock and absolutely love it! The detail is so breathtaking and it will be a great conversation piece for years to come. To learn more about the wonderful shop check out the site here.
Gelato shop– A wonderful gelato shop with delicious options to choose from. They also have more on the menu but we usually just go to enjoy the gelato.
Triberger Modenstadel– This is my favorite place to get a beautiful authentic german dirdle or lederhosen. It is a small shop packed with many options for a beautiful German getup. This is where I found the beautiful blue dirndl for my daughter when we did our Belle in Colmar photos in France for our fairly tale photo series. The selection is great but expect to pay more for great quality.
Activities Right Outside of Triberg
Dorothee’s Glass House– A wonderful glass museum that is about a 30 minuet drive from Triberg located in Wolfish where you can see them blowing glass vases and even take part in the process! They also have a great gift shop along with a Christmas shop. Tickets for the tour of the facility and small museum are 12 euros for a family. I decided to make my own vase! It really was a a very unique experience. I was able to choose the colors. It is only 15 euros to blow your own vase and it makes for an absolutely wonderful survivor. It’s also a cheaper option compared to the items in the gift shop. It also comes with great bragging rights. They have a restaurant on site if you get hungry! For more information check out the site here.
Sommerrodelbahn– Located in Gutach, Germany This might just be some of the most family fun you will have on a nice summer day. It’s a toboggan run which is kind of like a rollercoaster meets sleigh ride down a german mountain. It is about a 25 min drive from Triberg but close to Dorothee’s Glass House so it could easily be done same day. It’s even open on Sundays as well which is a win in Europe since almost everything is closed on Sundays. Kids 3 and above can go on the coaster with an adult. They have a nice playground for little kids to play and burn some energy while the parents get to sit and relax a little along with a lots of food options and a drink stand. It coasts 2.50 euros for one ride and 12 euros for 6 rides. Kids ages 3-14 are 2 euros or 9 euros for 6 rides. This has been our must do with each visit. We all absolutely love doing this ride. If your not a fan of rollercoasters (like me) then this is a great alternative. You get to control your speed which is what I love most. That and the wonderful views. My daughter loves this ride and we usually go on about 5 rides a visit. For more information check out the site here.
Update:
The village of Triberg has a lot of cute little shops to explore. It is not very large so you can check out the whole area in less than a day. Though it is small it’s really a gem. Perfect trip to feel like your getting away from it all. Over our 3.5 years living in Germany we visited Triberg 9 times. We always stay in the same hotel since we are in love with their pool and location. It was a great drive from Kaiserslautern which made it a perfect weekend getaway that the whole family enjoyed. We highly suggest taking the scenic route!
xo Vanessa
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