Germany: Black Forest - Part 2

Some of the everyday local favourite dishes are Black Forest smoked ham, Rib-eye steak with crispy onions, cheesy pasta, Swabian style ravioli filled with meat, onions, spinach and finally egg noodle. Swabia is a historic region of southwestern Germany, including what is now the southern portion of Baden-Württemberg Land and the southwestern part of Bavaria Land in Germany, as well as eastern Switzerland and Alsace. The Black Forest area grows fruit, salad and vegetables, vegetarian options are available in all menus, larger cities have a wide range of international dining such as Italian, Greek, Spanish, French as well as popular Middle Eastern, South Asian and Far East.

One thing that you should really try is the freshly baked breads which are delicious, some of the best are Pumpkin seed bread, Multi grain bread and Rye bread.

The Black Forest dessert famous around the world is a real treat in the local area. The authentic version has fresh thick cream, seriously dark chocolate and Kirsch or cherry snapps made from locally picked Morello cherries. All of which makes for the perfect extra to have with your coffee.

Southwest Germany is normally quite sunny so it produces many award winning wines, which you can taste while you travel through the region. The Ortenau Wine route is a good example of a 120km wine trail that links many picturesque wine villages that also have historic taverns. Wines are just part of the story as they also they produce beer. You will find small breweries just about everywhere, but if you are there in late September to mid-October you are in for a treat. The 200 year old Stuttgart Beer festival, which is the second largest in Germany, is held at this time and is definitely a ‘must do’.

If you want somewhere to unwind and recharge your batteries, Southwest Germany’s health and wellness centres fit the bill. When choosing a spa or wellness facility look for the wellness stars which are a quality seal rating for both private and public pools and baths. Medical wellness stars are awarded to spas focusing primarily on medical and therapeutic services.

Bad Wurzach in Upper Swabia is known for its ‘black gold’. This is what they call a special warm mud used in treatments for the skin. In other locations natural and traditional therapies are available. These can range from hay baths to vino therapy, where they use grapes from the famous vineyards. Whatever you choose Southwest Germany’s spas offer a whole range of beauty treatments and relaxation therapies that promote wellbeing for both body and mind.

Weather tends to be pleasant all year around with the summers temperature between 22-28 Celsius, spring and autumn sees a range of temperatures between 15-22 Celsius. Winter offers many attractions with the major ones being the Christmas markets, downhill skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing.

Finally if you like something completely different then try a night in a wine barrel. Ferienhof vineyard offers guests a night in a wine barrel. These are reconditioned big casks with outstanding views over the vines. The room barrels are cool in the summer and have heating for the winter. If you can manage to do this the photos and stories you can tell in the future will make the visit well worthwhile.