I don’t know how we missed it last time we lived in Germany, but somehow Bill and I never made it to Triberg before today.  Triberg is notable for being very cute, having lots of cuckoo clocks, and being home to the highest waterfalls in Germany.  The falls have an overall drop of 163 meters over seven cascades.  I happen to love a good waterfall, so I talked Bill into taking me there today.

A cow passed us as we headed into town…

From Unterjettingen, the drive was maybe 90 minutes southwest through some very scenic country.  Though clouds threatened to spoil our fun, the rain held off.  We pulled off at one scenic location on the way into town so I could get a few photos and Bill could duck behind a tree.  Luck being as it is, a woman pulled up with her little white dog while Bill was whizzing, causing him to abort abruptly.  I would have finished.  It’s not like it’s uncommon to see guys peeing in the woods in these parts.

The picturesque field where we took a short rest…

A map of the area…

We arrived in adorable and very touristy Triberg at about 1:00pm.  Lots of people were there today.  Parking was somewhat scarce and we were impatient to find it, since we both needed to pee and we were stuck at world’s longest stoplight.   I mean, seriously, that thing was red for several minutes.

After pulling into a full parking garage and having to back out disappointed, we ended up parking for free at the Netto Supermarket.  Since it was Sunday, the store was closed.  We weren’t the only ones using the lot, which has lots of signs threatening to tow people who stay too long.  Our car was unmolested, though, and we managed to enjoy a nice little visit.  If you visit Triberg on a Sunday or a holiday and can’t find a place to park, try the Netto.

The first order of business was to find a WC.  There is a public one right on the main drag, but we avoided it because we also wanted lunch.  We ended up at Pizzeria Pinnochio, an Italian place that also offers Black Forest cake… just like every other cafe, konditorei, and restaurant in town.  It wasn’t packed when we sat down, but the service was very slow.  It took several minutes to get menus, several more minutes for drinks, and quite a long time to get our food.

Pizzeria Pinocchio

Pinnochio is in the house!

Bill waits patiently for food and wine.

The food at Pizzeria Pinnochio wasn’t bad.  Bill had the Rigatoni Pinnochio, which was rigatoni pasta served with a cream sauce, ham, mushrooms, and peas.  I had grilled salmon, which came with a salad.  Bill’s dish came out much sooner than mine did, so I had to watch him eat.

I had Montepulciano and he had Bardolino… They took awhile to get to us, but at least the pours were generous.

I wasn’t impressed by Bill’s dish, though he seemed to like it.  

My salmon was nice, though.  It was a good choice and worth waiting for.

I have heard that in Europe, they bring the food out when it’s ready, but this was the first time it had ever happened that way to me.  My entree took a noticeably long time… as in, Bill was about halfway done before I got my food and that was because he waited for me.  Fortunately, I enjoyed the salmon very much.  We thought about getting dessert, but the service was just way too slow and neither waitress seemed to have any sense of urgency.  We wanted to see the town and check out the falls.  So we paid our 28 euro check and got out of there.

We saw two Ferraris in Triberg.  I took a picture of one of them.

Main drag…

Complete with water…

It was four euros per person to see the waterfalls.  Word to the wise; the climb up is strenuous and there may be a lot of crowds.  You can take a tram to the top of the falls, which may be a better option for those who have mobility issues.  There are several entrances to the park and you can buy peanuts at the cashier’s station.  I’m not sure if the peanuts are for you or the squirrels.

Main entrance to the waterfalls.

First view of the falls.

Standing here at the first level will net you a refreshing spray from the rushing water…

First level… there’s a ways to go…

Bill gazes at all the watery splendor… 

Bill and I walked up the waterfalls and it was a challenge for both of us.  I’d say the walk up took about twenty minutes or so, but we were moving fairly fast to get past the throngs of people.  The rewards at the top of the falls are worth it, though, since there’s a beautiful view from the top cascade.

I wonder if anyone heard this tree fall…

View from the very top…

On the way out…

There are a number of ways to leave the falls; we simply decided to walk down the way we came.  I recommend good walking shoes.  You might want to bring a jacket, though we didn’t really need one today.  It was noticeably chillier at that field where Bill peed than it was at the falls.  Speaking of peeing, there is a WC right by the main entrance should the need arise.

Walking down took longer than walking up did, mainly because I forced myself to go slow.  I have a feeling my thighs are going to complain tomorrow.  Walking down the falls is almost as challenging as walking up is because you don’t want to fall on your keister.  I’ve done that before– when we went to El Yunque in Puerto Rico, I fell hard on a large boulder and my tailbone wasn’t the same for weeks.

Once we were finished with the falls, we headed to a little konditorei for coffee and Black Forest Cake.  It was a very nice way to cap off our short visit to this cute little town.

I might stay in Triberg to try the many different authentic Black Forest cakes there…

Nice konditorei… not so touristy and fast and friendly service.  I’d go back!

Lots of souvenir shops were open today.  If I didn’t already own a cuckoo clock (which is in storage in Texas), I might have gone ahead and picked one up at one of Triberg’s many cuckoo clock shops.

Cuckoo clocks!

Touristy hotel with cafe…

There is a clinic in Triberg and we passed it as we were leaving the trail to and from the waterfalls.  The sign asks for quiet.

A front shot of the hotel where we had dessert and coffee.

Lots of cute hotels are in Triberg.  I know they must have a lot of tourist business, but I’m not sure I’d want to stay longer than a day or two.  The area is very pretty, though…

We had a good time in Triberg and would definitely recommend it as a day trip to others living in the Stuttgart area.  It’s well worth a visit, even if the town is very touristy.  Triberg is also very kid friendly; we saw plenty of kids burning off energy climbing the falls.

Bill also pronounced today a fun day, though I think he enjoyed yesterday’s outing a little more.  We’ll see where we end up next…  I think I can get into these staycation trips.

Peanut gas for sale.

The drive is pretty, too…

Lots of crowds!

Sheep!