“Tree walks” have become extremely popular in Germany, and in Europe as a whole. When Bill and I first moved back to Germany in August 2014, we heard about the very cool Black Forest Treetop Walk (Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald). It was completed in September 2014, and Bill and I visited there in May 2015. We were amazed by the innovative, well-built, family friendly structure that offered easy views of the Northern and Central Black Forest as visitors also got their daily exercise. We meant to visit again, but never got around to it, since there are so many awesome things to do in the Schwarzwald.
Fast forward to today. I am a member of a few Facebook groups that feature photos and ideas for things to do in different parts of Germany. Yesterday, someone shared a post about the Bad Camberg Tree Walk, which opened in May 2023, and is only about a 35 minute drive from Wiesbaden. Since Bill and I are hoping to get moving again, for the sake of our health, we decided to go there today. We had a great time!
The Bad Camberg Baumwipfelweg is much like the Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald in terms of its concept. However, it does not appear that these attractions are run by the same companies. The Bad Camberg tree walk is administered by an outfit called Forest Adventures, while the Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald is operated by Adventure Academy AG.
I noticed differences between the two walks. The one in Bad Camberg is extremely solid and sturdy and family friendly, just as the Schwarzwald tree walk is. But the walk in Bad Camberg doesn’t have a slide, nor does it have as many kid friendly activities. It also has a lot more steps to climb than the Schwarzwald tree walk has. However, I bet that once this attraction has been around a bit longer, they’ll build some activities for children. Bill and I think the next upgrade will be a playground, probably with tables and chairs and a kiosk, so the parents can have a drink while their kids play.
Unlike the tree walk in the Black Forest, the Bad Camberg location allows dogs. Parking is free of charge (at this writing), and there is a restaurant connected to the walk itself, rather than run outside of the tree walk. I thought the Bad Camberg tree walk offered better views and a slightly more “adult” experience, although the tree walk in the Schwarzwald is stroller friendly and doesn’t require steps. The Schwarzwald tree walk is a gradual ramp to the top, while the Bad Camberg tree walk requires climbing many stairs.
You have to walk about five hundred meters on a gravel road to get to the Bad Camberg tree walk. There are hills on the walk, but it’s got a lovely canopy of trees shading the way.
Tickets for adults are 9,90 euros. Family tickets are available, and children between the ages of 6 and 17 get in for 5,90 euros. It was clear to us that this attraction is very new, but there were many people visiting. I didn’t hear any other Americans besides us, though. You enter and exit the tree walk at the same place, which is also different from the one in the Schwarzwald, where you don’t backtrack at all.
The restaurant has just opened, and we had lunch there. Although the service was a bit slow, mainly due to everything being cooked to order, the food was quite good and reasonably priced. They offer burgers (including vegan), Flammkeuchen, salads, and a variety of snacks and beverages. Restrooms are clean, although on my first visit, the ladies room needed to be restocked. The job was done by my second visit. Please note, the restaurant only accepts cash payments! If you just want ice cream and/or a beverage, you can get that at the entrance where you buy your tickets.
Below are some photos from today’s adventure. I think we’ll be back. I’d love to visit when the leaves are changing. We did get a little rain when we were at the top of the tree walk.
I had a regular cheeseburger.Bill had a Bad Camberg cheeseburger, with cranberry sauce and Camembert cheese.
And below are a few shots I got as we were leaving Bad Camberg, which is a cute town that begs to be explored more…
Overall, we really enjoyed ourselves, and I hope we can visit again. If not, I hope this post will inspire a few readers to make the trip. Just be sure your knees can take it before you go! There are a lot of steps to climb. Also, be aware that if you get vertigo at heights, you might not want to try this activity. I’m not afraid of heights, but I did notice that I got a little dizzy at the top!
If you’re a regular reader of my travel blog, you know that I like to wrap up our trips with a ten things I learned post. It kind of helps me sum things up succinctly, as is hand for those who don’t want to read the blow by blow journal. So, I now humbly present to you ten things I learned while we visited the Freiburg region of Germany!
10. Freiburg has a thriving wine culture. We noticed a number of wineries as we headed down to Horben. If we’d had another day or two, maybe we would have visited a few wineries and tried more of the local wines and brought some home. One of the sommeliers in training reminded us that the region is very close to France’s Burgundy region, so there are some good wines to be had from Freiburg. There are also, naturally, some excellent beers, and some places are embracing the alcohol free cocktail trend, too.
Schauinsland is a must see on a clear day…
9. The Schauinsland cable car takes about twenty minutes, but you get a gorgeous view of the countryside. The Schauinsland rises 1284 meters as it takes riders up the mountainside, where they can enjoy hiking, biking, dog walking, and the miner’s museum. It’s also a great place for lunch or even breakfast at Die Bergstation. Be sure to make a reservation if you want to try breakfast, though.
Lunch in France!
8. If you get bored with Freiburg, you can easily visit France and/or Switzerland. Both borders are very close to Freiburg. I was thinking we might venture into Switzerland at some point during our visit, but Freiburg had so much to offer that we never had the opportunity.
So many bikers…
7. If you want to visit Freiburg, you might want to walk, take the bus, or ride a bike… Freiburg is a “green” city. It’s not very car friendly at all, as we found out when we tried to find a parking garage and ended up in a Walkplatz, where people were quick to give us dirty looks and gestures. I would like to visit Freiburg proper, but not when we have to worry about driving.
On the way into Freiburg from Horben… They issued a few hand gestures.
6. Freiburg is heaven for bikers. We saw so many people riding bikes in and around Freiburg, and lots of them were riding them up very steep mountains. My days of doing that kind of bike riding are long over, but I was impressed by the stamina and bravery of the many bikers in Freiburg. For a moment, I thought we were actually in The Netherlands!
St. Stephan’s Church rising high over Breisach.
5. Breisach is well worth a visit. We decided to visit Breisach kind of on a whim, because I noticed it was a stop on many Rhein River cruises. I wanted to give myself a reason not to ever book one, because I live about twenty minutes from the Rhein and have been to most of the stops on the majority of the available Rhein River cruises. Breisach was one place I hadn’t been. I’m glad we went there, as it is a very cute little town right on the French border. I’d like to see more.
Beautiful church in Staufen!
4. Ditto to Staufen… Staufen is a quaint, colorful, historic town I’d never heard of before we visited Freiburg. I want to thank my German connection, Susanne, for recommending it. I hope we can visit again and spend more time there.
Todtnauer Wasserfall is well worth a look!
3. The Freiburg region has a lot to offer. Not only do you get the Black Forest and stunning mountain views, but you’re also very close to the Rhein River. It’s kind of like a marriage between our two German lifestyles since we moved back here in 2014– Black Forest in the Stuttgart region, and Rhein River in the Wiesbaden region. Freiburg has them both! There are also waterfalls, a hanging bridge, and even a downhill scooter track.
He is magnificent, and he knows it…
2. Peacocks can make a visit to a small “zoo” worth the price of entry… We visited the small Schwarzwaldzoo in Waldkirch and were charmed by the animals. However, in my opinion, the preening peacock who was primed for peahen poontang was the star of the show. It was worth the 7,50 euros each to watch him strut, fanning out his beautiful tail, and showing off to everyone. What a personality!
Such a beautiful, enchanting, inspirational place… I recommend that you visit, too.
And finally, 1.– I am so glad we finally made it to Freiburg. Susanne has been after us to go there for ten years. She was right, Freiburg is well worth the trip. I’m glad we took the plunge. I hope we can take the plunge again and see even more!
One more waterfall crossed off the bucket list!
So far, this year, we’ve done two short Germany trips, plus an overnight in Stuttgart. Where will be going next? It’s anyone’s guess. It depends on when our new canine family member arrives. For now, I will keep my fond memories of beautiful Horben and Freiburg close to my heart and on my mind.
Our last full day in Horben began with another splendid breakfast. I think it was my favorite one of the four we had there. Once again, we were greeted by the same smiling waitress, who seated us at a table that overlooked the splendid open kitchen at Luisenhöhe. After what happened the night before, I was glad to see that no one would be seated near us. The tables around us were cleared of silverware. The lady brought us our coffee and bread, then the wonderful, innovative food we had come to expect. Feast your eyes…
This was my favorite of the breakfasts. I especially liked the cheese toast and the smoked salmon.
After breakfast, we decided to drive to a town called Waldkirch. My German friend, Susanne, had recommended it. I had also seen some people posting about it in a Facebook group about the Schwarzwald. Waldkirch is maybe 35 minutes from Horben. It boasts castle ruins, a treetop trail, a silver mine, and a zoo. We decided to visit the zoo, since we both love to hang out with animals.
On our way to Waldkirch, Bill almost hit some woman who suddenly walked into the crosswalk with no warning. This is a phenomenon we’ve noticed a lot since moving to Germany… people not looking before they step into crosswalks, or before they make a turn. This particular crosswalk was not one with a “green man” to wait for. Germans will wait for the green man if there is one, but if there isn’t, people take their lives into their own hands all the time. Bill survived being run over by a car when he was 16 years old, so he is extra cautious about cars. As surprising as it was for me to see that woman step into traffic, I think it was especially scary for Bill.
When we got to Waldkirch, Bill was a bit confused as to where to park. He finally found a free spot near a sports club. To our great delight, the parking was “kostenlos”– free of charge. We walked around a bit until we found The Black Forest Zoo (Schwarzwaldzoo Waldkirch). Since it was Monday, the place wasn’t busy at all.
The very pleasant lady who gave us tickets and animal food said if we’d had a Schwarzwald card with a heart on it, we could have gotten in free of charge. We did have a card, but not one with a heart, and we left it in the car. Even if we’d brought it, I think we would have gotten a euro off of the 7,50 euro admission charge. We didn’t mind paying to get in, though. The zoo looks like it could use some funding.
Fish!Yes, you can bring your dog.
The Schwarzwaldzoo is not very big and, in fact, reminded me more of a Tierpark for children. The exhibits are a bit run down and small. To see the whole thing, you have to walk up a hillside, which is a good exercise. The whole thing takes maybe an hour… two, if you take your time. But, there is a nice playground for children, you can get a snack there, and the animals look like they are well cared for, even if their enclosures could be better. There were a few empty enclosures, and some animals were hidden away. The lynx exhibit, for example, looked deserted during our visit.
However… there was one creature who made the whole visit worthwhile to me… and that was the peacock. The peacock at this zoo was showing off to the peahen, who was not at all interested in his strutting. It was hilarious to watch him fan out his beautiful tail, only to be completely ignored by his much plainer mate.
A short video featuring some of the residents at the Schwarzwaldzoo…LovebirdsI remarked that this pheasant looked like Trump…I made friends with this very friendly cat.
After our visit to the zoo, we decided to have lunch at a Biergarten located right next to it. I don’t have a lot to write about our experience at the Stadtrainsee Restaurant. The food was good, and they have a warm kitchen that doesn’t stop for a pause. However, the service was not very attentive.
This restaurant has a full service Biergarten, meaning that the wait staff brings your food and beverages to you, rather than you going and getting it from a counter. After we were greeted by one of two male servers, we made our orders. Bill had a turkey steak. I had spare ribs. After the food and round of beer were brought to us, it was impossible to get the server’s attention again.
Bill’s turkey steak was slightly more manageable.The ribs were good, but this was more than I could eat!
What was most appalling was that Bill couldn’t even get the guy’s attention to pay the check. He went up to the counter, and even then, the guy walked away from him, either oblivious or deliberately ignoring him. I don’t understand why a person would act that way on purpose, especially if they wait tables. If you dislike a patron so much that you ignore them completely, wouldn’t you want them to hurry up and pay so they can leave?
It wasn’t a very busy day at all. There were only a few occupied tables. I watched one of the servers sit at a table and smoke a cigarette. The other seemed very preoccupied by his phone. Anyway… at least the food was good. It was more than either of us could eat. We might have taken our leftovers with us, except they charged to box it up, and we really didn’t have the means to store it, anyway. Bill didn’t even bother to give the guy a decent tip. He just rounded up, which he never does.
A place for RVs to get water.
Anyway… after that, we decided maybe we’d visit Staufen, which isn’t that close to Waldkirch. Susanne had also recommended that town. Now that I’ve been to Staufen, I wish we’d just gone there and hung out longer. It is a very cute place, with lots of shopping and dining possibilities, as well as some pretty good buskers. I took a lot of photos and made use of the free WC in the parking lot. Unfortunately, that was all we had time to do, as we needed to get back to the hotel in time for dinner.
Such a beautiful church!A little library made from a repurposed phone booth.A parting shot of the castle ruins in Staufen, as we were making our way back to Horben.
A little silliness and a slice of Staufen on a fine April day…
On the way back to Luisenhöhe, I took a few more photos of the very green landscape, flowering trees, and mountains. Once again, I realized why I miss living in Baden-Württemberg. It really is a beautiful part of Germany.
When we got back to the hotel, we decided to have a drink before getting dressed for dinner. The bartender, Pascal, was there. We told him how we spent the day, and he said that the buildings in Staufen were damaged in 2007, when a geothermal project went terribly wrong. Many of the buildings in Staufen date to the 16th century, but now, they are riddled with cracks. A couple of the buildings had to be torn down.
The geothermal project was meant to harness power from geothermal energy. But, to get to the source of the power, the drillers had to “perforate groundwater and a separate layer of anhydrite, a water-free chemical substance.” The process caused the groundwater to bleed into the anhydrite, which increased pressure under the buildings. The chemical reaction resulted in the formation of gypsum, which made the ground swell. Come to think of it, I did notice that there were quite a few building projects going on in Staufen. I guess they are fixing things, to the best of their ability.
Pascal was surprised we went to Waldkirch and Staufen, since they aren’t really near each other. But we had no agenda, other than to see what we could during our time in the area. Now that we’ve been to the Freiburg area, we know there’s plenty more to see.
Pascal brought me a beer and Bill another non-alcoholic cocktail called Ginger Love. He made a silly joke about a weird fetish about loving redheads. I had red hair when we met… although it came from a box.
After we had our round of beverages, we got dressed for our final dinner. Once again, we were taken care of by our Slovak friend, who was equally impressive… Unfortunately, I forgot to get a picture of the menu. Instead, I got a few of the kitchen.
I do remember this was beef and veal with asparagus, Hollandaise sauce, and fennel.Dessert was made with green peas and ice. It worked!Another nightcap. Brandy for me, and a scotch for Bill.
After dinner, we went to the restroom before having one last nightcap. On the way out, the Slovak waiter found us, shook our hands, and welcomed us back sometime soon. I may have to take him up on the suggestion. I bet Horben is beautiful in the fall.
In the next post, I will wrap up our visit to beautiful Horben. Stay tuned!
Saturday morning, we woke up to a beautiful sunny day. The sky was perfectly clear and blue, and the temperature was warm. I thought it would be a good day to visit the nearby city of Freiburg. But first, we’d have our first breakfast at Luisenhöhe. After our first dinner, I knew breakfast would be an unusual experience.
A smiling waitress, who ended up taking care of us every morning of our visit, led us to a table on the other side of the dining room. We had a view of the surrounding hills and valleys. Bill looked at the waitress’s nametag and got the sense that maybe she hails from Ukraine. She spoke excellent English that was charmingly accented, and she seemed genuinely friendly and service oriented as she offered us coffee. As she poured it, and brought me cream (rather than the usual milk), I realized that the coffee at this hotel was some of the best I’ve ever had, anywhere.
Just as it is at dinner time, breakfast at Luisenhöhe consists of small plates of different things which are brought to you at your table. They offer cold cuts and cheese that you can help yourself to, as well as juices and water. During our visit, they also offered fresh fruits and vegetables and smoothies, with a different thing offered every day. For example, on the first morning, they had vegetables. On the second and third, they had the smoothies. On the last morning, it was fresh fruit. Then after we had our four small courses, we were offered a “sweet” selection. On the first morning, it was a waffle.
Another server brought a big basket of bread, and we chose the pieces we wanted, which ended up being one of each kind. Bill likes hearty full grain breads with nuts and raisins and such. Much to my shame, I like refined white breads. It was no problem. They had several different varieties, all of which were impeccably prepared and very fresh. We had a small “globe” of butter, and jams were available. Below are photos of the first breakfast.
A perfect morning!Bill gets some cheese and Black Forest ham.Fresh veggies!French toast made with “mountain cheese”. That was a mind blower.Porridge with cherries, yogurt with pumpkin seeds, and poached egg in a glass…I loved the butter balls.Waffle with powdered sugar.
I enjoyed the first morning’s breakfast, although the French toast was made with Bergkäse (mountain cheese) that was too strong for me. It was too bad, too, because I really liked the idea of a savory French toast made with cheese. I’d like to try it at home, only I’d use a much milder type of cheese. It’s not even that the cheese they used was that strong. I just have very sensitive tastebuds when it comes to certain flavors. The musty, barnyard flavors in certain cheeses and other foods make me gag, and if I’m not careful, I will vomit. I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t become a chef! Anyway, I think we’ll try to find a recipe for savory French toast and use cheese that doesn’t make me puke.
After breakfast, I decided I needed to get some photos of the surrounding area. It was a good thing I did, since the skies weren’t nearly as clear the rest of our time there. Below are the pictures I took on the biking/hiking trail near the hotel.
Someone’s Porsche at the hotel…
We decided to try out the heated pool after our walk. I had a feeling it would be a good time to do that, since the weather was so nice. I figured people would be out and about. I was right about that, as we would find out after our swim. Below are a few photos from the spa area. We did not have any treatments or use the saunas, but if we go back, I’ll make a point of doing that. One thing I hope this hotel will eventually have is a hot tub or two… I’m sure it’s just a matter of time, especially at their current price point.
This was a kind of rain shower, which took a moment or two to figure out.
I have a feeling they use heavily vanilla scented products in the spa. I came to that conclusion on the first night at dinner, when a young woman sat near us and smelled really good… of vanilla. I thought maybe it was perfume, but then noticed she looked like maybe she’d been at the spa. When I later smelled someone else with that same scent, I realized that was a spa product. I loved the scent, although it did kind of obscure the smell of the food in the dining room. I’m not sure that was the proprietors’ aim.
After a swim, and trying out the massage functions in the pool, we got cleaned up and headed toward Freiburg. I took more photos on the drive there. I was excited to see the city… but alas, the parking garages were all FULL! And there were long lines of cars waiting to park in them. Bill made a couple of wrong turns and we soon found ourselves in “Walkplatzes”, where people were giving us dirty looks and making gestures at Bill. We didn’t know Freiburg was such a “green” city, so unfriendly to cars. The GPS sent us to the wrong part of the town, which was positively TEEMING with people who were walking and on bikes.
Here, I want to make a statement to anyone reading this, thinking it’s helpful to shoot dirty looks and make gestures at people who end up driving into the wrong place. We KNOW we’re in the wrong place, and we’re trying our best to rectify the matter. We don’t need you to add to the situation by wildly gesturing, giving us dirty looks, or shouting at us. It just makes you look like assholes. And before anyone points this out, we know that being in the wrong places makes us look like assholes. But, unlike you, we’re trying to fix the situation, rather than engaging in shaming and ridiculing people who simply made an honest mistake. What? You’ve never made a mistake? It must be nice to be so perfect. /sarcasm
Anyway, we did finally get out of that mess, although any relaxation gleaned from the pool was now totally gone. Bill was trying to figure out where we could go with the car. I looked around at what was admittedly a very cool looking city, and I realized that all of those people were a huge turn off to me. So I suggested that we go to France.
“But I forgot to bring my passport.” Bill fretted.
In almost ten years of living in Germany, no one has EVER asked for our passports at the French border. Of course, there is a first time for everything. But what was the worst that could happen? We get sent back to Germany?
We headed to the border, even though Bill didn’t have his passport. Before we knew it, we were driving over the Rhein… and I realized, we were passing Breisach again! As I was getting my bearings, Bill said “I really need to pee.”
I looked up and noticed a “welcome center”. Bill wondered if maybe there was a public restroom there. He pulled into the parking lot and found the place boarded up. Then he turned his head and saw a sign for a “Piscine.”
“Piscine!” he exclaimed. “Perfect!”
Naturally, I had a good laugh at the joke. Yes, we know that “piscine” is French for pool. But it does sound like one could “piss” there. One probably can, if one pays the entrance fee. I had noticed the pool from the German side of the river the day before. As we were trying to escape the parking lot, we were confronted by a bunch of confusing road signs advising us not to make a left turn. Left was where we needed to go to get out that area.
After a few minutes, we found ourselves being funneled into a parking lot where there were RVs, and then we saw a hotel… and they had the patio open for lunch! As it was almost 2:00 PM by then, I suggested we stop for lunch. Bill could use the potty while we were there.
I’d like to get a closer look at this building in Freiburg…Even if it does contain a McDonald’s…France!
I said to Bill, “I am fascinated by borders. It’s so cool to be sitting in France, listening to people speaking French, as I gaze at the German border town we visited yesterday…”
Bill said, “That’s true. Whenever you’re near a border, you gotta cross it!”
And I said, “Especially if it’s the border of good taste…”
We headed back toward the hotel, thinking maybe we could take the Schauinsland Bahn… but there was no parking to be had. Not surprising, given how beautiful the weather was. So, we went back to the hotel and hung out on the patio before dinner. It was a perfect Saturday afternoon…
And then we had dinner, which was, once again, a stunning experience. My one complaint was that we ended up sitting at the big communal table, which meant climbing up on a stool. However, because people didn’t want to sit in the middle seat at the big table (just as they wouldn’t on an airplane), we ended up with a slightly more private dining experience on Saturday night. As you can see in the menu, they had mushrooms on the menu, and I can’t eat mushrooms. I substituted a delicious wild boar dish for an upcharge of 13 euros. It was worth the extra money.
I enjoyed the langoustine.Wild boar with savoy cabbage and fennel. It was so good.Bill enjoyed the veal with portobello mushroom.For 13 euros, we also had port to go with the dessert.Dessert was with Jerusalem artichokes and plums…The chocolate covered meringue reminded me of Pinwheels… chocolate covered marshmallow cookies.A nightcap before bed… We probably should have skipped it.
Bill selected a Sylvaner wine to go with our dinner. The sommelier praised his choice. Bill told him that we’d visited Würzburg in February and visited a winery that specialized in them. Much to our surprise and delight, the guy said “Weingut Am Stein?”
Yes! That was where we stayed, and we had a wine tasting there. It turned out the sommelier knew all about it, and in fact, they had some wine from Weingut Am Stein on their wine list. That was a pretty cool moment.
We arrived at Luisenhöhe shortly after the 4:00 PM check-in time. Bill was a little confused by how to access the parking garage. As he approached, he turned right, instead of left. A right turn got him to what appeared to be a sort of sally port. A left turn got him into the generously appointed parking garage, which offered several outlets for electric vehicles, as well as spots for gasoline powered cars.
Bill parked at the first spot that was free. He commented that he was sure he’d be asked to move, since the spots were all numbered. I grabbed my purse and found the door into the hotel. From the very first glance, it was impressive. The underground entrance reminded me of trees, but my German friend, Susanne, said that it was actually meant as a designer’s nod to the area’s silver mining history. Whatever it was meant to signify, I thought the entrance was very cool looking…
We took the elevator to the reception area, where a friendly young man with a big smile and curly brown hair greeted us. He quickly found our reservation, the paperwork for which I had filled out at home before we left. When Bill asked about parking, the receptionist assured him that it was fine to leave the car where it was parked. Then he offered us a welcome drink– alcoholic or non-alcoholic. Naturally, we went for the alcoholic choice, which turned out to be locally produced Sekt. As you can see below, the view changed constantly.
We sat in the hotel’s bar area, enjoying the views of the mountains in the distance. It was pretty cloudy on Friday, but even with the clouds, the mountains offered dramatic scenery. Bill immediately noticed the Chemex coffee system carafes in the bar area. He was impressed, as this type of filtered coffee system is very cutting edge. My eyes were caught by the row of bottles that looked almost like perfumes. I later asked the bartender about them, and he said they were indeed meant for making cocktails with just the right flavors.
After we finished our welcome drink, we went back to reception, where a young woman waited with the keys to room 207. Below are photos from that room, which is one of the largest of the basic rooms offered. From the room we booked, the price jumps considerably, as those rooms are considered either feel good or favorite suites. They are much larger and more private than the regular rooms are.
Bed– it had a nightlight under it that was tripped every time we got out of bed.Large rainfall shower headView of the roomCool storage drawer for glasses and utensils. Every day, you get a snack and a beverage included.Friday’s snack. It changed every day. Fruit, a sweet or savory snack, and a non-alcoholic beverage.Sink
One of the most interesting features of the room was the window. The bottom half was made of glass, while the top part could be opened with an unobstructed view, or with the sunshade pulled down. The whole thing was controlled by a touch screen switch on the wall. This was also where the climate control was located. There was a heavy sliding door that could be pulled to close the window from the elements or noise from outside.
Bill demonstrates the window. I was the one pushing the button, of course. As you can see, we had a view of the pool and the spa area…
If we ever go back to this hotel, I would opt for a room with a “panorama” view, even if it meant a little less room. The larger room we had was right by the pool and spa area, making it seem somewhat less private and, at times, a bit noisy. It wasn’t too much of a problem during our visit, since it’s early spring and the hotel wasn’t full. But when people show up for the summer, and the hotel is fuller, having a window that opens to the pool area may be problematic for those who prefer quiet. I noticed in the couple of hours before dinner, as people were enjoying the pool, that I could easily hear their conversations. That probably doesn’t bother everyone, but I am kind of sensitive to noise. I can picture a crowd at the pool being rowdy in the afternoon when I might want to take a nap… 😉
To be totally honest, I wasn’t that impressed with the room itself. The room has a bathroom that is kind of open concept, with a private stall for the toilet and the shower, rather than a private room for everything. For some reason, there’s a clear glass panel in the shower, making it possible to see inside the shower. That’s fine for people in a relationship, but it might be a problem for friends sharing a room.
The mattress was a bit firm for my taste, although it wasn’t as firm as the mattress was at the Wald Hotel in Stuttgart. Each side of the bed had two foam rubber pillows. We brought our own feather pillows, because we’re weird like that. It wouldn’t have been necessary to bring the pillows to this hotel, but you never know in Germany. Sometimes, they really don’t give you enough pillows. Each side also had its own duvet, which some people like or hate. Personally, I don’t mind it.
The shower had a huge rainfall head, but the water pressure was a bit weak, which was disappointing for me. I like a massage action on the shower. The toiletries were good quality, with a woodsy, unisex scent. They were in big pump bottles– body wash, shampoo, and conditioner (balm). The vanity area was a bit crowded and small, but I did appreciate the good lighting and makeup mirror. They also provide robes for the stay, and a bag you can take with you. If you need slippers, they can provide them. I brought my own robe and pool shoes, but Bill used the robe. He said it wasn’t very roomy.
There were plenty of electrical outlets for all of our electronics, and lots of lamps, rather than overhead lights. I liked that, since overhead lighting usually stresses me out. The floor was painted concrete, which I didn’t like much, but I can’t deny that it came in handy. When we stopped at the gas station on our way to Breisach, Bill bought me a Coke, which exploded when I opened it. The concrete floor made it easy to clean up the resulting mess. I’m sure it’s better for keeping allergies at bay, too.
After we settled in for a couple of hours, Bill and I headed down to the restaurant for dinner. It’s optional to pay extra and book nightly dinners at the Luisenhöhe, although breakfast is included in the price of the room. The service hours are between 6:30 PM and 8:00 PM. You just show up anytime between those times.
I will admit, my first impression of the hotel’s restaurant, Restaurant Luise, wasn’t 100 percent positive. Food service at Luisenhöhe is unusual, and it may not suit everyone. However, now that I’ve spent four nights there and tried a huge array of dishes I never otherwise would have, I can say that I would enthusiastically recommend booking dinner, especially if you aren’t super picky. It really is a pretty amazing experience.
The hotel’s Chef de Cuisine is Niels Möller, and he is something of a culinary wizard. Every night, there’s a four course meal offered, which can be ordered with or without flesh (meat or fish). The chef chooses very fresh, local, seasonally appropriate ingredients, and somehow matches them perfectly, often with items you would never expect. I was pleasantly shocked at every meal, even at the one in which I couldn’t eat the main course because it had mushrooms and veal. I will eat veal sparingly, although I prefer not to. I do not eat mushrooms under ANY circumstances. Fortunately, they do have a menu in which a substitute dish can be ordered for a modest upcharge.
The wait staff is very friendly and many of the staff members speak excellent English and/or French. Several of the servers appeared to also be in training to be sommeliers. The first two nights we were there, we ordered wine from the guy who was clearly the sommelier, as he had a lapel pin with a bunch of grapes. But on Sunday and Monday nights, we were sold wine by more junior staffers, both of whom did a great job.
Our first night, we were seated at a two top between two other two tops. That would not have been my preference, as we were rather close to the other couples, which made it harder to converse privately. It didn’t occur to me to complain. I did notice other people complaining about proposed tables and being moved elsewhere. I guess my time as a server makes it hard for me to complain at restaurants.
We were a little confused at first, thinking we were to choose an entree, until the waitress explained that we would get everything on the menu. Everything is on small plates. I did notice the lady next to me didn’t have every course or had a substitute. She was very thin and fit looking, and her husband was a very snappy dresser. They spoke German, but I suspect they came from Switzerland. They didn’t dress like Germans. 😉
Below are the dishes we were served the first night. Bill decided to go vegetarian for that one:
This is the non-vegetarian option, with mackerel… Bill’s vegetarian option.I absolutely LOVED this– a creamy corn based soup with Black Forest ham, chiles, and artichoke hearts…Catfish– otherwise known as Wels. We were actually in Wels, Austria, a few years ago. They have catfish there.Bill’s came with potatoes.Lemon meringue dessert…With lemon sorbet…And delicious petit fours– chocolates and chocolate cream puffs.
It looks like this might be their Friday night selection this season, since this menu is the example on their Web site. All of it was very good, although this was not my favorite of what we had during our four night stay. I’m pretty sure the chef was there on Friday and Saturday night. He served us one course each on each night, spoke English and French, and was utterly charming. He can do magic with food.
After dinner, we decided to skip the nightcap and go to bed. It had been a long day, and Saturday promised to be active. More on that in the next post!
When I plan trips, sometimes I get carried away with what I’d like to try to do. As a member of several Facebook photo groups, it’s easy to find quaint little villages where I’d like to go take some photos and walk around a bit. That was the case last week, days before we ventured to Horben. Someone in the Schwarzwald photo group on Facebook had shared a picture of a very attractive village that was on the way down to the Freiburg area. I thought it might make for a nice place to stop for coffee and a wee off of Autobahn 5.
Unfortunately, after I saw someone’s photos of a quaint village in the Black Forest, I neglected to make a note of where the place was. Bill and I looked for it on Google Earth, but never were quite sure of what we were looking for. Then, on the morning of April 5th, I decided to do laundry before we left the house. We can only drop off Noyzi at the Hundepension at an appointed time, so we didn’t end up leaving early enough to make a stop in a village. Instead, we wound up at a very familiar Rasthaus stop, where we had very ordinary food for lunch. That would be the last ordinary meal we’d have before we got home yesterday afternoon. I see that I didn’t even bother to take a photo of it. Instead, I took one of the Paulaner Hefeweizen I drank, so I could tag it for the Untappd app.
For music boxes…First time I’ve ever seen then sold like this.Excellent beer… but kind of boring.Noyzi loves the car!
Noyzi was very happy to go to the Tierpension Birkenhof. He was so excited that he ran to the young folks who run it and practically bowled them over with his brand of canine hugs. It’s always reassuring to see how much Noyzi loves the staff at the Hundepension. We never have to worry about him when we take trips. He loves car rides, too, as you can see!
Noyzi LOVES the Birkenhof!
Although we weren’t able to stop in a cute town for a coffee break, we did kill some time in a town we’d never been to before. I get a lot of ads for river cruises, especially along the Rhein. I would never book a Rhein cruise, though, unless there was a reason other than the ports of call. I live about twenty minutes from the Rhein, and have seen most of the places where the vessels usually stop. I did notice, though, that Viking ships usually stop in a little town called Breisach, which is right on the Rhein and across the river from France. We had never been to Breisach, so we decided to stop there on the way to Horben. I thought maybe we’d have lunch there, but again, we got on the road too late for that.
Breisach is about a thirty to forty minute drive from Horben. Bill put it in the GPS, which was going to take us on a scenic route through another cute town to get there. Unfortunately, the GPS doesn’t always know about roadworks. When we were faced with a detour in a little town near Breisach, we decided to backtrack to the main road, with a quick detour to a gas station so I could have a pee break. The weather was a bit cloudy, but fairly warm. It was okay for a short stop near the cruise “port”, which turned out to be a little stop on the edge of the old town. Viking had two identical ships there, anchored side by side. Emerald Sky was also docked there when we made our short visit. We were happy to find free parking and a free toilet that was moderately clean and stocked! That’s quite a score in Germany.
Breisach is a very attractive town, smaller than I was expecting it to be. A large Catholic church– Breisacher Münster St. Stephan— overlooks the little port town, and I noticed lots of tourist friendly businesses near the port and the main drag. The ice cream shop was doing especially brisk business on Friday. As I gazed across the Rhein, somehow it didn’t occur to me that I was looking at France. Especially when I noticed a water slide on the other bank. Yes… that is extreme eastern France! And there’s a lot of waterfowl there, too. I was especially enchanted by the swans. I think I could be persuaded to visit Breisach again, and spend more time exploring there.
Below are some photos:
A little town near Breisach. It was very cute, but loaded with construction.The first of many bikers we encountered.Vineyards!Breisach is adorable.Church on a hillside…River cruises stop here.You can also have a dinner cruise.Two Viking vessels alongside each other…They appeared to be identical.Innovative way to keep pizza boxes out of the trash.Wine stand near the port.A little local history.Breisacher Münster St. StephanFrench police…Rapeseed…a common spring sight in Germany.A view of France…
After our too brief stop in Breisach, we continued on toward Horben. Our route took us through a corner of Freiburg, a beautiful, sunny, “green” university city that we need to return to by train and explore some more. Freiburg is not friendly to cars, as we found out on Saturday. But, what we did see of it is very appealing, especially if you like to bike. I definitely want to visit it properly and see what’s there. The part of Freiburg that leads to Horben is very charming and kind of ritzy, as you can see below.
As we made our way up into the mountains, we passed through a charming suburban hamlet. Then we saw it… the distinctive horseshoe shape of the Luisenhöhe, which just opened in the fall of 2023. More on that in the next post!
We’re back home in Wiesbaden now, after our four night trip to the southern Black Forest (Schwarzwald) hamlet of Horben. Before a couple of weeks ago, I had never heard of Horben. Now, our visit there will live among many cherished memories I will forever have of our years in Germany.
I discovered Horben by way of Facebook. Last month, Bill was on a long TDY assignment in Bavaria, working very long days and nights. Meanwhile, I was sitting here alone, bored and a little depressed. When he got back from his temporary duty yonder, I asked Bill if he’d like to go away for a few days. He said he’d like to take a short trip. I went looking for the right place. I wanted something restful, but in a nice area. I wanted good food and a decent spa. Since it was going to be a short break, I didn’t want it to be too far away, although we did briefly consider flying somewhere.
Facebook kept sending me ads for a place called Luisenhöhe. I was definitely intrigued, because it looked like just the kind of place I enjoy the most. I noticed it was in a very scenic area and promised an excellent dining experience. Then I noticed it’s practically a brand new hotel, had only a few reviews, and it costs a lot of euros to stay there! Also, it’s in Germany, and I was kind of hoping to go somewhere else for a few days. I decided to keep looking. I thought maybe we’d finally visit Basel, Switzerland or maybe Bern. I even had a hotel in mind…
But the Facebook ads for Luisenhöhe were continuing to beckon, and I finally realized that Horben is very close to Freiburg, a city/area my German friend, Susanne, has been bugging me to visit for the ten years we’ve lived here. Susanne is from the Freiburg area, and she’s kept telling us how beautiful it is. I believed her, as we’d driven through Freiburg before on other trips. I’d even looked into staying there, but my plans were always overcome by events.
Finally, I decided to show Bill and get his reaction. He was as attracted to Luisenhöhe as I was. He also liked the other finalist, Les Trois Rois, in Basel, Switzerland. Finally, we decided to let fate settle things. We flipped a coin. Luisenhöhe won. I felt good about that outcome, especially when I realized that Horben is very close to France and Switzerland, and if we got too bored in that area of Germany, we could easily cross either border.
I immediately set about booking our stay in a 31 square meter “Wellbeing Room”, facing the garden. Since we booked within two weeks of our stay, we were committed to paying. So, I prayed everything would go according to plan, and we’d manage to finally visit the Freiburg area. Now that’s we’re home from our trip, I feel like it was meant to be that we would discover the Freiburg area and this amazing new hotel with food that blew our minds!
I’ll be writing in detail about our unique experience over the next few days. I will also be sharing photos of some of the most picturesque views I’ve seen in Germany. As we were saying goodbye to some of the very friendly staff members last night, we were warmly thanked for coming, and welcomed to come back soon. I honestly hope we can. As long as Bill works these crazy TDY assignments, I think it’s within the realm of the possible!
I hope you’ll follow along as I write my series. I’d really like to help this new hotel succeed! The food alone is something amazing to behold…
Now that my latest blog series about Hotel Bareiss is complete, here’s my usual “ten things I learned” post. I find that these top ten lists tend to get read more than my “blow by blow” posts. Let’s face it! People don’t necessarily care about the minutiae of someone else’s vacation. On the other hand, sometimes including the small details is useful for some readers, or even just to myself, as I get older and duller. 😉
Anyway, here’s my list, even though we’ve done Baiersbronn before. I see that I didn’t do a ten things I learned list for our first Baiersbronn trip, so maybe it’s good to do one now. Here goes!
10. The Hotel Bareiss experience reminds me a little of being on a cruise ship.
The first time we visited Baiersbronn for more than a couple of hours, we stayed at Hotel Engel Obertal, which is a perfectly nice hotel that offers half board. But that hotel didn’t seem to be nearly as structured as Hotel Bareiss is. Yes, lunch was included in the daily rate there, but we didn’t feel like we HAD to eat lunch there. Although we didn’t HAVE to eat dinner at Hotel Bareiss either, the very heavy service component and knowing that we were paying for the food, anyway, made us feel obligated to eat there. And while it wasn’t a bad thing at all to dine at Hotel Bareiss, that aspect made me feel a little like I was on a cruise ship. The resort offers a lot of activities, too, like a cruise ship does.
9. Hotel Bareiss is very expensive, but offers an extremely high quality product.
When I compare Hotel Bareiss to Hotel Engel Obertal, I see some obvious similarities. However, Hotel Bareiss is an institution in Baiersbronn, and people come from all over to experience it. Service is mostly top notch, and they put a lot of effort into presenting a very pleasant experience for guests. That experience will cost you, of course! But if you have the means, and you just want to relax without worrying about anything, Hotel Bareiss might be just the place to go.
8. I wouldn’t call Hotel Bareiss a very “romantic” place for couples…
Although this is a five star resort hotel with a three star Michelin restaurant, it’s also a very family friendly place. There are lots of activities available for children, and they aren’t specifically prohibited from going into places. That means you might see them in the bar, or even in the sauna area. However, I did notice that visiting in late September/early October meant that most kids were in school, so their population was at a minimum during our stay. I would not book Bareiss in the summer if I was wanting to avoid running into families with children, though.
7. Baiersbronn and the Black Forest offer a lot to do outdoors. But maybe there are not as many things to do inside. Planning for the weather is a good idea.
We suffered some rain during our visit, which made us not really want to venture out so much. A lot of the things I was thinking I’d like to do were strictly outside activities. There are some museums and other indoor activities for the resourceful, and the hotel offers excursions to nearby places like Strasbourg, France or Baden-Baden. The hotel also offers classes sometimes. For instance, they have culinary and wine courses that can be booked. I didn’t mind the rain so much, since we had such a hot, dry summer. Next time, maybe I’ll look for more inside opportunities, in case of inclement weather. Or, at the very least, I would bring clothes and shoes for wet weather. Baiersbronn is kind of a sleepy town, but there are other areas nearby that are well worth a visit.
6. Bring an extra bathing suit!
Hotel Bareiss has an AWESOME pool area, and it’s usable all year. If you like to swim or relax in the water, you may want to bring an extra bathing suit. They also have a dryer in the locker room that will wring most of the the water out in eight seconds.
5. You can bring your dog!
Although I tend to relax more when I travel without our dogs, I did miss them while we were at the Hotel Bareiss. I think Noyzi, in particular, would have loved the hotel. So many people brought their beautiful pooches with them, and there were a lot of amenities for them, including dog sitting! But bear in mind, if you do bring your dog, there are steep extra charges involved and not every room will be available to you.
4. Pack a nice outfit or two.
The Hotel Bareiss requests that guests dress nicely for dinner. That doesn’t necessarily mean putting on a dress or a suit, nor does it even mean they’ll turn you away at the door. But if you happen to be at the hotel on gala night, you will want to be dressy, as most people do put on their gladrags for the occasion. If you wear jeans and a sweatshirt, you might feel quite underdressed.
3. Don’t be afraid to try other area restaurants.
Baiersbronn is home to quite a few excellent restaurants besides the ones at Hotel Bareiss. Most are affiliated with other hotels, to include the ones at Hotel Traube Tonbach, another highly regarded hotel in the area. We ate at Traube Tonbach last year and had a very nice experience. We also tried the Meierei, which has a Michelin Plate, and liked that even more than the Michelin starred restaurant at the Traube Tonbach. But even if you aren’t into gourmet food, you can find really good eating in Baiersbronn. Especially if you like fresh trout, like I do!
2. You don’t have to spend a mint to stay in Baiersbronn…
It’s true that we dropped a load of euros at Hotel Bareiss. This year’s visit was about twice as expensive as last year’s, although we also stayed a day longer and in fancier digs. But if we’d wanted to, we could have easily bunked comfortably in less extravagant lodging and had a great time. In fact, in some ways, I think I might have preferred a less “structured” holiday. I don’t think I’m that into resorts and half board plans. I like having the freedom to try different places and do my own thing. Maybe next time we go to the Black Forest, we’ll try to find a self catering apartment in a different area.
1. On the other hand, I would NOT turn down another visit to Hotel Bareiss…
It really is a lovely hotel, with friendly and mostly professional staff, and magical surroundings. We absolutely did enjoy ourselves, and would heartily recommend that others visit. Just remember that when you book Hotel Bareiss, you’re likely to be committed to going. You may wish to purchase travel insurance, in case you need to cancel. In our situation, I was worried about Arran being sick with lymphoma and needing us to come home to take care of him. However, he has now shown us that he is clearly not ready to leave us yet… so I’m glad we didn’t cancel! In fact, as I write this, he’s visiting the vet. I have a feeling she might be pleasantly surprised by how he’s doing today.
Well, that about does it for this year’s visit to the Schwarzwald. I hope this series has been entertaining, informative, and inspirational. If you’re living in Germany, I highly recommend taking the opportunity to visit The Black Forest. We completely missed it the first time we lived here. I’m so glad we came back and rectified that tragedy! And if you are into good food, especially fine dining, you may want to make a point of visiting Baiersbronn. As I mentioned in 2018, when we first heard of Baiersbronn, there are lots of (Michelin) “stars” in them there hills!
Here’s the very last part of my series on the Hotel Bareiss in Baiersbronn. I hope it will be short. I’ll try to make it so, as I will also be doing my customary “top ten things I learned” post, for those who can’t be bothered to read the whole series.
Sunday night, after dinner, we found a letter from the hotel management thanking us for our stay. The letter was in English, but it had a couple of rather glaring errors in it. I know this sounds really “uppity” of me to notice, especially since I understood it perfectly. But, I’m afraid I am a bit of a stickler about such things, especially since so many people speak English at the hotel, and the errors were pretty basic (ie; not capitalizing the word “dear”). Also, this hotel charges out the wazoo, and purports to exact high standards in all things. So I wasn’t very impressed by the letter, which thanked us for staying, offered instructions for checking out, and requested us to fill out a survey, which I was happy to do. One thing that was lacking in the room, or maybe I just never found it, was a pen. Fortunately, other hotels were more generous, and I had a couple in my purse. 😉
I didn’t sleep well the last night, because I woke up at about 3:00 am needing the bathroom. When I was finished there, I was wide awake, which prompted me to look at Facebook. That was a mistake, since that was when I saw the comment about my trout looking like it was vomited on, and that irritated me. I probably should book a meditation vacation next. I need to stop being annoyed by dumb things.
I did finally drift off to sleep again, and we got up at about 7:30 am. We packed everything up before heading off for our last breakfast. Then Bill fetched the car key fob from the “mailbox” in the lobby, so he would have it ready for the porter who came to help us with our bags. The same very kind gentleman in the green blazer arrived quickly to load us up and get us on our way. I took a couple of photos of the minibar, which I never managed to look at during our stay. It was pretty well stocked! I didn’t see a price list, but I’m sure nothing in there was cheap. They did provide us with daily waters and fruit. I took the fruit home, since I knew they would be throwing it out, anyway.
Bill settled the bill, which came to about 4800 euros. That was for the room, half board, a la carte dining, drinks, tips, taxes, an energy surcharge (thanks Putin), and parking in a private garage. Yes, it was a lot of money, but it was less than we would have spent on a luxury cruise. We don’t do big ships– we do smaller lines like SeaDream and Hebridean– and if we ever cruise again, we’ll probably do a French barge cruise. We would have easily spent more than that for a week on a boat, plus we probably would have had to fly to reach the vessel. This was a lot like being on a cruise, but having access to our car. I like not being a captive audience!
Thankfully, right now the dollar is in the very rare position of being worth more than the euro is. So actually, we spent about $4700. What a bargain! 😉
Of course, you don’t have to spend that much to enjoy Baiersbronn. The area has a bunch of lodging options to fit any budget. In fact, I was looking at another hotel– four stars– that is rated higher than Bareiss is on TripAdvisor. Because it has fewer facilities, it’s less expensive. And it is important to note that in Europe, five stars doesn’t necessarily mean service is five star. The stars indicate the facilities available and supposed luxuries. So you could stay at a perfectly basic but wonderful one star hotel that just offers a bed and a toilet. Or you could stay at a really shitty five star place that has a big pool and a business center. Keep that in mind.
I do think the Bareiss Hotel is a beautiful property and, for the most part, I was very pleased by the service. Most everybody was very pleasant, and the facilities are very good. My only quibble was that some of the decor was kind of dated looking to me. The color scheme included a lot of pinks, greens, and mauves, with lots of gold fixtures, if you catch my drift. Yes, it’s a hotel with a long history, having been founded in 1951 as the Kurhotel Mitteltal by Hermine Bareiss, and the quaintness is part of its charm. But there were a few areas that looked like they could use a coat of paint or maybe an updated color scheme. Of course, making those changes would result in higher prices.
I did love the uniforms everyone wore. The dirndls were especially pretty, and it looked like they had several styles. I don’t like wearing uniforms, but I would feel beautiful in some of the dirndls they had for the ladies. A dirndl is a rare dress that actually flatters my figure.
Once Bill paid the tab, we got in the car and headed home. Just as we were leaving the valley, the sun came out and there was beautiful sunshine. Figures. It would have been a good day to go to the waterfalls. Maybe next time we’ll make it there. I did get some pictures from the drive out of the Schwarzwald. It’s so beautiful there. I do like Wiesbaden, but it lacks a lot of the landscape and natural beauty of Baden-Württemberg. Since I lived in that area for a total of six years in two and four year stints, it will always have a piece of my heart. I feel like I’m going home when I visit BW, even though my actual home is Virginia.
So now we’re back in Wiesbaden, and it’s time to face the music with our sweet Arran. He survived the Hundepension just fine, and is still chipper at this point. I know it’s temporary, but it’s good to see him, and Noyzi who, just today, is celebrating two years of life with us. We brought him home two years ago today. Who knows what’s in store for us? We could have a rough winter. So I’m glad we took this trip. I don’t think I’ll forget our experience at Hotel Bareiss anytime soon… especially since they sent us home with a parting gift.
It’s not Molton Brown, which were the toiletries in the bathroom… in fact, it’s better.
Tomorrow, I will post my top ten things I learned rundown… Hope you’ll read it!
Ah Sunday… our last full day at the luxurious Hotel Bareiss in Baiersbronn. Once again, I wondered if we might be able to venture to the waterfalls. Once again, I was disappointed by wind, rain, and the occasional teasing from the sun. Oh well. Now we have a reason to come back to Baiersbronn, or some other fancy resort in the area.
So what did we do on our last day? That was another pool day for us, and since I’ve already posted my pool photos in part four, I don’t have much to write about that, other than we discovered that the Bareiss has a really cool swimsuit dryer that wrings the water out of your bathing suit in eight seconds flat. I hadn’t noticed it during our first visit. Also, this was the day that I saw the nude lady in the jacuzzi, informing me that the sauna and steam room area at Hotel Bareiss is obviously clothing optional. I didn’t see any signs about that, although it’s well known in Germany that you don’t sit in a sauna or steam room while wearing a swimsuit. You will be properly bitched out for it, if you do!
Bill and I weren’t really interested in the saunas or steam rooms, anyway. After a few more turns in the indoor and outdoor saltwater pools, we just enjoyed the awesome outdoor hot tub in the sauna area, which we had all to ourselves. The sauna world also had a Kneipp walk pool, an icy cold plunge pool, foot baths, and an exit to the outside, where I assume one could walk around au naturale if they wanted to. I’ve heard being nude in public isn’t necessarily illegal in Germany, although it certainly would be noticed and frowned upon. But I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong. 😉
After we came back from the pool area, we decided to walk into town and have lunch at a restaurant at Hotel Lamm, another lodging facility located across the street from Hotel Bareiss. Hotel Lamm isn’t as fancy as Hotel Bareiss is, but it does have a pretty nice restaurant. As we were walking in, we noticed a large group of young folks in Trachten– traditional German clothing– and they were obviously headed to the Volksfest in Stuttgart. Or maybe they were going somewhere else, but they sure looked like they were going to party, and they could get the train and enjoy themselves safely.
The restaurant at Hotel Lamm is called Wipfel (Treetop), and it is staffed by young folks dressed in traditional Trachten. Our waitress switched to English as soon as she heard us speak, then apologized for not having a menu in English. It was okay, as we both speak German restaurant lingo pretty well.
I was still perturbed about the unpleasant reactions to my trout dish on Saturday, so I ordered another one! That one didn’t attract as much attention. Bill had beef with horseradish sauce. We shared a bottle of locally produced Riesling, a bottle of mineral water, and more farmer’s bread. I was impressed by the Wipfel, and the hotel itself looked nice. I’m sure it is a hell of a lot less expensive to stay there, too!
Farmer’s bread, honey drizzled butter, and amuses from the kitchen!A less surprised looking trout cooked in the Müllerinartstyle…Bill’s horseradish covered beef.I had Black Forest cheesecake for dessert. It was plain cheesecake topped with cherry ice cream and garnished with chocolate.Front doors.I’d go here again. Food and service were good.A view of the weather.Baiersbronn-Mitteltal is nice.A shop with classic bikes… Obviously restored.I would have liked to have tried this gastropub, but it was only open past 8pm.
We walked around Baiersbronn a bit after a late lunch, then walked back to the Bareiss, gawking at all the Porsches, Mercedes, BMWs, Teslas and Volvos… I never thought we’d stay in such a place. When we married 20 years ago, we never went anywhere for fun, because we were broke. It wasn’t until we were married 3 years before we finally went on a trip that didn’t involve staying with family. We’ve come a long way.
Dinner at Bareiss on Sunday night was a more casual affair. I didn’t visit the buffet, but I believe vegetables was the theme. As it was, I just had one course from the menu, a filet mignon with roasted potatoes, and dessert. I wanted to try another steak, and was pleased that this time, the temperature was right. I also loved the dessert, which was a pistachio parfait.
Delicious pumpkin soup…Salmon tartar. I tried this and it was good, but I was still full from lunch.Mushroom encrusted beef for Bill.A medium cooked mushroom free filet for me.Perfect roasted potatoes.Herb butter.Pistachio parfait with oranges.The heart signified that it was our last night.
Because it was our last night, and because I was thinking of Arran, who was named after a Scottish island in the Hebrides, Bill and I visited the bar one last time. I drank a couple of drams of whisky, while Bill had a cocktail and a wee dram of scotch. I was glad to see they had Glen Scotia from Campbeltown, but they didn’t have any Springbank!
This was nice, and reasonably priced.Bill joined me in a toast.
The bartender, who had been a little aloof, was genuinely kind when we said we were going home. It was nice to hang out in her bar for a few days. But going home is better for the wallet! And, to be honest, as much as I enjoyed our visit, I was ready to come home. I think long trips are kind of hard for us, especially when things are structured, as they tend to be in resorts. I don’t know if or when we’ll be back to the Schwarzwald “on holiday”, but I would love to find a really nice self-catering house with great views of the mountains and the freedom to try different places for dinner.
On the other hand, of course I would also love to go to the Bareiss again. Stay tuned for part eight, which will close out this series.
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