The Black Forest, located in southwest Germany, is a large forested mountain range with lots to offer. We were in disbelief when given the Hochschwarzwald card upon check-in to our holiday home on our recent long weekend there. This little red card which you will receive if staying in one of the over 400 holiday homes in the area, offers free admission to over 100 attractions and we were keen on making the most of it as we explored the Black Forest with kids.
The card is valid either on the day of arrival or departure if spending a night there. This would require some planning ahead. It is also worth noting that there are many other things to do in the area that are free should you not have the Hochschwarzwald card or plan to do just a day trip there.
Things we did at the Black Forest with kids:
Todtnau Waterfalls
One of the highest waterfalls in Germany, Todtnau Waterfall plunges down 97 m into the valley.
We parked our car at the spots next to the road heading up to the pathway entrance to the mid-point of the falls. It was an easy 600 meter hike to get there. For the more adventurous there are two bigger trails you can follow for longer hikes.
The kids had fun spotting birds, throwing twigs and acorns as well as just running around. I would highly recommend a trip here. Unfortunately we were a little too early to visit the area, otherwise we could have easily combined this trip to the Todtnau Waterfalls with the Hasenhorn Coaster.
Titisee
One of the best-known attractions at the heart of the Black Forest, Titisee is not to be missed. The largest natural lake in the Black Forest stretches for some 2 km (over 1 mile) and offers a relaxing place to unwind, surrounded by forest and Low Mountains.
It is a popular resort destination, with plenty of outdoor activities. With the Hochschwarzwald card, you are entitled to a free 25 minutes cruise on the lake.
The high street offers endless choices of restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops – should you be looking into buying a cuckoo clock to take home. We always get ourselves an ice cream when we are here and kids would have fun devouring that while throwing stones into the lake.
Märklin-World Titisee (model trains museum)
Any train buff will not want to miss this little model train museum. With more than 450 square meters of exhibition space, you will marvel at the tiny details of everything on display.
M-A-C Adventure Minigolf
Right next door to the model train museum is an 18-hole mini golf course. It was an easy hour to spend outdoors in the Black Forest with kids. They had lots of fun just kicking the ball when using the golf clubs proved to be too difficult.
Badeparadies Schwarzwald
I wasn’t going to miss a trip to this water paradise as soon as I had a look at their website. We opted to visit the Galaxy Schwarzwald (which had 25 slides – I cannot wait for the kids to be older to go on all of them!) out of the three wellness worlds on offer.
With the Hochschwarzwald card, you can enter for 1.5 hours for free, with a 3 Euros surcharge on weekend, and you pay 1 Euro for every extra 30 minutes you stay.
Fun in snow at Feldberg
Our original idea was to take the kids skiing for the first time in the Black Forest. However as the snow conditions weren’t great, we decided against it. If skiing in the Black Forest, there are 12 ski lifts that are free with the Hochschwarzwald Card.
We visited Feldberg and the kids were happy to just spend some time playing with snow while we were there.
Fundorena Indoor Sports Park
Who would say no to some fun time jumping on trampolines? I even took advantage of trying out their high ropes course on our second visit there.
Tannenmühle
Located in the romantic Schlüchttal valley in the southern Black Forest Nature Park, Tannenmühle has always been a spot our kids loved. Offering an animal enclosure with a petting zoo, you can expect to see goats, llamas, sheep, donkeys, owls, trout and guinea pigs. Don’t miss the Highland cows on your drive in on your left.
The kids love the playground in particular. Make sure you bring 1 Euro coins so they can operate the digger, crane, etc (And to buy food to feed the animals and trout). There are plenty of slides, swings, a sand pit, and old tractors and steamrollers for the kids to sit in.
The water playground is a famous spot in the summer. You can also visit the museum mill and enjoy a meal at the restaurant which is famous for their trout dishes (from their own breeding).Be sure to let the kids have fun in their indoor playground with the XXL ball pool or a game of parkour as you are dining.
Europa Park
Germany’s largest theme park and Europe’s second most popular after Disneyland in Paris, Europa Park is another great place to visit in the Black Forest with kids. Be sure you arrive early to avoid the queues and be ready to spend an entire day there. Particularly because it costs €52 for adults and €44.50 for kids aged 4 – 11 (free on their birthday!).
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a vibrant University City in the Black Forest famous for its medieval old town and the Gothic cathedral with a 116m spire. If you are looking for a city trip, Freiburg is a good place to visit.
My thoughts – Black Forest with Kids
Black Forest with kids is a great destination I can highly recommend. There are many more places I would like to go to such as the Black Forest Open Air Museum further in the north and the outdoor pools such as the one in Schluchsee.
Have you been? Let me know in the comments below.
