Discover the Flavors of Germany in the Black Forest

Family travelers find no shortage of ways to experience the rich heritage of Germany in the Black Forest. From hiking many trails to visiting historic castles of the region and exploring the many picturesque towns with their own unique charms and personalities, the possibilities are endless.

But perhaps nothing really brings you closer to the heart of a destination than sampling the local cuisine. In the Black Forest, where the motto is “Enjoy fresh and local,” families can do just that. The area is home to two beautiful nature parks, and within those parks are dozens of innkeepers who make the most of the bounty of nature by incorporating seasonal harvests into their menus, bringing those flavors and ingredients directly to guests’ plates.

By working with what literally grows in their backyards, local chefs help to maintain the natural landscape while they create delicious meals using everything from meats and cheeses to fruits and vegetables that are not only native to the area, but also locally grown and cared for by the innkeepers and chefs themselves.

Tom Stolz of Wolpertinger, the restaurant at Hotel Merkurwald in Baden-Baden, describes his menu, “This is what home tastes like.” His restaurant features dishes from locally sourced wild boar and deer available year-round, reflecting ingredients readily available to the area, as well as ingredients that have been used in the Black Forest for centuries.

At Bergfriedel, located in Bühlertal, meals are crafted with the meat of its own farm-raised chickens and honey produced by the bees living in the property’s organic garden. As the first certified climate hotel in the Black Forest, Bergfriedel’s use of local ingredients in its farm-to-table menu are an excellent lesson in sustainability.

Through its local cuisine and the dedicated nature park and innkeepers and chefs who curate menus around what is local, fresh and seasonal, visitors can create an entire itinerary around the Black Forest that lets parents and children alike learn to appreciate the beauty of the region while discovering the flavors specific to this part of Germany.