FREIBURG, THE BLACK FOREST & EUROPA PARK

Freiburg is idyllically situated between the Kaiserstuhl region and the Rhineland Plains to the west and the valleys and the mountains of the Black Forest to the East. Our second day in Freiburg we took the “double decker” train to explore the scenic region of the Black Forest where our schedule was to stop at amazing places en route such as Titisee, Donaueschingen, Triberg and Offenberg before returning back to Freiburg. To take us on the route was Mr. Andreas Döring who runs a travel company and his 91 year old mother in tow. I wasn't surprised to see the two of them hail and hearty especially as they come from this very beautiful region of Germany. It doesn't quite surprise me that even in 2009 Freiburg is amongst the 8 greenest cities of Europe and 4% of the city's energy consumption is derived from renewable energy sources such as wind, sun and water. We all know Black Forest Cake which comes from this region and like the cake which consists of several layers of chocolate cake with whipped cream and cherries between each layer, the region itself is a wooded mountain range (like the chocolate cake) interspersed by the waterfalls and crystal clear lakes (like the whipped cream) and the lovely towns and attractions of the region add up to make the cherries. The region is rectangular (very much like the cake itself) and covers an area of 12000 square kilometres.

Amongst the 8 rivers of the area, it is the Danube which rises in the Black Forest and of the 8 mountain ranges, it is Feldberg which is the highest of them all standing tall at 4900 feet. The entire Black Forest belongs to the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg and the forest comprises of pine and fir trees with scenic hills in between. For an active traveller, this is the place to be to do long distance walks or treks, mountain biking and during winter, cross-country skiing. The city of Freiburg is the best hub to explore this region although if you want to stay right in the midst of the Black Forest you have a choice of over 12 lovely towns (the cherries of the cake) where you can stay in some very romantic and countryside hotels - a delight for honeymooners and nature lovers too! One can easily spend an entire week to explore the area and still come back looking out for more. From clock museums to wine routes to cycling paths as well as specialized routes like the German Clock road, there are more ways than one to explore this wonderful region. However, we chose the train which seems to be the best way to see the countryside and it offers you the option of getting off at any of the towns on this scenic route.

As we chugged our way in the double-decker train made especially for the Black Forest circuit, we traversed lakes in enchanted valleys, luxurious meadows bordered by dark forest. As we crossed the charming Dreisam River Valley, we soon approached Hoellental or Hell Valley where the walls of the rocks rise steeply up to 600 metres high which makes the Hell Valley one of most impressive valleys of the region. Up to 200 years ago there was only a mule track in the gorge about 10 kilometres long which was later expanded into a roadway and today the route through Hoellenthal is an important connecting road from the Rhine Plain into the southern Black Forest. In 1770, the old roadway was also taken by Marie Antoinette when travelling to France to join her bridegroom King Louis XIV and this further makes Hoellenthal one of the most interesting rail routes of Germany. The rail route has operated since 1887 and millions of visitors have gone through the stunning scenery that you get to see on your way - whether in spring, summer, autumn, winter or even on a rainy day.

Further on, we saw an interesting Stag statue perched atop a mountain in a leaping posture. Known as the Stag Leap, this was the narrowest part of the valley. The bronze statue denotes that this is the place where the stag and similar species used to leap across the gorge to save themselves from being hunted down. We stopped for a short break at Breitnau, which is half way between Freiburg and Titisee approximately 15 kilometres east of Freiburg. Here you find the Hotel Hofgut Sternen which has seen celebrities like Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe and Princess Marie Antoinette taking a break. Today, this is a modern hotel with souvenir shops and claims to have the largest cuckoo clock in the world. The hotel is located immediately on crossing a village called Himmelreich or Heaven. So after Hell Valley and Heaven, we had a short coffee break before heading to the picturesque town of Lake Titisee. Lake Titisee is an Ice Age glacier lake lying at the foothill of Mount Feldberg – the highest mountain in the Black Forest. Titisee is famous for shopping especially for cuckoo clocks and has a wide variety of restaurants, an ideal place to break for lunch on the Black Forest train route. The town attracts tourists from all across the world and we happened to see a few Indians who were boating on the crystal clear lake. The Titisee Lake is approximately 40 metres deep and is located in a picture postcard setting at a height of 858 metres. We had ample time to grab a meal and also do a 25-minute boat ride besides taking a short stroll around this beautiful town.

Our next stop, although for a short while was at Donaueschingen, known throughout the world as the site of the Danube Spring and for its annual festivals of contemporary music and equestrian championship which is held during late summer. For beer lovers, a visit to the town is a must as a famous local beer known as Fuerstenberg is brewed here. The town with a population of 21000 residents is on the eastern side of the Black Forest at an elevation of 800 to 1000 metres and is a health resort where one could stay a couple of nights to enjoy the fresh air and climate of the area. Besides the Danube Bicycle Trail, Donaueschingen also has 18 and 9-hole golf courses, a 16th century Fuerstenberg Palace and a park alongside. In addition, there are sidewalk cafes, shops, boutiques, fountains and a lovely town square. Donaueschingen is at a strategic location and there are several things you could do by spending 3 or 4 days in this wonderful town. For instance, there is the Danube Bike Trail - a classic bike route with superb stages along the Danube and a trail that extends up to Passau in Bavaria and beyond. Approximately 45 minutes away you have Europe's biggest waterfall at Schaffhausen in Switzerland. Then there is the spa garden and bathing cum therapy centre of Solemar at Bad Deurrheim where you can float in salt water and experience a Black Forest sauna with therapeutic treatment. Lake Constance – one of Germany's largest lakes located on the Austrian-Swiss border is just 80 kilometres away and en route you can visit some quaint villages and small towns such as Meersburg or the islands of Reichenau and Mainau. The wine growing region of Kaiserstuhl is also in close proximity and produces some top quality wines. The Kaiserstuhl lies between the Vosges and Black Forest mountain ranges. If you stay overnight at Donaueschingen, you are allowed to use the local buses and trains free of charge in the Black Forest region and do ask for the KONUS Guest card which allows you free access to public transport in the area. What we got is a little glimpse of this region but we knew we have to come back again to explore the environs.

We were a bit unfortunate with the weather and we had to cut short our visit to Triberg as it was drizzling and we missed out on seeing Germany's highest waterfall in Triberg. Triberg is also known for the Black Forest clock maker industry as the cuckoo clock was founded here. There is also an interesting bike and walking path known as the Clock-Carrier Path which goes through Triberg and it is this path which was used in earlier times where the clock carriers used to carry large number of clocks on their backs to deliver it to other places around the area. The Black Forest is truly an adventure country and whether it's the spa town of Baden Baden, Leorrach – the city of voices, the Roman spa ruins of Badenweiler or the valley of 100 valleys in Meunstertal, there is lots to do. We headed back that evening to Freiburg and we were looking forward to an exciting day ahead to visit the town of Rust and one of Europe's largest theme parks – the Europa Park.

The town of Rust is one hour by bus from Freiburg and what was once a small fishing village now houses Germany's largest leisure park. The park covers over 70 hectares and you need more than a day to experience over a 100 attractions divided into 13 different European themes and is an ideal location for the whole family to spend a couple of days of fun and excitement. With the size which can accommodate more than 140 football fields, Europa Park offers boundless fun for the entire family. Over 4 million visitors visit the park each year and it has a 78% repeat value. We were indeed surprised that not many Indians were there in the park. In fact, I recall we were probably the only Indian family out there and the kids had a great time and they wanted more at the end of the day. Ideally, I would recommend a 2 nights/3 days stay to explore one of the 13 European themed areas and you have a choice of four 4-star themed hotels – El Andaluz, Castillo Alcazar, Colosseo and Santa Isabel. The park is open between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. in summer and tickets are reasonably priced at 34 Euros per adult. For a child between 4 and 11 years as well as for those above 60 years, it is 30 Euros and children under 4 get a free entry. Germany's biggest theme park has as many as 10 roller coaster rides and the latest edition in 2009 is the new catapult-coaster which goes from 0 to 100 km/hr in 2.5 seconds with a 32 metres high loop and a full 360º roll, not once but 3 times and all in absolute darkness - not really for the faint-hearted. You will find this 1000-metre thrill ride in the new themed area of Iceland. This state of the art rollercoaster has a seating which combines audio and special effects.

The other interesting roller coaster is the “Poseidon” water roller coaster in the Greece area which takes you between the sky and the sea. The Pegasus YoungSTAR coaster is for the younger visitors who do not want an extremely high-adrenaline experience at their age. The Matterhorn-Blitz in the Swiss area takes you through curves around mountains and valleys and the Silver Star which reaches speeds of 130 km/hr is also one not recommended for the faint-hearted. It's not about roller coasters only at the Europa Park, although we preferred to go on each and every roller coaster ride. There is also the Magic 4-D cinema, a Magical Garden, a Castle and loads of other activities including an outdoor Tipi Village with tents built in a Native American style. There is a wide range of options to eat and plenty of souvenir shops and the day just flew by and it was time for us to take the bus back to Freiburg. The next morning we bid adieu to one of the most beautiful regions of Baden-Wuerttemberg and to the last leg of our stay in Munich, Bavaria.

HEIDELBERG & INTO FREIBURG

We were indeed fortunate to have Charlotte Frey as a guide during our very short stay in Heidelberg as she did give us more than an overview of this wonderful University town. As we were exploring the beautiful city of Heidelberg, we briefly stopped in the Old Town to see the building that Louis XIV did not destroy and where stands the Hotel Ritter - one of the famous landmarks of the Old Town square which also has a gothic style Church of the Holy Ghost. Further down is the Old Bridge which offers a spectacular view of the Heidelberg Castle on the other side of the Neckar River. The funicular station which is the gateway to Heidelberg Castle is also located less than 5 minutes from the Old Town Square. The original building was built over 400 years ago by a cloth dealer and has undergone several renovations retaining its original architectural beauty and renaissance style which makes the Hotel Ritter one of the most historic and artistic buildings of this charming town and is an ideal place to stay especially as it is located right in the centre and in close proximity to major tourist attractions.

As we walked towards the Old Bridge we came across the Café Konditorei Knösel – the makers of the Heidelberg Student's Kisses – praline nougat chocolate filling on an exquisite wafer bottom and coated in delicious dark chocolate. Café Knösel houses Heidelberg's oldest confectioner's store and was established in 1863 and was a meeting place for the residents of Heidelberg. Knösel, the dedicated chocolatier was a master confectioner and young ladies who used to attend Heidelberg's finishing schools loved his sweet chocolate delights and used to flock to the store. Fridolin Knösel came up with a brilliant idea of inventing a delicious chocolate delight called the Student's Kiss which if given as a present, was a discreet way to show your affection. The tradition of this original recipe continues since 1863 when it was first invented and today is a sweet symbol and charming souvenir of Heidelberg and captures the hearts of generation after generation. Regretfully for us, the café was closed during our visit. However our guide was sweet enough to send us the Heidelberger Studentenkuβ - as it is known in Germany - by parcel post to remind us of the affection shown by the people of this wonderful and charming city. The Student’s Kisses is one thing that is indigenous to Heidelberg.

As we started walking towards the historic Old Bridge which was originally constructed in 1284 and later replaced by a wooden bridge in 1788, we noticed a Bridge Monkey or Bruckenaffe on the south bank of the bridge. This carved monkey from medieval times was made of bronze by sculptor Gernot Rumpf and was installed here in 1979 and carries a mirror and a small inscription in German which translates as “Why are you looking at me? Look in the mirror and you will see more of the same.” Today, however, many tourists do a photo stop here and touch the mirror held by the monkey as it is believed to bring you luck. The bridge monkey in Heidelberg dates back to the 15th Century.

Just across the Old Bridge in the Old Town is the famous Vetter Alt Heidelberg, a famous Brauhaus and a must- visit place in Heidelberg not only for its ambience but the fine cuisine served. Here you will get traditional German food and it is extremely popular with tourists as they brew their own beer. A meal would cost you in the vicinity of 6 to 8 Euros; good value for money indeed. Further down, we came across the Holy Ghost Church which was started in the 1400s and then it was Catholic and now it is Heidelberg's main Protestant church. Until 1623, the church's galleries contained Europe's largest collection of handwritten books and documents, the Biblioteca Platina. Afterpassing the Rathaus or Town Hall where civil marriages are held, we saw the statue of the Madonna on the Corn Market Square which has been part of Heidelberg since 1718 and it was the Jesuits who built this statue here to motivate people of Heidelberg to switch to Catholicism. Next we took the 90 seconds funicular up to the Heidelberg Castle. The Heidelberg Castle, now a ruin, is one of the most important of the Renaissance structures and was built before 1214 AD and later expanded into two castles. Thereafter it was destroyed by lightening, wars and fires before being rebuilt. The castle is located approximately 260 feet on a hillside known as Königstuhl and you can get a spectacular view of the old town from this castle.

The highlight of the tour was the story of Frederick V, also known as the “Winter King” who at 16 years fell in love with the daughter of the King of England, Elizabeth Stuart and he built for her an English building connected by a tower as much as 7 metres thick and also commissioned the Elizabeth Gate at the peace garden. He was nicknamed the Winter King as his rule merely lasted one winter after which there was the Thirty Years War – the most brutal war in German history. Later, Liselotte, the granddaughter of Frederick V, was born in Heidelberg and grew up in Hannover but often returned to Heidelberg.

The other highlight was the biggest wine barrel in the world which can be visited in the cellar of the Heidelberg Castle and was originally built in 1591. Thereafter, the barrel was made bigger in 1751 and can store almost 225000 litres of wine. In the 18th Century, the vat's guardian was a dwarf named Perkeo, a court jester with tremendous thirst for wine. Perkeo had the capacity of consuming eighteen bottles of wine to empty the cask for almost fifty years till one day he consumed water and that led to his demise. Today, an antique statue of Perkeo stands next to the Great Cask. Such interesting legends are part of the guided tours of the castle.

Our last stop was at the North Patio - the large balcony which overlooks the Old Town. Here one finds a footprint and local legends say that the footprint was that of a knight who tried to save the princess from a burning castle. Another legend is that the Queen was having an affair and the King caught them in the act. The man leapt out of the window and the footprint is where his foot first hit the ground. However, the latest legend is that those who step on the footprint stencil will definitely return back to Heidelberg again and that's what all of us did before bidding adieu to this wonderful city and heading to the southwest corner of Germany – Freiburg.

Freiburg lies on the western edge of the Black Forest and is an excellent hub for day trips whether it is to see the Black Forest or Europa Park in Rust or even day trips into France or Switzerland as Freiburg although in Germany is actually on the crossroad of France, Germany and Switzerland. It took us less than a couple of hours to reach Freiburg from Heidelberg and we had to change trains en route at Karlsruhe. We arrived into Freiburg a little before 1500 hours and later that evening we did a short walking tour of Freiburg and its Old Town.

Freiburg is one of the “greenest” cities in Germany with its diversity of forests and vineyards surrounding this region of diverse landscapes. From the altitude of Black Forest to the alluvial forests by the Rhine River, Freiburg is a city worth a visit not only for being the capital city of the Black Forest region but also the Gothic cathedral and the Munster Market which is held near the square of the cathedral. The unique part of the city of Freiburg is the famous Freiburg “Bächle” or streams which run through the town for a total of 9 kilometres including 5.1 kilometres above ground. The pavements of the Old Town are decorated with mosaics made of stones taken from gravel pits along the Rhine. The mosaics in front of many stores depict guild symbols or typical tools of that particular trade which is again peculiar to Freiburg. The town has its own University and hence it is bustling with cafés, pubs as well as vibrant night life. Additionally, the town is an important hub to visit one of Europe's largest theme parks – Europa Park in Rust. In our next issue we would be talking about exploring Freiburg and its environ.