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In the northern parts, the tallest peaks rarely reach more than 1000m above sea level. This area is characterised by seemingly endless miles of spruce-clad mountains, moors and deeply incised, steep and narrow valleys carved out by rivers that once were vital traffic arteries.

On top of the Black Forest with panoramic views all around (Stage 10A)

The southern Black Forest is where the tallest peaks are found, with Feldberg at almost 1500m topping the list. The southern edges of the massif are geologically still quite active – a phenomena that can be observed in the widening chasms of gorges, such as the Wutachschlucht.

The main central ridge of the mountains divides the region into an eastern and a western part. On the western flanks the mountains soar quite abruptly, rising up from the Rhine Valley to over 1000m, while the eastern slopes fall away much more gradually, forming an extensive high plateau that is characterised by gently rolling hills.

History

Despite its northern latitude, Baden-Württemberg bears many traces of extremely ancient human history. Some of Europe’s oldest archaeological sites have been discovered at various locations between Stuttgart and Lake Constance, but the Black Forest has long remained a forbidding wilderness.