The black forest of  Germany is filled with magical rivers and waterfalls amidst tall trees and picturesque towns nestled among cascading hills. After our trip, I understand why many fairy tales and children’s stories are set within the black forest: this region is extraordinary.

On the first day, Kathleen, Zach, Bryan and I flew to Stuttgart, Germany and quickly drove to our first stop: Triberg, Germany.

The lovely, quant town, Triberg is — in addition to its stunning scenery — home to the famous Cuckoo-clocks. I have to say, Bryan has a slight obsession with all things “clock”, so it was a “must-see” for the four of us. The most famous cuckoo-clock shop in Triberg is called Oli Schnitzstube. This shop is special because they employ 5 master carvers who design and carve all of the intricate cuckoo-clocks by hand. They did not allow pictures within their shop, but check out their site to see how amazing these clocks are! We did not buy one while there, but planning to order one online one day.

After seeing all of the cuckoo clocks, we also went on an easy hike to see the Triberg waterfall before lunch.

After the hike and popping into some additional shops, we stopped and had lunch, ice cream and german beers.

Next stop: Baden-Baden — the charming spa town north of Triberg on the Rhine river. Baden-Baden felt like the European version of the highlands, North Carolina. It is sensationally beautiful and green, there are fabulous restaurants,  and plenty of great outdoor activities.

The theme of our Germany trip was hiking and exploring. We walked everywhere! We loved the fact that there was nothing specific on our agenda besides dinner reservations.

Speaking of dinner, if you find yourself in Baden-Baden, you must go to Baldreit for dinner. Right by the town theater, Baldreit had a refreshingly different menu and the ambiance is wonderful — we sat in the courtyard for hours.

We veered off the Rhine river trek the next day to visit Heidelberg, Germany. Heidelberg is on the Neckar river and is quite charming. It is a special place because it is where Pop Solomon was stationed during his time in the Army.

It was during the drive from Baden-Baden to Heidelberg that I received the news about Melissa’s effective treatment. With the beauty of the drive, and the sweet relief, there were definitely overwhelming tears of joy! 🙂 Praises all around.

We hit the ground running when we arrived in Heidelberg. Kathleen, Zach, Bryan and I hiked to the Castle ruins, which overlook the city, and explored the surrounding grounds. To me, walking through the castle is not necessary, as the grounds and ruins are fascinating.

We loved all the places we ate on the trip, but our restaurant in Heidelberg was our favorite. You must go to Snitzelbank if you are there!

The next morning, we shopped, further explored, and then headed to Frankfurt to fly out the next morning.

This trip to Germany reminded me of the importance of going off the beaten path. It was authentic and we left feeling full. We loved our Germany trip with Kathleen and Zach.