Lake Titisee was today's outing. The town is very touristy - not as peaceful as many other German towns. The clouds started looming but we opted for a lake ride anyway. The average depth is approx 20m, the length is 2km with width 700m. It's the largest natural lake in the Black Forest.
The lake dates back to the last Ice Age!
Legends and stories abound but who knows what is true or false!
In summer the water temperature can reach a very pleasant 24Degrees yet the lake freezes over in winter so that skating, curling etc can be enjoyed. Mind blowing really.
There are fish in the lake - Pike, Trout, Roach, Carp, and Tench plus home to Grey Heron.
Sadly, the food was not great at a popular cafe but I don't suppose they care when the town receives 2 million visitors per annum.
The day ended on a bad note with a 20 Euro Parking ticket. The parking areas are all paid, even in the most obscure places. We put in 4 Euros for 2 hours thinking that would be enough - 30 minutes over time as the heavens opened and the rain came down, we saw a " female cop" dashing away! She vanished into the air before James could catch her!
Booms like in SA would be fairer and less stressful as then you pay for the time spent. 20 Euros for 30 minutes is a total rip off!
Triberg:
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| Triberg Falls Germany |
Triberg in the Black Forest area of Germany boasts the most cuckoo clocks plus a steep walk up to the falls. The gradient is fairly gentle so we made it!
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| Triberg Falls Germany |
The falls are the highest in Germany. The Gutach falls 160m down via 7 cascades to the town below.
The squirrels live up to 10 years in the safety of this forest. The Obervogt-Huber-Pine is actually a spruce - they were called "Red Pines" previously.
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| Triberg Falls Hike Germany |
The most common bird in this area is called the "Nutcracker". Their diet is seeds and nuts from the spruce and others and they will store seeds and nuts for winter. We think we saw one but it flew away to fast to capture.
Ernest Hemingway visited the Triberg Falls in August 1922 - a long way in those days!
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| Triberg Falls Germany |
The town of Triberg used water power as far back as 1884. There are now 2 turbines - one at the top and another at the bottom. The difference in altitude is over 100m.
Cuckoo clock shops are fascinating - I did restrain myself as they are very delicate and incredible diverse. Just browsing was pretty awesome!
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| Cuckoo Clock Triberg Germany |
A fun day!
The Black Forest area in Germany is very pretty and a stunning location for hikers.
We drove thru pretty villages on our way to Kniebis for a hike to the Ellbachseeblink.
This is in the Ski Lift area and offers numerous hiking paths.
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Next stop was the wolf and bear park. The animals have been rescued and are now living in spacious, forest areas. The area is large and forested. We only saw 1 bear and 1 lynx but it is enough that these animals are now safe and well cared for.
Further along we stopped at a sawmill to watch a guy picking up logs and then dropping them into the water. From there they would enter the mill. Fun to watch! There are a number of mills around the Black Forest.
The scenery is beautiful, the buildings are gorgeous and we wish we could stay longer!
And so the annual holiday is nearing it's end! We had a rather stressful journey from Hornberg (for me anyway!) on the Autobahn. Traffic was extremely heavy on both north and south routes.
And then we discovered the hotel booked is in an industrial area! However, the positive is the walk along the River Main - 525km long, this tributary starts in Bavaria and joins up with the Rhine. So walks are possible and there is a brewery on site! What more could we wish for? Plus close to Frankfurt airport for flight tomorrow night. For every negative, there is always a positive.
Bye Bye Germany!
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| Blankenheim Germany |
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| St Goar Rhine Valley Germany |
