The Black Forest offers a positive oasis of hospitality - 12 out of Germany´s top 100 restaurants are located here. The stars shine particularly brightly over Baiersbronn´s gourmet heaven. The hotel Traube Tonbach in Baiersbronn holds the distinction of having 3 Michelin stars.

Many specialities taste right only at the place where they are produced, and that is also true for eating and drinking in the Black Forest. Black Forest gateau is famous throughout the world and is a definite “must“ when on holidays ... followed by a Wässerle or a “Little Water”, as we say here in the Black Forest.

Naturally, it tastes best in the Black Forest, where you’ll find it in virtually every café and restaurant. One of the essential ingredients is Kirsch, or cherry schnapps, from fruit picked locally, because the Black Forest is the only place where the right kind of cherries thrive to make this spirit.

A genuine Black Forest ham takes time – plenty of it. The longer it has been air-dried or smoked, the better its taste and flavour. Luckily, you’ll find the well-matured delicacy on restaurant menus throughout the Black Forest – without having to wait for too long.

What is the most important thing about a Black Forest gateau? The chocolate, the little swirls of cream? It is the kirsch, that clearly discernible alcohol which makes the gateau genuine, which delights elderly ladies and scares off children, who then are happier spooning up ice-cream, provided it doesn't contain any of that horrid stuff which burns your tongue so dreadfully. A connoisseur will immediately object that it is a complete waste to put kirsch in cream cakes. And besides, it's a man's thing. Like in the old days, when only raftsmen, woodcutters and miners got a taste of the home-distilled schnapps, when they needed to arm themselves at snack-times for some heavy work in the open air.

Did you know that red wine is only red because, unlike white wine, it is fermented together with the skin of the (red) grapes? This is why it is possible to produce, from the juice of one and the same grape variety, an excellent dark late Burgundy, with its attractive warm, red colouring, and also a fine rosé - by allowing the grape juice to become wine either with or without the grape skins.
This is one of the many interesting facts you will learn if you explore the Baden Wine Route.