Black Forest

(Local Name: Schwarzwald) Land: Baden-Württemberg

Situation and characteristics

The Black Forest, with its dark forest-covered hills, is one of the most visited upland regions in Europe. It lies in the southwestern corner of Germany, extending for 160km/100mi from Pforzheim in the north to Waldshut, on the High Rhine, in the south. At the northern end it is some 20km/12.5mi wide, at the southern end 60km/40mi. On the west side it descends to the Rhine valley in a steep scarp which is slashed by well watered valleys; on the east it slopes more gently down to the upper Neckar and Danube valleys. The main ridge is broken up by numerous valleys, with flat-topped summits rising to only a moderate height