☰Schwarzwald Hochstrasse

The Black Forest High Road (B500) runs 60 kilometres from Freudenstadt north to Baden-Baden, crossing the highest ridges of the Northern Black Forest. It is one of the great scenic drives in Germany: forests of spruce and fir on either side, occasional clearings with views west over the Rhine plain and into Alsace, and a series of lakes and viewpoints along the way. In winter the road is used by cross-country skiers. In summer it gives access to a network of ridge trails. You do not need a car — local buses follow sections of the route — but driving it gives you the freedom to stop at the viewpoints.