The only destination we visited in Germany was Triberg, a small village in the heart of The Black Forest region. It’s most well known for being the birth place of the cuckoo clock and also the home to Germany’s tallest waterfall. We had actually read a Geronimo Stilton book that was set in the Black Forest and involved the theft of a cuckoo clock so it was so wonderful to experience this fairy tale like corner of Germany in all it’s autumn splendour. (Geronimo Stilton is a great book series for kids. )
In many of the towns across Europe, we’ve had to pay a small tourist tax. It’s only couple of euros per adult so it’s fairly inconsequential but Triberg was the one town where we actually got some benefits from the tourist tax in the form of a free passes to the main attractions of the town. So our two day stay was very budget friendly.
Triberg is very small and has the one main street that runs through the town. At the top of the main street is the famous Triberg Waterfall, which has drawn in tourists for centuries. It cascades down many layers of the mountainside and it looked spectacular surrounded by the autumn foliage. But the highlights were the squirrels! The areas is teaming with friendly squirrels who willingly eat nuts from your hands. The girls loved it so much! I have a lot of video footage, not a lot of photos unfortunately but it was so much spotting the tiny squirrels darting around the forest and enticing them over with the bags of nuts, that are available for purchase at the entrance.
Just across the road from the entrance to the waterfall is the Museum of Triberg, which is also included in the tourist pass. It’s full of exhibits and artefacts that tell the stories of Triberg and the history and culture of the Black Forest I liked learning about the iconic tradition dress and the ghoulish looking costumes that are used in local festivals. The girls loved the section that houses many rocks, minerals and gems in a narrow tunnel that is designed to feel as if you were in a mining shaft. There are a lot of information and displays on clock making and woodcarving, the iconic trades of this area of Germany.
Afterwards we headed to Triberg-Land, which was also included in the tourist. Located a short walk down the main street, Triberg-Land is home to charming model railway exhibitions that are inspired by the towns of the Black Forest. There is about twenty models in the exhibition space and many were interactive with buttons you can push to control the model trains and other vehicles. Hallie especially loves the model trains and was so excited to visit but Farley also loves the miniature town aspect of the models as well. As a family we’ve grown to love these kinds of miniature train models, a lot of skill and craftsmanship (an no doubt money) goes into them.
Afterwards we headed to a neighbouring cafe to indulge in a slice of authentic Black Forest Cake. However, we didn’t realised that an ingredient in authentic Black Forest Cake is Kirschwasser, cherry brandy. The cake smelled and tasted a bit alcoholic! Parenting Fail! Thankfully the girls only really had a few mouthfuls and it didn’t seem to have any effect, I doubt there is enough brandy in it to really do anything. Good thing we didn’t buy a slice each.
The following day was a bit rainy but we continued to make the most of the free tourist passes by taking a train ride on the local trains as I had read that this area of the Black Forest is also known for railway ingenuity and breathtaking scenery. We caught the train to Sankt Georgen im Schwarzwald which was only one stop in one direction and then we caught it back to Hornberg, the next stop beyond Triberg in the other direction and then back to Triberg. This section of the railway is known for its tunnels, bridges and winding tracks that follow the contours of the mountainside. But I would have to say I preferred the scenery on the drive out of the Black Forest the following day. The weather was better on the following day which made a big difference but I loved driving through the valleys, past all the villages and houses that look straight out of a fairytale.
After the train trip, we walked a little further out of town - further than we anticipated - to the worlds largest cuckoo clock! It’s attached to the retail shop of House of 1000 Cuckoo Clocks ( There is a second versions of this shop opposite the waterfall entrance on the main street of Triberg.) We were able go inside the giant cuckoo clock and see the enlarged inner mechanism but after waiting 20 minutes in the drizzling rain for the clock to hit 2pm, we were a little disappointed by the lackluster cuckoo bird that appeared. After visiting both House of 1000 Cuckoo Clocks, it easy to be captivated by the magic and craftmanship of the clocks. The girls loved looking at the all the details and loved the antipation of the clock striking the hour. We were allowed to change the time of many of the display clocks so that they would cuckoo on demand, which was obviously a win for the kids!
Overall, I loved our little pit stop in Triberg, two days was good amount of time to explore the immediate area. Obviously there is so much more to see in Germany but I’m glad we got to experience a part that seems to off the main international tourist trail. It’s rich in history and unique culture and the scenery was amazing!
