The beautiful Black Forest with its dark tree-covered hills is one of the most visited upland regions in Europe. In Germany's southwestern corner, it extends 160 kilometers from Pforzheim in the north to Waldshut in the south, while to the west, it descends to the Rhine valley in a steep scarp slashed by well-watered valleys.
To the east, it slopes gently down to the upper Neckar and Danube valleys. The northern Black Forest reaches its highest point in the Hornisgrinde at 1,166 meters, with the main tourist attractions being the spa facilities of towns like Baden-Baden, its picturesque valleys, and verdant forests.
The central Black Forest region reaches its highest point in the Kandel at 1,241 meters between the beautiful Simonswald, Elz, and Glotter valleys. The area most popular with tourists is the stretch along the wonderful 150 kilometer-long Black Forest Railway (Schwarzwaldbahn) and Triberg with its famous waterfalls.
The southern Black Forest, perhaps the most magnificent part, is dominated by the 1,493-meter-high Feldberg. As well as its popularity among hikers and bikers, the Black Forest is also Germany's oldest ski area.
