LAKE TITISEE AND THE BLACK FOREST

Just about an hour's drive from the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen can take you to a different sort of forested mountain range...which dates back to the Roman era. Located in Germany's Baden-Wurttemberg and very close to the French border. and known locally as "Schwarzwald", this dark canopy of evergreen pines and firs block out most of the day light thus creating an almost dark effect within the forests. The cold fog adds to the aura making these almost eerily beautiful. Add to the setting, the well preserved medieval villages with their vineyards, waterfalls, hiking trails, castles and rivers. Not to forget that the Black Forest is the setting for  Grim Brothers' Fairy Tales. The tale of Hansel and Gretel took shape here. So did the fables of Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty...in these forests and castles around. 

At the heart of the Black Forest, sits cozily the largest natural lake of the region, with the name Titisee. With prehistoric glacial origin and surrounded with the tall conifers on the low mountains all around, the crystal clear, serene waters of this lake offers a view to remember. The ancient people residing at the shores of the lake believed that lake had special powers enabling babies to come out of the lake. Possibly, in their language Teti means baby and hence the name Titisee. The outflows from the lake eventually meet the Rhine following beautiful confluences with other streams on their path. During the non-winter months, the lake offers  opportunities for water sports including sailing and swimming. The hiking trails of this region are some of the most sought after. During the winters, the region turns into thriving ski resorts with the lake also turning white. 

Unfortunately the time we spent in Black Forest was limited and we could restrict our visit only to Lake Titisee and the immediate regions surrounding it. But Black Forest offers much more than that. The more I read about the stories weaving this locality, the more intrigued I am to revisit it. The numerous streams that twist and turn from and through the Black Forest and which later turn into mighty rivers makes the region so significant.  River Rhine surrounds the region almost completely from south and the west. The Danube originates  here with the confluence of Birgach and Breg rivers before making her way through some of the most important cities of Europe. Numerous  tributaries of Rhine including the Enz, Neckar, Murg, Wiese and Kinzig owe their origins to the Black Forest.  Nestled within these forest and rivers are some of the beautiful locales in this region including Baden Baden,  Calw, Baiersbronn, Freiburg, Triberg Falls and the Heidelberg. There are more lakes to explore too. The Schluchsee, the silent version of the Titisee, is manually widened and deepened and doesnot qualify as completely natural. Another lake named Mummelsee also belongs to the Black Forest.  With such wealth residing in this region, needless to mention that, this location is a nature lovers paradise. Also, numerous remnants of military fortifications of the bygone eras can be traced here.

The world famous pendulum regulated, wooden cuckoo clock is believed to have originated in the Black Forest. During the 19th century and the period before the world wars, there were many cuckoo clock makers in the region and these were exported to all over the world. Though their numbers have dwindled now, yet cuckoo clocks are almost synonymous with this region and is a cultural icon of Germany.

Lose yourself in the forests here..feel the solitude and enjoy the birds chirping. If you wish to buy a cuckoo clock  you can find it almost anywhere. They are insanely  expensive and I wouldn't recommend unless you really want to own one. If you are the kind of cake lover, then locate the nearest bakery and you know you belong to this place. Enjoy the original Black Forest. 

This post is for alphabet ‘T' of the #BlogchatterA2Z 2020 challenge:

T for Titisee