A road trip in Europe
A summer trip with the kids from Rotterdam through Belgium to Germany, Switzerland and France.
Part 2 Bad Wildbad and Triberg, Germany
We left Strasbourg for Baumwipfelpfad Schwarzwald, a 1250m treetop walk above the Black Forest. The scenic drive from Strasbourg to Bad Wildbad, Germany took just over an hour and a half. We stopped off for shopping enroute and picked up some promised pretzels. When we arrived we popped on our walking trainers, packed plenty of water and lathered the kids in sun cream as the temperature continued to rise.
The area was well signposted and we made our way to the beginning of the 1,250m path, 20m above the forest floor. The path twisted its way through the forest and had adventure stations with balancing beams and tricky trails throughout - Sam put some of the adults to shame! The kids loved reading the information boards and finding out about the local tree species and animals. At the end of the path was a spiral walk towering well above the trees with a twisting tunnel slide in the centre. The kids started running up the ramps to get to the slide, however, we continued to the very top and took in the stunning view of the Black Forest which went on for miles in every direction. With black clouds rolling towards us, we made our way down to the slide. The slide is 25m high and 55m long. The kids are both under 6 so had to ride with us costing 2 euro each. Sam and I went first and he giggled all the way to the bottom. Esme screamed and did not enjoy it at all.
The sky was beginning to turn dark and we could hear thunder in the distance, so we popped to the food station for hotdogs and tried to find some shelter. The only shelter we could find was in the gift shop or under the trees next to the adventure playground. We waited around but there was no sign of it clearing up. The kids were disappointed we never got to the adventure playground, but we promised to return another time.
We spent the night at Campingplatz Trendcamping Wolfach im Schwarzwald, The staff at check-in were very friendly and we had a pitch overlooking the main building with views over the valley. Sam found ‘secret steps’ down to a trampoline and leading to the building. He spent a good hour jumping away while we cooked dinner and relaxed. We didn’t venture into the restaurant or bar, but the amenities were modern and clean. It is a another campsite we will return to in the future.
We left early the next morning to spend the day in Triberg. It was a beautiful drive through the Black Forest. We looked online for parking and were surprised to find plenty of options for campers and RVs. We left the van at Triberger Wasserfalle parking and left to explore. We followed directions to the waterfall whilst it was still cool. On entry there was a a booth for tickets. Some people seemed to be paying and others walking ahead. We paid for entry as it seemed the right thing to do, and we now had a map showing other attractions. There was a language barrier here, and we tried asking if this ticket included other attractions, but had no luck. The waterfall is Germany’s highest and the water plunges 163m into the river Gutach. The kids managed the walk and told stories of fairies and wolves as we made our way back down the trail. There was a park near the exit of the trail and Sam spotted the huge birds of prey building, Greifvogel-und Eulenpark, which was also on the map. On entry we then noticed our waterfall tickets should include access…however, we had to pay again.
We entered the park and walked up the stairs just in time for a demonstration from a bird of prey (possibly a golden eagle but the kids were distracting us from deciphering the little German we know). Although the show was in German, the kids were engaged and mesmerised by the size of the bird. The talk ended with photo opportunities. We then made our way through the park to see the collection of birds of prey and owls. We spent maybe 45 minutes wandering around the aviaries then the kids started getting hungry. There was a tempting café in the entrance, but we wanted something more substantial and had spotted some pubs in town.
We had lunch at the Hotel-Restaurant Pfaff. We spotted the menu on our way to the waterfall and wanted somewhere with traditional cuisine. The restaurant was family friendly and they brought out colouring sheets for the kids. We relaxed on the outdoor terrace overlooking the busy street below. I ordered the breaded turkey schnitzel and chicken nuggets for the kids. Steve had sausages and sauerkraut again, but left room for homemade black forest cake. It was delicious and we left feeling very full.
Down the road from the hotel was the main stretch of gift shops. We already have a few miniature cuckoo type clocks from visits in the past, but have always loved the idea of a larger one. We ventured in the 1000 clocks shop and were amazed at the collection of modern and traditional clocks (most out of our price range). The traditional cuckoo’s are so intricate and ornate, and we kept the kids hands firmly in ours. Coming to the conclusion that we could not afford a cuckoo clock, we bought some spare parts to replace bits that have snapped from the one at home. We also bought a few Christmas decorations (a tradition of ours is to buy a decoration for us, and for the kids’ boxes, from every new place we visit) and some gifts for my brother, Andy.
On the way back to the van we stopped at an ice cream palour - Eis Café Venezia - that Sam spotted when parking up. Sam tries a new flavour in each new place he visits (a little game we play and a good carrot to dangle). Shattered from the heat we got into the van and stripped the kids into cooler clothes before driving to our campsite in Bern, Switzerland.
