Triberg is famous for being the cuckoo clock capital of the world. In fact, you'll hear many call…read morethis area of the Black Forest the German Clock Route Triberg is also famous for boasting not 1 but TWO of the World's Largest Cuckoo Clocks & these particular villages are always competing to take the reigns from the other We visited the First World's Largest Cuckoo Clock in Schonach, not to be confused with the current World's Largest Cuckoo Clock in the neighboring Triberg village This clock was built 32 years ago by a watchmaker by the name of Josef Dold who wished to educate others (a.k.a tourists) on the inner workings of the cuckoo clock The son was manning the shop & told us about his dad ( Josef Dold ) & how they built their clock in 2 years . The clock is made on a scale of 50:1......it was as big as a house & the clock shop was actually inside.....they even had a little upstairs loft-type area.....but this was where the cuckoo lived & we were not allowed ;-) It was cool walking around the clock's inner-workings while being told all about its history & seeing their lovely handmade clocks for sale Only Cooing on the half hour & at the top of the hour, we had just missed the Top of the hour but happily browsed around his shop, looking at the handmade clocks for sale & then enjoyed the lovely back yard to await the adorable little bird to come out & made his appearance Being quick on the camera trigger, we captured our little bird as he came out to coo his 1 coo, at the 30 min mark. The "tour" lasted about 5 min, if even that but the day was pleasant & the setting whimsical. Well worth the 2 Euros (or something like that - can't remember how much it cost)

After a solo tour of Schloss Lichtenstein, we arrived at Burg Hohenzollern to find that they're in…read morefull Christmas Markets season. The place was crowded and lively and quite busy. You'll park in a lower parking lot adjacent to the gift shop. A shuttle van will bring you almost to the entrance of the castle. From there, it's a bit of a walk. It is barely handicapped accessible though the castle itself is not at all wheelchair friendly and many rooms require transiting a number of stairs. The current castle was built between 1846 and 1867 in a Gothic Revival style and influenced by the Châteaux of the Loire Valley. The exterior is regal, dominating the hill it resides on. Inside, each room is decorated with period furniture and artifacts that were owned by Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia. The vault in the basement contains the Crown of Wilhelm II and a uniform that belonged to King Frederick the Great. No photographs allowed in that room but the rest of the castle, absolutely. [Review 21244 overall - 248 in Germany - 209 of 2024.]

Beautiful castle! Pretty views from the top. But getting there from Stuttgart was really…read morebreathtaking as well. We took public transportation which is not recommended. It took 3 hours one way to get there by trains and bus. If you have a car it takes an hour. I would say it was worth it, but we were exhausted by the end of the day. The castle had a cafe that actually tasted pretty good.

Visiting for the Christmas markets and what an enchanting city. It's very walkable with so much to…read moresee. There is a museum of cultures that we didn't go into but we had a late lunch there at the cafe. Nice to have a place to sit and eat. At the market there are sausages and such that are offered along with gluhwein and hot chocolate but we also always want the convenience of a toilette!

Okay, I have to admit it, I am a sucker for cemeteries. I just love them, especially in other…read morecountries. This cemetery is so haunting...my sister and I often take a picnic lunch and eat, read and relax there. The cemetery is so old that you are not going to offend anyone. My only concern is that between the last time I was there several years ago and this year (2016) the cemetery has become terribly overgrown. A tombstone to a famous person who was involved in the Revolutionary War in the US had disappeared entirely, I hope for restoration or preservation. The grass was terribly high and it was hard to get to some gravesites. I hope this will be remedied, because this cemetery is an absolute treasure.

"Covered bridges" but not actually covered, the Ponts Couverts are three bridges and four towers…read morethat were built in the 13th century as a defense of the city. There was originally a wooden roof but it was removed back in 1784 and the name remained. The nearby marker in French, German and English reads, "The covered bridges comprised the city's wester defenses from the 13th to 17th centuries and formed part of the Episcopal wall. Three of the bruick-built towers have survived - the Heinrichsturn, the Hans von Altheiumturm and the tour des Français (French tower). The spur-shaped parts in front of the bridges were built by Daniel Specklin in the 16th century and fitted with loopholes for guns to fire through. The bridges' galleries were protected by a tilting roof, whence the name, and closed off by a wooden wall contained arrow slits. The galleries were replaced in 1784 by wooden footbridges and in 1865 by the sandstone bridges that can be seen today. From 1880 to 1950, the area in front of the second tower was taken by the Mathis Baths, which were divided into two pools, separated by covered pontoons surrounded by a fence and fitted with changing rooms." [Review 16450 overall - 84 in France - 1958 of 2021.]

Translates to "covered bridges" but the actual covered bridge is directly across called the Barrage…read moreVauban. Perhaps at one point these bridges were covered but definitely not anymore. It's a scenic area surrounded by water and large towers that once defended the city back in the 13th century. It would be neat to go up the towers and get a better vantage point of the Petite France quarter; however, the towers are off limits and inaccessible. It's worth coming here at night when the reflection of the water makes for a gorgeous photo.