European Vacation Part Fünf - Meersburg to Triberg, The Black Forest, Germany via Stein am Rhein

12:37 AM AirplaneFoodCritic 0 Comments

My last blog left us in Meersburg. We will get up, have our wonderful breakfast and drive about an hour to Stein am Rhein, Switzerland. I have been to this town several times but never have I stayed. It is one of the cutest towns in all of Switzerland. That is saying a lot. It is a perfect walking and shopping town. It is a perfect stop off to take pictures and buy souvenirs. I think I shall also pick up some bread, meat and fruits for lunch. When traveling in Europe I like to eat huge, wonderful breakfasts and a light lunch on the road. The breakfasts are most often included in the cost of the hotel and they are a giant buffet and amazing. For more you can look at older posts of mine where I post pictures. I could do a whole blog on the various breakfasts I have had in different hotels and countries. I am hungry thinking about it.


In Europe, unlike the US, they have more specialty stores. I like to go to a bakery to get my bread and a butchery for some meats etc. I feel like that way I get the best possible products because it is all they do. I hope to find a couple stores in Stein am Rhein to get a little meal for the road. When we arrive in Munich we will pick up a jar of mustard, some little pickles and some plastic cutlery to bring with us the whole way. I like to get the mustard that comes in a jar that becomes a reusable drinking glass. That way I have a reminder of each trip in my cupboard.




After I load up on gifts in Stein am Rhein we will head to the Dorotheenhutte in Germany. There is a glass museum full of wonderful glass objects like wine glasses and Christmas ornaments displayed beautifully. You get to watch the people blow glass right in front of you and the coolest part is that you get to blow your own glass! You get to pick the colors you want, they heat the glob for you, then hand you the pole. You get to blow and he turns it for you. They shape it as you blow. The harder you blow, the bigger your object is. I made a vase when I visited last. I can not wait to make another, this time smaller.



We will drive our newly blown vases to Triberg in the Schwartzwalder, or Black Forest. The Black Forest is absolutely wonderful. It is the greenest green I have ever seen. The tall, dense trees is the reason it is called 'black' because little sunlight gets through once you are in the thick of it. The area is known for it's wood carvings so there will be plenty of shopping here for me.



Once we arrive in Triberg we will check in the hotel and head up for a walk to the waterfall. For a nominal fee you can hike up a huge waterfall that has lots of crests and places to stop and admire. You can walk up as far as you like. The Triberg Waterfalls are easy to find located at the top of the town. Just walk up the main street and you are there.


To refuel after the hike we will head to The Shafer Cafe on the main street. This is the cafe where you can get the original recipe Schwartzwalder Torte aka Black Forest Cake. It is easily the most delicious cake I have ever tasted. The Black Forest cake is made of layers of chocolate cake and cream and cherries but it is SO much more than that.




If there is still time, we can visit a marvelous museum, the Schwartzwaldmuseum, that goes over the entire history and culture of the Black Forest. After that we will settle back at the hotel for some evening drinks then we are having dinner at our hotel. I got us what is called half board which means we are getting our room, breakfast and dinner included for one price. Our hotel looked like the best restaurant in town and it was a fantastic deal when included with the room.



After dinner we can stroll the streets and have a good night's sleep. The next day we head on our longest leg of the trip. We are driving to Lucerne, Switzerland