Germany is home to some of Europe’s most enchanting drives, but few are more memorable than the Schwarzwaldhochstraße – better known as the B500 or Black Forest High Road.
Along this road, effortlessly enjoyable driving meets beauty, history and a touch of fairytale magic. Grab your bollenhut hats and join us as we explore this scenic route and the mystical Black Forest region.
Image: Ultimate Driving Tours
Where is the B500 road?
Completed in 1952, the B500 road is a 37 mile (60 km) stretch in southern Germany, running south across the Black Forest and connecting the towns of Baden-Baden and Freudenstadt.
After leaving the famous spa town of Baden-Baden, the road rises to the main ridge of the northern Black Forest, offering impressive views over the Rhine plain toward the French low mountain range, the Vosges.
With a hit of pine-fresh air, the road runs through the dense Black Forest National Park, continuing over the Schliffkopf and Kniebis ranges, and concluding in the gorgeous town of Freudenstadt.
Image: Ultimate Driving Tours
What is the Black Forest High Road like to drive?
As one of the best driving roads in Europe, a jaunt along the Black Forest High Road is reason enough to visit this dramatically beautiful area of Germany.
The B500 feels quite like a mountain pass but with more flowing corners which are accessible and fun to cruise along. It’s also well suited to spirited driving, thanks to its high-quality surface and generous width.
Exiting Baden-Baden, the drive becomes quite technical but opens up as you approach the summit, with long sweeping corners and some straight sections that let you savour the incredible Rhine Valley panoramas.
There’s no bad time to visit this magical area. Both summer and winter offer very different but equally ravishing scenery, yet we prefer to visit in the autumn months. During September and October the Black Forest High Road is less crowded than summertime while the weather remains relatively good. Plus, a touch of autumnal gold in the trees only adds to the allure.
Is the B500 the greatest driving road in Germany?
Germany is saturated with sensational driving roads and the famous Black Forest drive is one of many. Of course, this is good news if you are visiting Germany, because you can enjoy plenty of excellent motoring in a relatively short time.
Besides the B500, one of the country’s most famous driving roads is the Märchenstraße or Fairy Tale Route – a 370 mile (600 km) run from the central German city of Hanau to Bremen in the north. Much of the attraction of this tourist route is centred around the Brothers Grimm, the famous folklorists who lived in the area. The road winds through natural forests and makes for a pleasurable day of driving.
Another of Germany’s must-drives is the Romantische Straße or Romantic Road. Devised in the 1950, this is another exceptionally gorgeous tourist road, running 217 miles (350 km) from Würzburg and Füssen in southern Germany, linking postcard-perfect towns and castles.
We also can’t discuss the best driving road in Germany without mentioning the famous German autobahn. Popular for its unrestricted sections, the autobahn is a large network of limited-access freeways that cover much of Germany including the iconic Black Forest.
Image: Ultimate Driving Tours
What else is the Black Forest region known for?
As well as its reputation as a world-class motoring destination, the Black Forest mountain range is home to some of Germany’s finest scenery and culture. In German, it’s known as the Schwarzwald, named due to the darkness of the tightly packed pine trees that dominate the area.
Once avoided by foreigners due to the dark myths and legends seeping from the region, the Black Forest is now a tourist hot spot. It’s adored for its Disney-esque fairytale towns such as Schiltach and Triberg, and its famous castles – the nearby imposing Hohenzollern Castle is a sight to behold.
During winter, the Black Forest becomes a snowy wonderland, with miles of well maintained cross-country trails and excellent ski slopes, plenty of cosy ski resorts, and around 180 festive Christmas markets to explore.
Of course, the Black Forest is also the perfect place to enjoy some unique culinary treats, such as Black Forest ham and Black Forest gâteau, all washed down with a generous glass of Kirschwasser (cherry brandy).
Image: Ultimate Driving Tours
Unlock the magic of the Black Forest
If you want to explore the delights of Deutschland in a latest-release Porsche or Mercedes, then join us for our luxury supercar tour of Germany.
Driving the autobahn and Germany’s enchanting backroads in a fleet of stunning supercars makes for a thrilling experience, complemented by indulging in the finest accommodation and dining – not to mention visits to the famous Oktoberfest celebrations in Munich.
To learn more about our bucket-list European tours, speak to our friendly travel concierge team today.
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