A School Tour to Discover the Highlights of The Black Forest

Take your students on a school tour to Germany and they are bound to have an educational and rewarding time. If you are looking for a history based school tour, the Black Forest is an excellent option. Treat your students to something a little different that will introduce them to a unique part of Germany, with so much history and culture to discover.

Cuckoo Clocks and Cobbled Streets

The Black Forest is located between France, Germany and Switzerland and is a place of legends and myths, intricately entwined in a mysterious landscape. Said to be haunted by werewolves, sorcerers, witches and even the devil, the forests are also (thankfully) reputed to inhabited by helpful dwarves, who combat evil and make them safe.

Best known for its woods, highlands and Black Forest Gateau, this region was given its name in ancient times when the forest was almost impenetrable. Originally, wood, silver and ore were the main industry providers in the area, but when they faltered, clock making became the most successful money maker in the region. Famous also for its traditional costumes (and particularly for its hats with the enormous pompoms, known as ‘Bollenhuts’), the Black Forest region is one of strong heritage and a fascinating culture.

Students will have the opportunity to go on plenty of interesting excursions, but a visit to Triberg, the centre of the clock making industry, should definitely not be excluded. Here young people will get a real insight into the history of this incredibly skilful industry and begin to appreciate the old techniques used to make the clocks, which have stood the test of time.

Situated at the entrance to the Black Forest is the charming town of Freiburg. This town is known as the ‘Sunshine capital of Germany’, as it is the sunniest and warmest town in the country. Here students can marvel at the half-timbered houses, and visit the gothic cathedral of Munster. This stunning cathedral was built in the traditional style of the early 13th century and boasts a striking porch, a nave and numerous medieval sculptures. Visitors can also take a cable car ride, which offers amazing views of the skyline and the surrounding area.

For history students on a school tour, a trip to neighbouring Strasbourg should definitely be on the agenda. This cultural and political centre of the Alsace region is a thriving university city with much to explore. The seat of several European institutions, including the International Institute of Human Rights and the Council of Europe, Strasbourg has an important role to play in European politics.

A fun filled end to a school tour to the Black Forest is a trip to Europapark, where students can spend a carefree day letting their hair down and enjoying the thrills and spills of an exciting theme park.

Angela Bowden works for EST (Equity School Travel), the UK's largest educational travel company, providing school tour itineraries for secondary schools, primary schools and colleges. Tours with EST can encompass a wide range of learning opportunities in worldwide destinations.