Village Holidays in the Black Forest

Benedikt carefully reaches for an egg in the mobile henhouse, fishes it out and puts it in the box. "Look, there's another one over there," he calls to Carla Staiger. With a group of like-minded people, she runs a large old farm here in Lossburg-Schömberg in the Black Forest. Benedikt's little sister, Lina, stays in mommy's arms, but she gets to pet a chicken. "Very soft," she says with a laugh. Having made their purchases in the farm shop, the family now gets a free tour. The little ones are delighted; they can feed the pigs and visit the hens in the field.

Lossburg, south of Freudenstadt, is a secluded village on the Kinzig River. It is one of 21 communities that have come together to create Dorfurlaub im Schwarzwald. The idea is simple: guests are invited to participate in village life. They stay with locals and learn about traditions. They meet farmers, talk to food producers and explore the countryside. Children make friends with other youngsters and love the freedom to roam.

We meet Benedikt's and Lina's parents, who wanted their children to have an experience completely different from their usual home life. And for themselves, they wanted some greenery, home-grown produce, and a relaxed, carefree break. After visiting the farm, the children took off their shoes and explored the water adventure tour in the fairytale setting around nearby Kinzigsee Lake. This is a nature adventure trail around the creek that is the source of the Kinzig River. Further along, there is a station where you can try out the fun super sprayers and water pistols, and a place where the little ones can play safely by the stream. Benedikt clambers along the shady riverbank and Lina is happy to sit and throw stones into the stream. Lunch is a picnic with local delicacies. They got their own Lossburger Versperdäschle (picnic bag) from the tourist office. Then everyone climbs to the top of the Vogteiturm Tower, an impressive viewpoint. The kids are excited; the parents love the view.

At the KulTierHof, a farm dating back to the 18th century, owner Esther Föttinger calls out to her proteges: "Come on, Toff, come on, Frida." And after a moment, they happily run after her, ready for a walk. No, they are not horses, they are high-spirited goats! Esther explains that when her father bought the farm a few years ago, she was able to fulfill a childhood dream of looking after animals. "Goats are such emphatic creatures," she says, "I always wanted to have some." Here in Betzweiler-Wälde, near Lossburg, the goats are neither slaughtered nor milked. Their only duty seems to be going for walks with visitors through the village and the forest. Now it is time for Lina and Benedikt to be picked up by their grandparents, who are on vacation with them.

But the younger generation wants to do more; they want to go to Conni's cheese factory at the Schwenkenhof farm. While they watch the cows, the adults can taste the organic cheese. And while the kids are busy and happy, the parents can hike the Mühlenwelt am Heimbach, a water mill themed trail with 13 stops along the way. They are accompanied by Karl-Heinz Mäder, whose ancestors operated sawmills in the Black Forest.