The goats are loose

Village Holidays in the Black Forest

Drei Erwachsene und zwei kleine Kinder stehen vor einem Gebäude, in dem ein Stall untergebracht ist. Aus dem Stall läuft eine Ziege heraus.
Holidays for the Whole Family in a Black Forest Village

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Holidays for the Whole Family in a Black Forest Village

Holidays in the countryside are special. Just ask any child! And in villages like Lossburg in the Black Forest, you get a warm welcome, meet local farmers and enjoy the great outdoors. Perfect for families!

Ein Mann und ein kleiner Junge schauen in einen Hühnerstall.
At the Hofbauernhof farm of Carla Staiger in Lossburg-Schömberg, kids can get in touch with farm animals and collect eggs. | © TMBW, Foto: Oliver Raatz
Eine Mutter steht mit ihren zwei kleinen Kindern in einem Schweinestall. Der Junge füttert die Schweine.
Kids can also help feed the animals of the Hofbauernhof farm. | © TMBW, Foto: Oliver Raatz
Eine Mutter und ein kleines Mädchen stehen in einem Hofladen.
In the farm store you can buy regional, homemade products. | © TMBW, Foto: Oliver Raatz

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.

Blick auf einen kleinen See in einem Wald.
The Kinzigsee Lake is a great playground for the whole family. | © TMBW, Foto: Raatz
Ein kleiner Junge klettert durch ein Flussbett in einem Wald
On the nature adventure trails, kids can clamber along the riverbank.  | © TMBW, Foto: Oliver Raatz
Ein Picknick mit regionalen Produkten ist auf einer Picknickdecke angerichtet.
The lossburger Vesperdäschle, a picnic bag with local delicacies, is perfect for lunch in the nature. | © TMBW, Foto: Oliver Raatz
Blick auf einen Aussichtsturm, der sich am Rand eines Dorfes befindet.
From the Vogteiturm Tower you have a great view over Lossburg and the Black Forest. | © TMBW, Foto: Oliver Raatz

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.

Vor einem weißen Bauernhofhaus mit grünen Fensterläden sitzt eine Frau auf einer Holzbank.
The KulTierHof in Betzweiler is a farm dating back to the 18th century. | © TMBW, Foto: Oliver Raatz
Nahaufnahme einer Ziege die mit ihrem Mund Stroh aus einem Holzgestell zieht.
Children will especially love the goats of the KulTierHof farm. | © TMBW, Foto: Oliver Raatz
Mehrere Ziegen und Menschen laufen durch ein Dorf.
Esther, the owner of the KulTierHof farm, also offers hiking tours with her goats. | © TMBW, Foto: Oliver Raatz

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.

Eine Frau steht an einer Käsetheke und schneidet ein Stück Käse von einem Laib ab. Ein Mann und eine Frau schauen interessiert zu.
At the Schwenkenhof farm you can taste Conni's homemade organic cheese. | © TMBW, Foto: Oliver Raatz
Blick auf ein idyllisches Dorf mit einem kleinen Teich.
The idyllic Heimbach Creek passes the village of Betzweiler. | © TMBW, Foto: Oliver Raatz
Eine Familie macht einen Spaziergang entlang eines Wasserlaufs.
On the Mühlenwelt am Heimbach themed trail, 13 stops explain, how water mills and sawmills were operated in the Black Forest in former times. | © TMBW, Foto: Oliver Raatz

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.

Three More Places for Village Holidays in the Black Forest

Pure rural life

Three More Places for Village Holidays in the Black Forest

Ein Baumstamm ragt in einen Karsee hinein. Im Hintergrund befindet sich ein Hotel.

Seebach: Mummelsee Lake

Seebach is set on the shore of Mummelsee Lake which can be reached via the Grindenpfad Trail. Other holiday experiences: Hornisgrinde Observation Tower, Silbergründle Visitor Mine, Deckerhof Mill.

Schönwald: Cuckoo Clocks

Learn more about the traditional cuckoo clock making at the Reinertonishof Heritage Museum in Schönwald. Also visit the oldest family-run smokehouse, still producing delicious Black Forest ham.

In einem großen Korb liegen viele Äpfel und drei Flaschen mit selbstgemachtem Obstbrand.

Nordrach: Traditional Distilling

Hike the Obstbrennerweg Trail through the lovely Nordrachtal Valley. Along the way there are 13 Brennhislis, family-run distilleries that produce brandies and liqueurs from traditional fruit varieties.

Village Holidays in the Black Forest

Overview

Village Holidays in the Black Forest

Loßburg

Lossburg - number 1 at the Kinzig river Original Black Foreest at its best, at 550 to 840 m above sea level. Where you will find the largest fir tree …
  • WELTOFFEN

Nature experience site Loßburg

Lossburg - Magic Land at Lake Kinzig

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