30 Best Hotels in The Black Forest, Germany

This stately and exclusive hotel on the Lichtentaler Allee is one of Germany's most celebrated and storied retreats—a favorite of royalty, from Queen Victoria to Czar Alexander II, and their contemporaries— that today features individually decorated rooms and suites with both modern and antique furnishings, good-sized balconies, and grand marble bathrooms. From a romantic escape (book a private spa suite) to a golf getaway, the hotel goes above and beyond to cater to the interests of its well-heeled guests. The Villa Stephanie comprises a five-story spa with saunas, plunge pool, gym, hammam, and treatment rooms overlooking the gardens; it offers various healthcare programs and medical treatments, including a detox retreat for those so inclined, plus rooms and suites for a complete wellness retreat. The Wintergarten restaurant offers German cuisine with a modern twist, while Fritz & Felix serves up eclectic global specialties.

A much-loved luxury hotel founded by Hermine Bareiss in 1951 (and now presided over by his grandson, Hannes), this is one of the top hotels in Europe and one of the very best in Germany. With a three-star gourmet restaurant inside, the Bareiss helped put Baiersbronn on the map as a gourmet village and has made an art of what they call the half-pension \"culinary vacation.\" Rooms are the size of suites, and the buildings center around the spa and sauna area with multiple indoor and outdoor pools. Families are especially well catered to, with a circus wagon, treehouse, petting zoo, and playgrounds, activity programs, and childcare.

In this charming property right on the lake and just a short drive from the busy town, guests can take a dip in the water from the private beach or relax in the sauna or steam room cleverly built inside wine barrels. Most of the Alpine-style wood-lined guest rooms with beamed ceilings have balconies overlooking the lake. Meals are served in the cozy restaurant downstairs with views onto the lake; dinner features specialties like duck breast with carrots, celery, and pomegranate. The hotel has a small pool inside plus the wine barrel areas outside.

Younger sibling to Hotel Lauterbad, stylish Fritz brings a fresh, design-focused perspective to a property originally from 1896. The hotel has two buildings, one still in an older style and one with a refreshed look, with more expensive rooms; the newer earth-toned rooms have wood floors, forest views, large bathrooms with rain showers, and balconies. The restaurant focuses on creative dishes using local ingredients. In addition to the outdoor pool, the spa includes three saunas plus relaxation areas. Guests can access hiking trails directly from the property or partake in fitness classes in the well-equipped gym.

This ultra-relaxing family-run hotel a short drive south of Freudenstadt is best known for its 19,000-square-foot spa, including indoor and outdoor pools, and the gourmet German cuisine served at the wood-paneled Stüble. Cozy rooms have pops of color on the furnishings; bathrooms include either showers or tubs. Seasonal dishes are served both in the restaurant and the more rustic Stüble, built with recycled wood from a former chapel, while snacks and drinks are available at the hotel’s mountain hut, Berghütte Lauterbad. In addition to the pools, the spa includes three saunas, three relaxation areas, and a snack bar, plus a well-equipped gym.

In the northern Black Forest a few miles from Calw (accessible by car or bus in about 15 minutes), this modern hotel connected to thermal baths is a somewhat isolated getaway with all amenities in-house, including a restaurant serving local Badische cuisine and a hiking hut a few kilometers away serving some meals. The pretty spa includes heated indoor and outdoor pools, plus a relaxing sauna cabin. Don't miss the lovely forest hikes, complete with waterfall, directly behind the hotel. 

Baden-Baden has plenty of grand and sometimes a tad old-fashioned places to lay your head, so this ultra-modern, design-focused property has updated the hotel game. Sleek rooms feature wood floors, white walls, and muted colors. Though the Superior rooms only have walk-in showers, the Deluxe category and up also include bath tubs. There’s also a well-equipped 24-hour gym, compact spa with hammam, steam bath, sauna, and whirlpool, and a small pool on the roof. Moriki restaurant serves Asian-fusion cuisine for lunch and dinner, and the rooftop bar affords lovely forest views.

One of the best hotels in Baiersbronn (and Germany), the Traube Tonbach offers a relaxing atmosphere with sweeping views of the Black Forest from each of its comfortable and stylish rooms, not to mention an outstanding spa and swimming pool, along with on-site child care. There has been a hotel at this location since 1789, and you'll find the more traditional rooms in the original building and the more contemporary rooms in the Haus Kohlwald building across the street; both are elegant, with cozy seating areas and wonderful vistas. A large choice of excellent restaurants includes the modernized Swadian-Badish cuisine of the Schatzhauser; the classic French cuisine of the three-Michelin-starred Schwarzwaldstube; the Asian-inflected international fare of 1789; and breakfast and gourmet classics at the Silberberg.

Right on the lake, this hotel has the best location in town, and most rooms have a balcony with great views. A spa and pool area makes for a great escape from both the summer heat and the winter doldrums (the outdoor infinity pool is heated); special packages in winter include skates and snowshoes for rent.

Freiburg's most luxurious hotel has tastefully furnished rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the romantic Old Town as well as a great restaurant. Despite its central location, the hotel basks in near-countryside quiet. Their restaurant Zirbelstube (reservations essential) serves tasting menus of sophisticated international dishes paired with mainly German wines, while the Weinstube offers a regularly changing menu of local specialties for lunch and dinner.

This appealing hotel has paintings of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's illustrations for his 1943 French children's classic, Le Petit Prince, charmingly adorning the rooms, each done in its own unique decor. The Rademacher family opened this hotel using patriarch Norbert's experience as a veteran of New York's Waldorf-Astoria and his wife Edeltraud's interior design skills to combine two elegant city mansions into a unique, antiques-filled lodging.

The building dates to 1561, and the Schüssler family, now in its fourth generation as hoteliers, know how to make visitors feel welcome; you could spend an entire afternoon and evening here sampling the food and enjoying the serene atmosphere even if you don't stay overnight in the comfortable guest rooms. Choose between the terrace or the dining room, trying the wines and enjoying, say, a fillet of wild salmon in a horseradish crust, a boar's roast, or some lighter asparagus creation (in season).

Guests have been welcomed here for more than 350 years, but the comforts inside the inn's old walls are contemporary, if simple. Each renovated room includes hiking backpacks and poles for guests to use during their stay; there's also a private sauna that can be reserved. The kitchen creates splendid trout specialties and plays up seasonal dishes, such as asparagus in May and June and mushrooms from the valley in autumn. The terrace is a favorite for hikers passing through, as are the various snacks.

Between the main square and the train station, this hotel is comprised of two buildings: one modern with glass features and one historic section, each with comfortable, affordable rooms. While the older-style rooms are carpeted, the modern rooms have wood floors, large bright-colored bathrooms, and balconies. The restaurant provides a hearty meal with local dishes, including the Alsatian tart, Flammkuchen, a thin flatbread topped with cream, bacon, and onions.

This handy hotel, with a waterfall and a statue of a \"friendly dragon\" in the lobby, is just across the road from the entrance to Europa-Park; the newest rooms, while simple, are contemporary and inviting and come in a range of sizes, including a family room with bunk beds. It's also only 300 yards from a nature preserve and swimming area, and guests can park there free. Though there are no formal restaurants on-site, the Street Food Market offers food and drinks all day long.

Evoking the beauty of its namesake era (and a touch classier than its sister hotel Der Kleine Prinz), the Belle Epoque offers large rooms, soaring ceilings, spacious beds, genuine antiques, luxurious baths, and a beautiful enclosed garden. Family-friendly and elegant simultaneously, it offers both breakfast and high tea in a beautiful salon just off the lobby with a great view to the Lichtentaler Allee.

A model of comfort and gracious hospitality, this historical hotel in Hirsau, just a quick drive or bus ride 3 km (2 miles) from Calw, has charming rooms, a commendable restaurant, an indoor pool, and proximity to lovely Black Forest walks. The restaurant serves such regional specialties as Schwäbischer Rostbraten (pan-fried beefsteak topped with sautéed onions).

With a large indoor pool and sauna and comfortable rooms, this boutique hotel offers a nice alternative to the luxury of some of the other local options if you don't mind the plaid-filled, 1970s aesthetic of the room decor. The steep roof of this 200-year-old typical Black Forest building offers an unmistakable clue to the heavy oak fittings and fine antiques inside. In winter, the lounge's fireplace is a welcome sight when you are returning from the nearby ski area. In its beamed restaurant, you can dine on fresh local specialties.

Rooms at this characterful hotel are very comfortable, and some have balconies overlooking the famous waterfall. The old post-and-beam restaurant, with its blue-tile Kachelöfen, attracts people of all types with its affordable regional specialties. Try the fresh Forelle (trout), either steamed or \"Gasthof-style\" (in the pan), garnished with mushrooms.

This hotel's pleasantly modern rooms are on the sunny side of the cobblestone cathedral square and marketplace, and some rooms have beautiful views of the cathedral's flying buttresses. An older building has been renovated in a sustainable manner, with airy rooms in neutral colors with bursts of metallic wallpaper. The kitchen serves typical Badische cuisine, including fresh game and fish and a few vegetarian options; tables are set out in the square in summer.

An imposing cluster of white houses in the narrow Murg Valley north of Baiersbronn, this country-style hotel, partially renovated in 2021, has broad appeal: wellness-seekers can take advantage of the spa facilities, gourmands can try the Michelin-starred restaurant, and sightseers can use this as a base for exploring much of the Black Forest. Comfortable guest rooms and two restaurants under the leadership of one of Germany's finest chefs, Jörg Sackmann, and his son Nico, round off a luxurious program. Rates include breakfast, light lunch, and a six-course dinner.

Located in a former mint in the Old Town's pedestrian zone, this family-run hotel has contemporary-style rooms with dark-wood floors and cool white walls and bed linens, and there's a two-room family suite in the attic with a balcony overlooking the Münster and Old Town. Despite its thin walls, it's a charming choice close to both a parking garage and public transportation. It also has a well-regarded contemporary restaurant, Jacobi.

A small, family-run hotel in the city center features helpful service and delicate touches that lend the modern place warmth. Renovated (though carpeted) rooms are simple and tasteful, with a woodsy orange-and-brown color scheme and spacious bathrooms.

This small guesthouse on the road between Titisee and Neustadt offers a unique charm just a few kilometers away from the crowded lakeshore. The modern rooms come with a balcony overlooking the rural landscape, a kitchenette for your private use, and a friendly husband-and-wife team happy to meet all your needs. Family-friendly and quiet, the hotel serves as a nice practical base and only takes bookings via email directly, not using an online portal. A stay of at least two nights includes use of the Hochschwarzwald card, offering discounted and free admission to a number of sights around the area.

This century-old building near the train station has seen a lot of writers come through its historic doors, and editions signed by visiting authors—including Teju Cole, children's illustrator Janosch, and Alice Schwarzer—line the halls. During redecorations, management dedicated a room to each of the authors, with copies of their books inside and a poem hung on the wall. A copper dome and stone balconies overlooking a park contribute to the comfortable feel.

This large mansion, which dominates the town center, has a wisteria-covered facade, steep eaves, and individually furnished, wood-accented rooms. The hotel offers some pleasant touches such as fresh flowers, and there are a spa, pool, and fitness facility on-site. The Ochsenstube serves dishes such as duck breast with three types of noodles and a sauce of oranges, pears, and truffles; the Alte Schmiede tends toward specialties from Baden, such as trout.

This upscale spa town can be an expensive place to stay, so the first German outpost of the affordable TRIBE hotel chain makes for a welcome sight. Check-in takes place at digital counters, though a human is available if any issues arise. Inviting guest rooms with jewel-toned curtains, furniture, and carpets are compact but practical, though they lack desks since guests are encouraged to work from the lively communal co-working space on the ground floor. A 24-hour gym opens onto a terrace for relaxing after your workout. Though there’s no restaurant, a bar in the lobby serves up drinks, and Baden-Baden’s restaurant scene is a short stroll away.

The \"Red Bear\" claims to be the oldest inn in Germany, with its history traced back 50 generations and documented in a book. Dating from 1311, the inn retains its individual character, along with a cellar displaying its 700-year-old foundation open to the public interested in seeing part of the original inn. Like most of Freiburg, the original building was destroyed in World War II; the new building maintains a historical facade that betrays the comfortable lodgings and excellent dining option inside.