Families Route

Check in at your family suite in Hotel Ochsen in Höfen, a small village in proximity to the historic thermal town Bad Wildbad. The 60-year-old recipe of its gigantic Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte attracts visitors from afar and is a regional highlight. Before you explore the surrounding landscape with your children, refuel with another delicacy of the Northern Black Forest region: only 5-10 min away by car, a hidden gem of the region is the trout smokery Zordel situated between freshwater streams and the woodland of Eyachtal. Be mesmerised by numerous freshwater fish swimming in the water basins outside the restaurant. Offering from pond to table concepts and smoked trouts, Zordel is the perfect lunch experience before you explore nearby Bad Wildbad with your offspring.

After lunch, refresh at the Tröstbachquelle, not far from the fish farm. It is a famous natural well ranking as one of the water sources with the best drinking quality in Germany. Filtered and mineralized by thousand-year-old sediments, it is a natural wealth attracting visitors from well beyond the region. Bring your refill and stack up some refreshing Black Forest water for the rest of your day trip. Fizzy wells of mineral water emerge from the ground all over the Northern Black Forest. Small towns settled along the watercourse giving birth to the famous Kurorte (spa towns) of the region, such as Bad Wildbad. Inspired by this natural legacy, Ornamenta’s Bad Databrunn exhibition inside the former spa König-Karls-Bad engages curious visitors from all ages with a new curriculum around water flows and wellbeing. Learn with your little ones how bodily fluids connect different parts of our body and its environment.

After immersing in Ornamenta’s vision of aquatic play in the exhibition, explore lively family activities in the surrounding woodlands. The forest hills around the thermal town offer easy hikes for beginners as well as more challenging adventures for fit parents and their entourages. Get a change in perspective and walk with cheeky birds and other forestry cohabitants, in the hanging trails of Wildline or on the local Baumwipfelpfad (tree-top trail). Both hikes lead you through a short but steep route along the picturesque Nordschwarzwald tree tops. While older generations seek some rest in the forest shade afterwards, the little ones can venture out into the forest conquering the adventure playground or the fairy tale trail around the terrain of the high-rise routes.

Back in town, stroll around Bad Wildbad’s Kurpromenade (spa promenade) and explore the quirky streets of the thermal town. From Swabian cuisine and local beers to fresh Italian pasta, and bioregional wines, along the promenade, you will find just the right restaurant where young and old can test their palates. If you’re up for a change in scenery, end your day out with an early dinner at the Grünhütte, just a short 15-minute ride from Bad Wildbad’s center. The traditional hut serves the best of authentic regional cuisine. We recommend trying their delicious locally sourced blueberry products. From creamy cakes and jam-packed crépes to fizzy juices and blueberry wine, all family members can choose their favourite pick. The restaurant closes at 6 pm so be there on time. Once the children are asleep, relax in Hotel Ochsen’s Vitalium spa or feed your head with the World Hope Forum, a free virtual symposium on the future of wellbeing, which can be streamed on Ornamenta’s website.

The Badhaus 1897 in Bad Liebenzell is a historical bathing house turned artisanal bakery and cultural space for all. Just by the river Nagold, the cute house with traditional architecture offers a variety of home-baked cakes with regional fruits and berries. Book your breakfast in the Badhaus the day before and start your excursion with the family indulging in a rich Nordschwarzwald-style breakfast with cooling river sounds on the sunny outdoor terrace of the communally run Gasthaus. From there, find your way to nearby barefoot trails in Schömberg or Tiefenbronn. This regional speciality influenced by Kneipp-bathing, stimulates our feet by offering different surfaces with natural materials, constructed to improve our posture and blood circulation. Don’t forget to bring some towels to continue your itinerary with clean and fresh feet. This fun foot massage is ideal for a grounding start to the day and a bonding health routine with your young ones.

Get back in the car and continue your route towards the gold town Pforzheim. Explore a new Campus for Love in Ornamenta’s Zum Eros exhibition around the nearby Wildpark, a local zoo on the outskirts of the city. You can park in front of the zoo or on the parking of the university campus, just a five-minute walk from the zoo entrance. In the Wildpark, be prepared for unexpected encounters amidst furry animals, aphrodisiac plants, and a new wedding chapel to celebrate all kinds of love, from friendships and pets to our relatives and objects of desire. The Wildpark hosts a variety of animals native to Europe, some of which, young visitors are invited to cuddle with or feed. After an active morning episode, refuel at the Seehaus, a baroque hunting hut serving elevated regional cuisine and down-sized meals for youngsters.

In between Nordschwarzwald hills and modest post-war architecture, Pforzheim, a portal town to the Black Forest, is situated alongside the rivers Enz and Nagold. Park your car by the Schmuckpark close to the city center. On the other side of the street, the Reuchlinhaus welcomes visitors at the entrance to Pforzheim’s most frequented park. The municipal cultural space is home to the Jewellery Museum and the Kunstverein Pforzheim, besides hosting one of Ornamenta’s central thematic group shows. Ornamenta’s Inhalatorium exhibition focuses on sharing air as an element that connects all generations. A giant Black Ball, 3 meters in diameter, engages people from all walks of life to play and interact with each other in the halls of the museum. A replica of the giant ball is conquering public spaces throughout the whole region. Check out Ornamenta’s navigation app, to unlock extra features and find out where to chase after the second Black Ball on tour in the region.

The summer heat can take its toll on your travelling community. Take a moment to sit down in the museum café of Reuchlinhaus or grab an ice cream at Eis Rialto by the river promenade. Escape the afternoon sun with a relaxed stroll along the cooling stream of the river Enz. Follow the water flows with your entourage and you might find Ornamenta’s Haug, a mystical figure inhabiting the vegetation of the riverbank. At the right time of the day with the right natural sunlight, Haug emits a water mist creating an artificial rainbow. If you’re lucky the surreal spectacle of fountainhead Haug, is a special backdrop to capture your memorable trip in the Northern Black Forest in a family photo. Depending on your stamina, continue in the same direction to eventually arrive at the Waterplayground of Enzauenpark or walk back to Schmuckpark to rest before you decide what’s up for your evening programme.

Round up your day trip with Italian pasta or wood-burnt pizza (arguably the best in town) on the terrace of La Piazza at Sedansplatz. As the temperatures lower and a cooling summer breeze blows through the streets of Pforzheim, you might be up for a last fun family activity before you head back to Hotel Ochsen in Höfen. Raphael Mürle is a puppeteer well-known beyond the region. He creates imaginary, pictorial spaces to take the audience out of their surroundings and offer a new lens through which to view the world. Shows start at 8 pm on a Saturday. For the sporty family looking to make use of the last sun rays of the day, we recommend booking an alpaca hike at Hofgut Buckenberg instead. The tame alpacas are used to friendly human companions and are pleasant company for a communal hike around the hills of Pforzheim with the youngsters. The latest slot starts at 8 pm and offers a beautiful hilltop view with the sunset immersing the cityscape on the horizon in a deep, warm orange.

After waking up well-rested, check out at Hotel Ochsen and fasten your seat belts. Get ready for a family adventure in the southern region of Ornamenta. For an energetic start to the day, visit the summer toboggan in Seewald, a 25-minute ride from Höfen. With 1500 meters in length, the racy slide is the longest of its kind in all of Southern Germany. Next, gather your adrenaline-filled pack and drive to nearby Sonnenwald farm where we recommend sleeping on your last night in the Northern Black Forest region. The Sonnenwald farm is run by an open-minded community of friends, agricultural experts and cultural entrepreneurs trying to re-imagine the ways we live and work together on their regenerative farm. They offer cosy good-value spaces and generous hospitality on their lively farm. With only eight different suites, the rooms are very limited so make sure to book on time.

Prepare yourself for a unique culinary experience that will leave a lasting impression. At Kuhstall Erlebnisgastronomie (eng. cowshed adventure gastronomy), curious guests can observe cute cows in their shed while enjoying authentic Swabian cuisine. From there, escape peak-time heat and venture off to Neubulach to explore a former medieval cave in Teinachtal, a district with unspoiled nature. The cave nowadays is re-used as a therapeutic breathing cave for its beneficial air qualities. A local association regularly offers tours in German in the otherwordly environment, also suited for younger generations. As the cave itself is breathing, bring warm clothes to protect yourself and your children from the windy environment and high air humidity. On your way out, download Ornamenta’s Hookaverse audiobook with a QR code at the entrance of the cave to listen on the way back in the car or later in your hotel room.