Hotel Breggers Schwanen ★★★★

The Black Forest was one of the biggest inspirations for the brothers Grimm fairytales. This is where Hansel and Grettle found the witch’s cottage made of gingerbread, where Little Red Riding Hood met a wolf on the way to her Grandma’s house, where Snow White lived with seven little dwarfs and where Rapunzel was locked in a tower in the middle of the forest.

You may not meet any dwarfs and see any gingerbread houses on your way to the Hotel Breggers Schwanen, but you will see a historic 300 hundred-year-old Black Forest house and its modern counterpart – a contemporary light wood and glass structure, also perfectly settled into this green undulating landscape.

Choose a room in the new house and you’ll find yourself in a spacious, light and contemporary room, decorated with light pine wood furniture and giving a minimalistic feel. Choose a room in the old house and you’ll set foot in a cosy wood-panelled room decorated with old traditional wooden furniture and hand painted designs on the cupboards and bed. Here, you almost feel as if you have actually found the witch’s gingerbread cottage itself.

Every room benefits from the stunning panoramic views of the surrounding meadows, green pastures and the enchanted Black Forest beyond.

Summer in the Black Forest and the Bernauer Valley is a peaceful and tranquil time to get out and experience nature at its best. To fully appreciate this, the hotel offers a free activity program full of guided hikes, Nordic walking and mountain biking. Begin your first day in the Black Forest with a free yoga session before breakfast to get you feeling energised and ready to explore. At breakfast you’ll find a huge buffet spread of traditional German breads and pastries, jams, cheeses and cold meats – the perfect way to get you ready for your morning hike.

Make your way through wooded dells, past babbling brooks and streaming waterfalls, while making sure to keep your eyes open for wolves, witches, princesses and the like.

After your long hike you’ll be in need of some relaxation at the hotel’s Hochtal Spa to ease those muscles. A modern complex built in 2011, the spa is set in the middle of nature and offers spectacular panoramic views from every window. Spread over 700 m2, spend your time here doing laps in the indoor pool, unwinding in the steam sauna, relaxing under the cascading waterfalls and sweating it out in the Finish sauna. There’s also an outdoor terrace and lawn on which to relax afterwards, paired with a cup of herbal tea. And if your muscles are still not pummeled into submission, then you can always pamper yourself with a massage, choosing from classic to hot stone or even Ayurvedic.

Foodies will be in absolute awe of the offerings at the Hotel Breggers Schwanen, from the traditional daily changing four-course menu to the lunches of soups, salads and hot mains and even the afternoon cake buffets, all served either in the cosy wood paneled old restaurant filled with colourful lamps and oil paintings, or the timeless elegance of the new restaurant.

Whether you see Rapunzel let down her hair or meet Prince Charming during your stay at the Hotel Breggers Schwanen, your time in the Black Forest will certainly be a fairytale.