Freelance writer

Picture a land where towering evergreens form a canopy so thick that sunlight barely kisses the forest floor, creating a world of perpetual twilight. Crystal-clear lakes shimmer like enchanted mirrors, reflecting lush greenery and the occasional glimpse of a deer or fox. The air is filled with the scent of pine and the sweet melody of birdsong, inviting visitors to lose themselves in the forest’s serene embrace.

Once known as Abnoba Mons, after the Celtic goddess of the wilds, Abnoba, Germany’s Schwarzwald, or Black Forest, has been the backdrop for myths and fairy tales for centuries. The Roman soldiers who once traversed its dark, dense woods called it Silva Marciana, meaning “border forest.” Medieval fortresses and quaint villages sprouted along the forest’s edge, and legendary tales of knights, maidens and, of course, wicked witches were etched into its landscape. The Black Forest is also the alleged home of the Waldschrat, tiny humanoid creatures, dreamed up by the early Germanic tribes, that protect the forest, maintain the natural balance and even assist lost travelers.

As I explored this region of southwestern Germany this past June, I couldn’t help but feel as if I’d stepped straight into a fairy tale—I half expected Snow White, known locally as Schneewittchen, to pop out from behind a fir tree at any moment, singing along with her entourage of bluebirds.

The notion that sprites could appear at any turn is perhaps only heightened if you’re sampling spirits from the Black Forest’s 14,000 or so licensed distilleries along the way.

German schnaps
German schnaps are sublime, clear, dry and strong, with a high alcohol content. Westend61/Getty Images
copper still
In the Black Forest, schnaps are still handcrafted in centuries-old, traditional copper stills in family-owned distilleries. Amy Bizzarri

Oberkirch, an excellent home-away-from-home base for exploring the Black Forest, has small-town charm, half-timbered houses, rich local cuisine and a one-of-a-kind hiking trail, the Oberkircher Brennersteig. The Schnapps Trail, as it’s sometimes called, is renowned for its smooth, layered schnapps, liqueurs crafted by locals for centuries.

During the Roman Empire, this corner of southwestern Germany was part of the province of Germania Superior and dotted with Roman military fortifications. By the Middle Ages, Oberkirch, surrounded by bountiful fruit orchards and vineyards, had become a bustling market town, a past reflected in its popular weekly farmers’ market and annual Christmas market, where you can still enjoy medieval-era treats like glühwein (mulled wine) and lebkuchen (gingerbread). Oberkirch’s time-honored tradition of producing spirits dates back to the Middle Ages, when local farmers distilled excess fruit into schnapps, creating value from surplus. Cherries, plums, raspberries and pears grow in abundance here and are the primary ingredients in spirits produced at Oberkirch’s 900-plus small, independent distilleries.

schnapps fountain
Distilleries place bottles in cooling “schnapps fountains,” stone tubs filled with icy water, or carved wooden boxes along the hiking trail. Amy Bizzarri

Along the Oberkircher Brennersteig, a scenic, 8.5-mile-long circular hiking trail, hikers can sample schnapps directly from seven or so rotating area distilleries that place bottles in cooling “schnapps fountains,” stone tubs filled with icy water, or carved wooden boxes along the hiking trail.

When Americans think of schnapps, they often recall their teen years, when getting tipsy on super-sweet peach, bubblegum, butterscotch or peppermint-flavored schnapps served as a foray into the world of alcohol.

While American schnapps are typically made by adding synthetic flavors and sweeteners to grain alcohol, German schnapps are sublime, clear, dry and strong, with a high alcohol content. By law, they must be made from only natural ingredients and meet specific ABV requirements (the minimum alcohol content for schnapps is 15 percent by volume, with a maximum of 80 percent). Here in the Black Forest, they’re still handcrafted in centuries-old, traditional copper stills at family-owned distilleries.

In contrast, American schnapps are usually too cloyingly sweet to consume on their own, with overpowering artificial flavorings, so they’re often added to cocktails for a fruit-flavored twist.

zibärtle
Zibärtle is a wild plum found in the Black Forest. Brennerei Franz Fies produces zibärtle schnaps. Wolfgang Heidasch/Alamy

“Distilleries here started producing fruit brandies around the 16th century, and initially, schnapps were produced for medicinal purposes,” says Anne-Katrin Hormann, the third-generation co-owner of one of Oberkirch’s oldest and most renowned family-run distilleries, Brennerei Franz Fies. “German schnapps is a traditional distilled spirit made from fermented fruit. We use plums, raspberries, cherries, pears and yellow plums, grown in the orchards surrounding Oberkirch, to produce our schnapps. We also produce zibärtle schnapps, made with a wild plum found only here near the Black Forest that’s harvested only after the first frost. The sugar in the zibärtle is very concentrated, and together with the stone pit, it has lovely notes of marzipan.” (Marzipan is a sweet confection made primarily from ground almonds, sugar and egg whites. Some legends attribute its invention to Lübeck, Germany, during a 15th-century famine when bakers used almonds and sugar as a substitute for scarce flour.)

Brennerei Franz Fies spirits can often be found soaking in a schnapps fountain along the trail. A maiden wearing the traditional red pom-pom hat of single ladies, the so-called bollenhut, emblazoned on the glass bottle, makes it easy to recognize Fies’ kirschwasser, a colorless brandy made with wild, tart cherries. Topped with oversized pom-poms, the bollenhut has been worn by women here since at least the 1750s. “The color of the pom-poms carries specific meanings,” explains Hormann. “Unmarried women wear hats with red pom-poms, symbolizing their availability, while married women wear hats with black pom-poms.”

Schauenburg Castle
Schauenburg Castle sits atop a 1,204-foot-high hill spur overlooking tiny Oberkirch and the surrounding Renchtal Valley, with sweeping views of the mythical forest. imageBROKER/Dierk Boeser/Getty Images

Travelers can start their Black Forest journey by gazing upon the storied forest from above. From the trailhead situated in the northeastern corner of Oberkirch’s charming town center, it takes about one hour to hike the 1.9-mile-long trail to the majestic Schauenburg Castle. The castle sits atop a 1,204-foot-high hill spur overlooking tiny Oberkirch and the surrounding Renchtal Valley, with sweeping views of the mythical forest. Built in the 11th century by the noble Duke Berthold II of Zähringen, Schauenburg Castle is steeped in history. Once upon a time, knights in shining armor patrolled the castle’s ramparts while the townsfolk below went about their daily lives, secure under its watchful gaze. Its grand halls echoed with the laughter of feasts and the solemn vows of knights preparing for quests. At the end of the 17th century, the wars of succession caused significant damage to the castle. Today, visitors can explore its ancient walls, imagining the princes and princesses who once walked its halls. Legend states that a princess who once called this castle home was transformed into a witch when she dared to fall in love with a peasant farmer; the peasant farmer later denied her, and she is said to haunt the castle and its environs to this day.

The Oberkircher Brennersteig begins and ends at the trailhead located adjacent to the public parking lot at the center of the tiny Oberkirch hamlet of Hesselbach. On average, it takes about four hours to hike the trail, which loops through the Hesselbach Valley and the Black Forest, across meadows, orchards and vineyards that appear to have been plucked from a storybook.

It’s impossible to miss the seven-plus schnapps fountains or carved wooden boxes that dot the trail. They’re ruled by the honor system: Hikers drop a few euros in a box, then help themselves to a clean glass and a shot of schnapps.

women in bollenhut hats
Young women wear their traditional Black Forest costumes with red bollenhut hats. Silas Stein/picture alliance via Getty Images

Six cozy distilleries and a winery are conveniently located steps away from the hiking trail, too. Sesterhof has been producing schnapps since 1738, including its williamsbirne, a wonderfully aromatic pear schnapps with a touch of white pepper and a woodsy finish. Halter Family Fine Brandies & Liqueurs is known for its exquisite brandies and wild plum schnapps, while Köbelesberghof produces schnapps made with deep purple aronia berries (a.k.a. chokeberries), walnuts and sour cherries. Fießhof has been producing fine wines and schnapps on its idyllic farm since 1820; hikers can settle under the open-air hut flanked by vineyards and grab some schnapps bottles from the barrel bar for sampling. Brennerei “Grüner Baum” (Green Tree Distillery) produces some of the most interesting schnapps flavors in the forest, including chocolate elderberry, vanilla nougat and spiced ginger. Hofgut Heuberg, a historic winery dating back to 1446, serves flights of its Müller-Thurgau, riesling or spätburgunder rotwein. Waldhotel Grüner Baum is a hotel that hosts a cottage-sized distillery on its grounds, so visitors can sip its elderberry schnapps and then settle in for the night. Even when the hotel’s distillery is closed for the day, a wooden box affixed to its facade is filled with a selection of schnapps for thirsty hikers.

The best time of year to set off on this 4.5-hour, high-spirited hike is springtime or early summer when wildflowers add to the forest’s romantic vibe. Delicate white wood anemones carpet the forest floor, creating a beautiful contrast against the greenery, while cheerful yellow primroses pop up in clusters along the forest’s edge. Liverworts, known for their striking blue or purple flowers, are among the first to bloom in early spring.

“Hiking is the best way to experience the Black Forest. Along the trail, beyond the natural beauty of our forest home, you’ll also experience our roots, our craft, our down-to-earth nature and our traditions,” says Hannes Schmidt, CEO of Boar Distillery. “Love and passion are at the forefront of our craft. With over 996 distilleries, and centuries-old traditions, our home is unique in the world.”

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Amy Bizzarri is a freelance writer based in Chicago. She has written for the Chicago Tribune, BBC Travel and Lonely Planet.