Located within the scenic southwestern region of Germany, the Black Forest boasts a myriad of distinctive trees and is home to a rich and diverse cultural heritage of the local community.

Photograph by Yulia Denisyuk

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Photo story: a journey through the craft heritage of Germany's Black Forest

Ringed by mountains and steeped in tradition, the Black Forest region in southwest Germany has inspired centuries’ worth of fairytales. Today, its story revolves around craftsmanship, creativity and time itself.

Story and photographs byYulia Denisuk

Published April 17, 2023

• 9 min read

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).

“The valley we’re in is home to over a thousand distilleries producing schnapps — the highest concentration in Europe,” says Hannes Schmidt, CEO of the Boar Distillery.

Photograph by Yulia Denisyuk

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He stands in the centuries-old distillery in the village of Bad Peterstal-Griesbach in the central Black Forest, explaining that the company switched from schnapps to gin a decade or so ago.

Photograph by Yulia Denisyuk

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Nestled on the slopes of the Rench Valley, the distillery makes limited batches using water from its own spring. And it’s not just any gin — infused with 19 local botanicals, it’s one of the world’s most-awarded.

Photograph by Yulia Denisyuk

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“The secret,” says Schmidt, “is in the Black Forest Burgundy truffle. We experimented for half a year to find just the right amount to add.” The Boar Distillery is open for visits and tastings, but can sell out a year in advance.

Photograph by Yulia Denisyuk

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“Fifteen years ago, the region was seen as old-fashioned,” adds Beate Axmann, a participating artist whose paintings explore themes of global migration.

Photography by Yulia Denisyuk

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“It’s important for our culture to know where we come from and where we’re going. This is what this movement is all about,” says Uwe Baumann, creator of Cosmos Black Forest, a project that brings together local artists to reinterpret Black Forest traditions. The idea was to play with traditional symbols such as the cuckoo clock and bollenhut hat, and make them relevant to modern times.

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“Today, it’s different. We have a rich contemporary art scene.” Cosmos Black Forest creations can be found across the region, including at Kloster Hirsau, a museum set in a medieval monastery in Hirsau.

Photograph by Yulia Denisyuk

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The towns of Kirnbach, Gutach and Reichenbach are home to a tradition that’s become a symbol of the region. The bollenhut is a plaster and straw hat with 14 wool pompoms. Since the 18th century, unmarried women have worn red hats, signifying they are looking for suitors (red being seen as the colour of youth)

Photograph by Yulia Denisyuk

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“It takes two kilograms of wool and about one week of work to create one bollenhut,” explains Gutach-based Gabriele Aberle, one of only two remaining bollenhut makers. There are different versions for various stages of life: at weddings, a crown of multicoloured beads and mirrors (to stave off the devil) is donned; after marriage, it’s a bollenhut with black pompoms. The hats are still in use at weddings and festivals, and can only be worn by someone from the three villages.

Photograph by Yulia Denisyuk

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South of Gutach lies Schonach, a quiet town with a big claim to fame: it’s the birthplace of the cuckoo clock.

Photograph by Yulia Denisyuk

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The industry developed here in the mid-18th century, with all the elements coming together to make the clock tick: local wood for the housing, plus the mechanism and the bellows responsible for the signature cuckoo sound.

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Conny and Ingolf Haas are the fourth-generation co-owners of cuckoo-clock-making company Rombach & Haas. “Our hearts beat cuckoo and we wanted to bring the clock back into people’s living rooms,” says Ingolf. “They were once considered kitsch — today, they’re in again.”

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According to Ingolf, the Black Forest has a special energy, where time stretches and problems disappear, if only for a moment. For him, that energy lives inside the cuckoo clock.

Photograph by Yulia Denisyuk

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It’s unclear who invented the Black Forest gateau, a cake comprising chocolate sponge layers, cream, sour cherries and kirschwasser (cherry schnapps).

Photograph by Yulia Denisyuk

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Here, Freddy Boch, owner of Hotel Engel, has been making the gateaux for three decades using his grandfather’s recipe. Every two years, he organises the Black Forest Cake Festival, where a panel of confectioners judges over 250 cakes from all over the world. Along with other local chefs, Boch also runs Black Forest gateau-making workshops.

Photograph by Yulia Denisyuk

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Published in the May 2023 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK).

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