State Garden Show

Baiersbronn to Freudenstadt

There's nothing better than friends with similar interests as mine. Today they organized an excursion to the State Garden Show in Valley X.

For people not living in BW, this term isn't quite logical. It isn’t logical for me either. So I asked the staff at the entrance again what this X is supposed to mean. For me: X is an unknown factor; why then in the Black Forest with the two well-known places that share this State Garden Show? The marketing folks thought of the following: A valley (the middle part in X was left free), surrounded by several towns (the four endpoints of X). However, for me, this beautiful valley is neither straight nor linear but a winding situation along the river and situated between the hills of the Northern Black Forest. But I don’t have to understand and/or like everything.

The parking lot in Baiersbronn was easy to find. From there, we took the shuttle bus to the first entrance to the park – called “Schelklewiese” and “Gartendorf.” Unfortunately, we couldn’t admire either the AOK Show Kitchen or the Black Forest Tiny House, as both were locked. However, there were densely packed raised beds full of vegetables to be admired. Visitors learn that strawberries belong to the rose family, thus are not considered a fruit.

Always along the creek via the “Blue Mile” to the “Xentrum,” precisely in the middle of the valley. From there, the tram took us on schedule to Freudenstadt. In the market square, shaded by large umbrellas, the Café PAUSE tempted us. Here, there were not only many kinds of cakes but also BLACK FOREST LONG WOOD. A praline shaped like a tree trunk filled with delicious filling. And of course, every kind of praline that the Wetzel family is famous for. A stop here is also worth it.

Slightly fortified with coffee, espresso, and cold drinks, we then walked down the hill and enjoyed the view. We could choose whether to take the longer and more comfortable path or the steps down to the valley, which should be shorter. We first chose the steps and then a piece of the wide path. On the other side of the valley, back up to the viewpoint Bärenschlössle? Not with a damaged knee. Better to walk along the creek back towards the “Xentrum” and Baiersbronn.

A bicycle taxi took us two knee-injured girls to the next garden show area “Aquaflora.” In Christophstal, we passed old factory buildings whose machines used to be powered by water. The “Forbach Gardens” zoomed past us; our bike taxi driver took us down the hill quickly.

At the entrance to “Aquaflora,” the group was reunited. In a beautiful old building, artisans presented their work. Once an exhibition area with floral arrangements for every imaginable occasion, next door a jeweler, and an artist who works with wood.

The fish tanks were somewhat simple, and there weren't many explanatory panels to see. In the respective tanks, fish swam variably, of which I only knew the trout. They were not easy to spot. Maybe they were hiding from the sun.

We continued along the path to the masters' garden. Very well designed and also well explained on a panel. I found the BOOK TREE the most remarkable. A tree trunk was hollowed out and fitted with a door. Inside were plenty of books to take. A wonderful idea.

From the SCHIFF bus stop, the bus was supposed to take us back to Baiersbronn, to the car. Unfortunately, it did not go well. Only buses to Freudenstadt stopped, so in the wrong direction. We waited for almost an hour. And waited. The KVV app showed three different departure times on three phones. At a completely different time, the long-awaited bus finally came, squeezing in almost 40 waiting passengers, and then we headed back to where our journey began.

And because this lovely excursion was not meant to end after another hour and a half of driving, we stopped in Karlsruhe's Südstadt at ANTALYA. In the beer garden there – under very old trees and by the maybe only Karlsruhe 'waterfall,' we rounded off this beautiful day.

See you soon!