Titisee, Germany
The Titisee is a lake in the heart of the southern Black Forest, a region known as the Hochscharzwald (the 'High Black Forest'). The village on the shores of the Titisee is actually part of a community officially known as Titisee-Neustadt.
(Titisee is the tourist destination on the lake and Neustadt is more of a small light industrial community a few kilometres east on the road and rail line to Donaueschingen.)
Where is Titisee in the Black Forest?
Titisee is about halfway between the city of Freiburg im Breisgau to the west and the town of Donaueschingen to the east in the central Black Forest in the southwestern German state of Baden-Württemberg.
As well as being a popular tourist destination in its own right, it is also close to other Hochschwarzwald attractions, such as the Feldberg mountain and the Wutach gorge.
Getting to the Titisee
Titisee is a stop on the Höllentalbahn railway line which runs from Freiburg im Breisgau to both Titisee and Neustadt and onwards to the east to Donaueschingen. The stretch between Neustadt and Donaueschingen is currently being upgraded and replacement bus services are in operation.
There is also a branch line with less frequent services from Titisee to the Schluchsee known as the Dreiseenbahn (the 'Three Lakes' line). This connects to the Feldberg at Feldberg-Bärental station and from there onwards by bus.
There are bus services from Titisee to Todtnau and Feldberg.
Those looking to arrive by car will find Titisee on the B31 which also connects Freiburg im Breisgau with Donaueschingen. The B317 runs past the Feldberg and Todtnau through to Lörrach near Basel while the B315 heads in the direction of the Wutach gorge.
What to do in Titisee
Lake Titisee is very much another of the Black Forest's tourism hotspots. The short stretch from the train station down to the lakeshore and boat rental locations is filled with stores selling souvenirs, Black Forest ham and cuckoo clocks aimed at the steady stream of excursion buses full of tourists which arrive during the day in high summer. The tourist office reckons on around two million visitors each year.
Luckily it is not difficult to find some peace and quiet and enjoy the lovely scenery in the area...
The shores of the Titisee lake in the Black Forest
The History of Titisee
The name of the settlement comes, of course, from the name of the lake. 'See' means 'lake' in German and it is thought that the name Titisee harks back to Roman times.
The first actual mention of the lake was back in the 11th century when documents referred to a Titinsee or a Titunsee. Back in Roman times, the legions were stationed to the south in Switzerland before invading this region, and so the lake is thought to be named after Titus. (Later a Roman Emperor, he served in Germany as a young man.)
Neighbouring Neustadt can date its history back to the 13th century when Tyroleans were thought to have settled here, but the first mention of a settlement on the Titisee was in the 16th century. At that point the farming village was named Viertäler ('Four Valleys').
The Titisee Lake Ferry
One way to get away from some of the crowds on land is to take a boat ride around the lake and enjoy the scenery. There are regular circular cruises around the Titisee offered by two lake ferry companies, lasting around half an hour and operating every 30 minutes in good weather.
Schweizer Boats: bootsbetrieb-schweizer-titisee.de
Drubba Boats: www.boote-titisee.de
Hiking near the Titisee
View over the Titisee
Hikers can walk around the Titisee - the distance is around six kilometres and the route is almost flat - or head up to a panoramic view from the lake's own mountain, the Hochfirst.
The longer route up the Hochfirst involves a hike of around 11 kilometres and an elevation gain of about 350m. The circuit should take under four hours' walking.
Route descriptions with a somewhat idiosyncratic machine translation into English can be found on the tourist office website: www.hochschwarzwald.de
Where to Stay in Titisee
Those looking for a Titisee hotel room can try one of the options below. Those who prefer self catering apartments or bed-and-breakfast accommodation may prefer to check the apartment and room availability on the map below the hotel listings.
Hotels in Titisee
Check accommodation availability in Titisee
Check the availability of all kinds of accommodation in Titisee-Neustadt, from apartments to guesthouses and hotels, with this town map. Zoom in and out using the '+' and '-' signs and use the search box to choose appropriate dates. Click on the price to see more details about the accommodation.