Snowing in Triberg

Just a week before we flew from Singapore, we checked the weather forecast for Triberg (and the other places we were travelling in Germany) and it was between 5 to 15°C. Imagine our shock when we touched down at Frankfurt airport and it was… Snowing!

We were not prepared for snow at all, leaving our thick puffer coats at home. But luckily with a bit of layering magic, we managed to survive the snowy weather and subzero temperatures the first 2 days in Triberg. The weather slowly got warmer after that, with the snow melting to show a different side of the town. In the end, the unexpected snow was a blessing in disguise!

Triberg was our first stop on our Germany trip in April 2022.

Where we went

The Black Forest and Triberg Waterfalls

The main reason we travelled to Triberg was to hike in the Black Forest. Of course, in our imaginations, we would also be having a nice picnic midway through our hikes, but with the freezing weather, that wasn’t possible anymore. We also decided not to travel to the different towns surrounding the Balck Forest because of the weather, but we still had lots of fun in the small town of Triberg.

At the entrance of the Black Forest, you can buy a pack of peanuts to feed squirrels for €1. WJ snapped it up happily, and we got to see 2 squirrels when there weren’t any other people on the trail! One of the squirrels kept coming back for more and dashing off to bury the peanuts in different places.

Triberg is also home to the highest waterfalls in Germany, with an overall drop of 163 metres over 7 cascades. We were lucky to see the falls in 2 different settings – the first completely covered in snow, and the second in greenery with melting snow.

Maria in der Tanne

We popped into the little church on the way from our descent from the Triberg waterfalls back to town. Legend has it that several people were healed by the waters of a nearby spring!

The world’s largest cuckoo clock

You can find the world’s largest cuckoo clock bout a 30-minute walk from the main town of Triberg (if you don’t lose your way like how we did!). We took a bus after we got lost halfway so we wouldn’t miss the cuckoo clock “cuckoo-ing” at 12 noon.

To be honest, we were expecting more of a spectacle when the clock struck 12. But it is what is it – the world’s largest cuckoo clock. It’s cool to see, but I wouldn’t recommend making your way down if you have other activities planned!

There is also another cuckoo clock on the other side of the store where you can insert €1 to see the figurines move and music play. Because we travelled all the way there for a spectacle, we decided to give it a try. Sadly, it was a waste of our €1 as the figurines just rotated in and out of the “window”, and the music barely lasted 30 seconds.

Schwarzwaldmuseum (Black Forest Museum)

We slot €1 into an old music box and were pleasantly surprised to hear a long song (much more worth it than the cuckoo clock) and the gear inside the transparent box moving.

The museum might look small from the outside, but it seemed much larger once you get inside! Sadly, most of the explanations are in German, so we couldn’t read the descriptions for some of the exhibits. But you can get a good sense of the Black Forest culture, admire antique cuckoo clocks and equipment, and even crystals mined in the town.

Triberg Fantasy

If you have time to spare after a day of hiking, this small photo studio is a great way to take fun photos (or videos) with your friends and family. It was included in our Konus card and we had ample time, so we went in to keep warm and have a little bit of fun.

Triberg-Land

Similarly to Triberg Fantasy, if you have plenty of time and no activities planned, or you’re a fan of miniatures, Triberg-Land could be a good place to spend 30 minutes. It was also included in our Konus card, so we popped in for a look.

Where we stayed

We stayed at Hotel Restaurant Ketterer am Kurgarten for the 4 nights we were in Triberg. The view was great, aside from the construction we could see going on at the Ketterer restaurant opposite us (there was not much noise when we were in the room though). When it was snowing, it was quite hypnotic when we were sitting and staring out of the large windows.

We also had breakfast on one of the mornings, and it was a pretty good spread even though there didn’t seem to be many people staying there. It was also where we first tried the famed Black Forest ham, which we had been smelling since we got into Triberg!

If you stay at one of the participating accommodations around the Black Forest, you can get a Konus card for free! The card entitles you to free local train and buses in the KONUS region and free admission to several sites. We used the card to access the Black Forest, the Black Forest Museum, Triberg Fantasy and Triberg-Land for free, and even travelled part of the way from Triberg to Nuremberg for free!

Food in Triberg

There aren’t many food options in Triberg with it being a small town. We had our obligatory schnitzels (we’re in Germany!), fish, chicken, brezels, Italian food, and of course, the Black Forest cake. After all, we were in the Black Forest!