Visit Titisee, Germany

A glacial lake, a small town and the chance to slow down and relax at Titisee, in Germany’s Black Forest.

Titisee, a lively small lakeside town, offers a peaceful place to take things slow, enjoy nature and truly relax. Glassy, glacial Lake Titisee is the biggest lake in the region and you can rent a boat and head out onto the water to take in the glimmering waters, gently cupped by the rounded mountains of the Black Forest.

The town also makes a good destination in the winter months — once the lake freezes over, you can lace up your skates and head onto the icy surface to glide around. Follow the main road that loops around the lake, and you’ll have your pick of numerous outdoor cafés and shops.

Located about 30 km (18.6 miles) from the Black Forest’s main city of Freiburg, Titisee is reachable through the regional train station on the edge of town. However, we find it’s easier to drive.

Whether you want to sunbathe, swim or ice skate, Titisee provides the ideal base for relaxing and enjoying the outdoors. Lake Titisee’s glimmering, crystal-blue water was left behind by a glacier some 10,000 years ago and provides the basis of much of life in Titisee and surrounding lake towns.

Rimmed with the low-rising rounded mountains of the Black Forest and numerous resort hotels, Titisee encourages you to slow things down and take in the natural beauty around you. There are boats of all sizes available for rent or charter. You can head out and explore the waters on a row boat or charter a larger vessel with a group.

Titisee’s location within the Black Forest means there are plenty of walking and hiking paths available and we can arrange for you to hike with a guide.

We recommend the hike to the top of Hochfirst, one of the nearby mountains where you’ll find a restaurant and viewing tour. You’ll have an expansive panorama of the surrounding forest and mountains, as well as of Lake Titisee and Feldberg, the biggest mountain in the Black Forest. On clear days you can see the Swiss and Austrian Alps, and in exceptional conditions you may be able to see as far as Mont Blanc, on the France-Italy border.

If you’re visiting during the colder months, crowds will be thinner, and you can still enjoy the lake. Though it takes a while for the lake to freeze over due to the near-constant winds across the water, when it does it is monitored daily to ensure it’s safe to go out on. Take in the mountains surrounding you and watch people skate and play games of curling. You can also spend the colder days relaxing at your hotel spa, taking advantage of the saunas and steam rooms.

One main road loops around the lake where you can walk, sip a coffee at a café, explore the shops and admire the hotels along the shore. There is a train station nearby, about a ten-minute walk from town.

Best time to visit Titisee

Titisee and all of the Black Forest is a mild climate, but to really take advantage of the lake, the best months to visit are May to early July, or September. We recommend avoiding the last two weeks of July and all of August, as it’s a popular German tourist destination and crowds can get a bit big.

The lake freezes over in the winter, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your preferences. The crowds thin out during the colder months of December, January and February as well.