B500 – BLACK FOREST DRIVE
For centuries the Black Forest or in other words: the “dark forest” was avoided by foreign people because of the many scary myths and legends of the region. Today the Black Forest is more known for Cuckoo clocks, typical Black Forest houses, Bollenhut hats, ham or cherry brandy (Kirschwässerle). Also during winter the Black Forest is an adventure, cross-country trails and ski slopes attract sports enthusiasts and families. But the Black Forest Nature Reserve is so much more than this – for example a mecca for driving enthusiasts from all over the world.
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The main panorama road is the Black Forest High Road or simply B500, the B stands for “Bundesstrasse” – federal road. The scenic holiday-route runs all the way from North at the charming spa town of Baden-Baden to the Swiss border in the South. Don’t be bothered trying to pronounce the German name: “Schwazwaldhochstrasse” correctly – let’s stick to B500.
​1032 meters / 3385 meters above sea level
High Road between Baden-Baden and Freudenstadt in Germany – 60 kilometres / 30 Miles
B500 between Baden-Baden and Waldshut Tiengen in Germany – 233 kilometre / 145 Miles
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Lake Mummelsee on top of the road is a glacial lake that is a relic of the last Ice Age. Mermaids can be seen emerging from the water on moonlit nights – at least that’s what the legend tells us.
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Check out the EPIKdrives.com Porsche Tour in the Black Forest to enjoy effortless navigation with a pre-programmed GPS along the most scenic stretches of the B500 holiday route and an option to extend your tour into the neighbouring French Alsace region.
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CHARACTER
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The road sweeps fast and easy trough the landscape and allows to take in the views while cruising. The most scenic stretch is South of the spa-town of Baden-Baden. If you stay here overnight make sure you pick up that stretch out of the town the next morning. It’s so beautiful you definitely should drive it twice.
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Hundreds of curves along scenic roads are nestled in the Black Forest. In some areas the B500 looks almost like a racetrack and speeding is very tempting – but please respect the speed limits for your own safety. The road is not high up in the Alps, but not less dangerous if not driven responsibly. The region is a popular holiday and weekend get away also. To fully enjoy the road avoid bank holidays and weekends during summer ​
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HISTORY
From Roman emperors to Napoleon III over the Russian Tzars and todays tourists most visitors come for the natural springs that gave the town of Baden-Baden its name, its a noun meaning “bathing”. Today is also a famous gamble town with a casino, but let’s be responsible. In 2007 the road had its 75th birthday. The name “Schwarzwald-Hochstraße” – Black Forest High Road was invented in 1930 when a holiday route was needed to get access for cars to the highland hotels. Under the Third Reich further construction was done for strategic reasons and since 1952 the road has the format we know today.
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WHILE HERE ​
While travelling in the B500 make sure to stay a night or two in Baden-Baden to enjoy the thermal waters and relax in the calm atmosphere of the town. A visit to the majestic Hohenzollern Castle is an absolute must, when in the Black Forest. Also we highly recommend to divert off the scenic B500 to visit the Porsche Museum and Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart. If you’re looking for more scenic roads and green landscapes you might want to loop into the neighbouring Alsace region in France with a similar scenery and stay at Strasbourg for a night or two.
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