Overview. Titisee is the largest naturally formed lake in the Black Forest. It’s roughly 1 mile (1.6km) long and 875 yards (800m) wide and 20m deep. Lake Titisee is a glacier lake and therefore very cold. You can only swim at the official beach, but many people do swim unauthorized at other areas. In winter the lake is an ice skating destination.Lake Titisee is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the Black Forest. Note that both the lake and the town are called Titisee, which may be confusing at times.The normal population of Titisee is 2,000, but in summer it swells to 6,000 people on a given day. In the year 1900, Titisee looked rather like farmland and not like a destination which would have attracted tourists. Tourism did not develop here until the 1920s (after the railroad).Quick orientation. Everything in Titisee is centered around the lake. Whatever you are looking for – lunch, bathrooms, tourist info, bike rentals – it all happens at the lake. The area is well equipped for tourism with shops, hotels and restaurants. Here you will be able to find cuckoo clocks, Black Forest ham and everything else related to the Black ForestMy recommendation. I am very divided about Lake Titisee. I do love the lake – but not during high season. In summer I try to be at the lake very early morning to avoid the crowds which arrive by the bus-load. On the other hand there are many things to do at the lake and kids usually love it!I usually grab a sandwich at the entrance of the pedestrian zone and then try to go for a walk at the lake. Renting a boat for half an hour to enjoy the lake away from the crowds is a good ideaArriving and parking. Most of the town is a pedestrian zone and parking can get quite difficult unless you know where to park. I recommend parking at the train station parking lot, across from the (very) „green“ Action Forest Hotel. From the parking lot, it is a 5-10 minute walk to the lake area. Use the following GPS info to get to the parking lot: Neustädter Straße 41, 79822 Titisee-Neustadt. Enter the parking lot, take a ticket and find a parking spot. Don‘t forget to carry some coins when picking up your car later. There are bathrooms in the small house in the middle of the parking lot.What to do. In summer there are plenty of things to do and see at the lake. You can ride the ferris wheel, dress up in traditional Black Forest clothes and have your picture taken or go for a stroll down the pedestrian zone and do some people watching and shopping. Or try to grab a seat on the outdoor terrace at one of the many hotels right at the lake. Maybe I will see you there!Hotels right on the LakeHotel AlemannenhofBruderhalde 21, 79856 Hinterzarten am Titiseehttp://www.hotel-alemannenhof.de/I like this hotel because it is a bit outside of town, but still right on the lake. You can easily walk into Titisee, but you also have the calm of the lake. The hotel has its own pier and a boat stops by regularly to take you on a tour around the lake.Hotel Maritim Seestraße 16, 79822 Titisee-Neustadt, GermanyTrescher‘s ParkhotelSeestraße 10, 79822 Titisee-Neustadt, Germany+49 7651 8050http://www.schwarzwaldhotel-trescher.de/Seehotel WieslerBrugger‘s Hotel Park am SeeThere are many more hotels in Titisee (check with the tourist office or online) but in general I prefer to stay outside of Titisee.
