Bareiss, one of Europe’s best hotels, is situated in the beautiful Black Forest countryside that inspired the Grimm Brother’s Fairytales.
Located in Baiersbronn-Mitteltal, the area is surrounded by a rolling landscape of farms and small villages at the edge of a forest so dense that it appears black. Picture perfect homes with window boxes ladened with flowers, small village shops selling wood carvings that the area is known for, taverns where you can try the region’s delicious smoked ham along with hearty bread, beer or wine and traditional bakeries where you can enjoy a slice of the famous Black Forest cake make for a memorable holiday.
**
If I was asked what my favorite hotel in the Black Forest was, without hesitation, it would be Hotel Bareiss. The hotel has a tradition of excellence that my husband and I have not found elsewhere. It strives to be the best and has won numerous awards including 3 stars in the Michelin Red Guide, 4 lilies and 19 out of 20 points in the Relax Guide, 5 out of 5 diamonds in Varta-Führer 2019 and it won the Prix Villégiature Awards 2012 for the Best Resort in Europe just to name a few.
With so many awards, you might wonder what to expect if you stay at Hotel Bareiss. From my experience, I believe you will find absolute perfection. Very different from a large corporate hotel, Bareiss is charming, friendly and welcoming. You immediately sense why the hotel has such a fine reputation from the moment you arrive.
You are greeted at the front entrance by a waiting doorman who quickly unloads your bags to deliver to your room minutes later. Upon entering the hotel’s reception area and welcomed by hostesses dressed in beautiful dirndls, you feel a genuine warmth that continues throughout your visit. Every member of the friendly staff, many working here for decades, are eager to help make your stay a special one.
This was my husband’s and my third stay at this three generation family owned hotel, now overseen by Hermann Bareiss, his son Hannes, his daughter-in-law Britta and Kai Schmalzried, his nephew. You will more than likely encounter them during the course of your stay, stopping by to ask how your day was or how you are enjoying your meal.
The hotel has a choice of beautiful yet cozy rooms, each individually decorated. Our room this year was a rotunda apartment in the Landhaus (country house) with a wrap around terrace. The romantic room has everything you could wish for including a comfortable sofa, pretty writing desk with a mini table with all the hotel information, a fully adjustable king size bed and a slipper bathtub and separate rain shower in the large bathroom.
Click on any photo to enlarge and see a slide show.
Click on any photo to enlarge and see a slide show.
Click on any photo to enlarge and see a slide show.
Bareiss is perhaps best known for its outstanding food and the room rate includes half board. Delicious meals are offered from early morning all the way through to a midnight snack in the bar, if you so desire. There are five hotel guest dining rooms and three à la carte restaurants. One is the 3 star Michelin rated Restaurant Bareiss, which the famous guide book deems “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.” No matter where you dine, the best ingredients are used not only in the gourmet restaurant but also in dishes served in the other restaurants.
Click on any photo to enlarge and see a slide show.
Outside the Bareiss complex, the hotel also offers meals at the pretty Forellenhof Buhlbach which is situated in a nature reserve just a short drive away. The restaurant serves fresh fish from its own fish farm. A 45 minute walk away from the hotel, there is also a traditional hiking cabin named Sattelei. You will often find hikers here from the local villages joining hotel guests for drinks and traditional Black Forest hot and cold snacks.
The hotel has a wonderful Sauna World complex with indoor and outdoor pools, saunas, whirlpools, steam rooms, massage rooms and rooms for quiet relaxation. There are also hiking trails through the forest and lots of activities to work off some of the calories you consume each day. But be warned, the hotel also provides a delicious afternoon cake buffet to enjoy as part of the half board that is included in your stay. We were on holiday so we had to indulge in the pampering environment and delicacies just a little.
While you might think that a hotel like this would be only appropriate for adults, that is certainly not the case. The hotel has created a little paradise for children that makes adults wish they were young again. There is a treehouse, a fairytale room and a circus wagon as well as an adventure and water playground and a house of games.
Bareiss is the perfect base for exploring this picturesque region by car and we were there while the Bareiss Classic was being held. Just imagine how much fun it would be to drive the winding roads of the Black Forest in your own vintage car. Whether you want to discover the delightful soundings found on the back roads, hike in the fresh air, relax in one of the pools or enjoy a multi course meal, I believe your desires will be met at Bareiss.
****
Bareiss is special for many reasons but for my husband and I, it is the wonderful and heartfelt care that each guest receives during a stay…nothing seems impossible. From the warm greeting with glasses of Champagne upon arrival, delicious and elegantly served meals, entertainment in the bar, sweets left at turndown service, and a beautiful and relaxing spa area, Bareiss has it all. Hopefully, we will have the good fortune to return to one of our favorite hotels again sometime in the future. I hope one day you will get a chance to visit this memorable hotel and enjoy it a much as we have.
Back Road Journal 
The hotel looks amazing, especially the food. I’d love to dive in that pool!
Hi Caroline, You are so right about Bareiss and the food is terrific.
What a beautiful place! The family who runs it looks lovely. The countryside is gorgeous.
Hi Lisa, The family Bareiss really are a lovely group of individuals…each one very gracious and welcoming. The Black Forest is a region that we love returning to.
wow So beautiful! I wish I could spend a weekend!
Hi Angie, Since you are not that far away from the Black Forest perhaps you will get a chance to visit Bareiss for a weekend someday. I know you would love the hotel.
What a special place. I’m so glad you’re having a great trip 🙂
Thank you Kay, we are having a wonderful trip and we really did enjoy our time at Bareiss,it is our favorite hotel in Germany.
It all looks delightful and I’m sure the food was amazing!
Hi Mad Dog, You would absolutely love the food a Bareiss…every dish was delicious.
Wow Karen, this truly sounds like heaven, I would never leave!! Indeed, it does sound like a fairy tale!
Jenna
Hi Jenna, We love staying at the Bareiss. I only wish an ocean didn’t divide us or we would definitely gp there more often. It is not only a beautiful facility but the people there make it so very special.
Such an interesting post. I learned quite a bit and your photos and family information added to its appeal.
Thank you for your lovely compliment Jovina, I’m glad that you enjoyed the article and photos.😊
That is one beautiful hotel, Karen! What I found most interesting is that I have never stayed in a hotel, hostel, or pensione in Germany that had top sheets on the bed—only duvets! Have you found that to be the case?
I totally agree with you David, Bareiss is a beautiful hotel. As to your comment about hotels in Germany only using duvet, that does seem to be true for the most part. We have stayed at the Vier Jahreszeiten in Munich that does make a bed the way we are used to. Only using a duvet is also found in Austria, in parts of France and in Northern Italy as well. They have a light version as well as a heavy one for different seasons.
Sounds like you’re living a fairy tale! Love the pictures, and such an interesting post. Thanks!
Hi John, A fairy tale indeed and a lovely one at that. Thank you for your nice compliment, I’m glad you enjoyed the post about Bareiss. When we get back home, I’ll be doing another one about their interesting trout farm that I think you will enjoy.
I always visit family and friends when I am in Germany. It would be nice if I could stay at the Bareiss for just a few days. It sounds wonderful.
Hi Gerlinde, I do hope that you get a chance to visit Bareiss on one of your visits to see your family in Germany. It is a very special hotel, one of the best you will ever visit as far as I’m concerned.
How wonderful to find a place that is both beautiful and also feels as much like home as a hotel can, with a family-operated hotel. It looks beautiful.
Hi Jeanie, I only wish more hotels could be like Bareiss…it is so special in so many different ways. We always hate saying goodbye.
How beautifully luxurious, yet your description indicates there is an effort to personalize the stay and make one feel “at home,” albeit a rather grand home. 🙂 What a lovely opportunity for you and your husband to return.
Hi Debra, Every time that we have visited Bareiss, each and every person does their best to make you feel “at home”.
Looks delightful!! Would love to stay there.
Hi Darlene, You’re only a couple of hours away by air, perhaps you will get a chance to visit some day.
This is such a charming hotel, almost like something from a fairy tale. Isn’t fun to stay at a place not run by corporate and all that entails. We don’t think we would ever want to leave. Just look at that view!
Hi Bobbi, Staying at a family hotel really does make a difference, they actually care about you as a guest. We love Bareiss, it is very charming. BTW, Disqus and I are having problems here in Europe so I can comment on your posts…I’ll get that fixed when I get home.
My husband has a job with more flexibility to work from anywhere. So we have started traveling more, though all in the US since we got the Southwest companion pass. Perhaps Europe next year!
Hi Inger, I do hope that you get to travel to Europe in the future…nothing compares to the history and beautiful that you will discover.
The Hotel Bareiss looks and sounds like a wonderful place to stay, and the scenery there is beautiful!
Hi Nancy, You are so right…we love everything about Bareiss.
Looks fabulous – and delicious!
It looks absolutely exquisite! Thank you for taking us on this tour Karen 😀
Beautiful! I’d love to visit the region. Thank you for sharing… These are places I might never see, and it’s a treat to explore in your posts.
I can’t blame you for having a third stay at this idyllic resort. The food looks wonderful too. Although I am not much of a sweet eater, I would have loved to see the cake table. European cakes are difficult to resist, beautiful and just sweet enough. Your room looked lovely, tastefully decorated. I love the hand-drawn floor plan too. Looks like you had another amazing time!
I can see why that hotel is such a favorite. It looks absolutely magical — a true wonderland come to life.
IT must be amazing if you have gone back 3 times. And I love staying in different rooms when we go back to the same place time and time again.
Karen, the Black Forrest is a wonderful area of Germany to visit. This is such a lovely looking property and one we’ll certainly remember for our next journey in that direction. We’ve stayed in a number of German family-owned hotels along the Rhine and Moselle and they were always wonderful so I’m sure this one would be a joy as well. Thanks for sharing your stay with us.
This looks absolutely stunning. Like out of a magazine!
Thank you so much for your reference, Bareiss is my favorite hotel in not only the Black Forest but all of Germany.