The Swabian community of Schömberg is home to one of the world’s most prominent beard and moustache clubs. This is a story about facial hair and its consequences. It’s eight o’clock on a Friday evening, and I’ve got an appointment at Gasthof zum Plettenberg. Dark wood panelling adorns the inn’s walls and ceiling, and patrons are passing glasses of fresh draught beer across tables covered wit...

Species Alpaca (Vicugna pacos). A cloven-hoofed member of the camel family. Known for its distinctly tranquil and amiable nature. Characteristics The main physical features of alpacas include lean, elongated legs; a long, thin neck; and a small triangular head. Thanks to its thick coat, which is particularly dense around the legs and on the head, the animal serves as a source of wool. Alpacas can weigh up to 80 kilogrammes, but ...

“The third time, it becomes a tradition” is a saying in the Black Forest. In other words, if something new has twice proved successful, it becomes an integral part of the local culture. This enables inhabitants of the Black Forest to quickly assimilate innovations. Consequently, the Black Forest dry gin Monkey 47 is not a contradiction but an innovative, traditional drink with a Black Forest element. Of course, particularly well-known traditions have...

Deep in the Black Forest, Cornelia Reich produces organic cheese ­using milk from grass-fed cows. While the local scenery could definitely be described as bucolic, her chosen craft is hard work that requires dedication and a willingness to compromise. Loßburg – 24 Höfe, County Freudenstadt. In surroundings like these, you can’t help but think that this must be how Americans picture Germany: lush greens and azure blues like something out of ...

If you really think about it, Monkey and bison have quite a lot in common. You give both of them care and affection and plenty of time to mature, they don't like to stand in a corner, unappreciated, and they're indigenous to the Black Forest. Monkey 47 has brought a new "animal species" to the Black Forest, which is enjoying increasing popularity among connoisseurs of fine spirits. A cute ...

Bohemian Ram. Little Bumblebee. No, not pet names that aging married couples have for each other. These are just a few of the unusually archaic sounding instruments that belong to the larger family of bagpipes. Scottish bagpipes are generally a familiar concept, but the Black Forest shepherd's pipe is less well known, although it was quite prevalent there at one time. When Helmut Moßmann gets out his bagpipes and h...

The journey is an arduous one. Slowly, our car’s plaintive-sounding motor fights its way up the steep and narrow road. Buttercups, dandelions, and poppies bloom off to the side, and lime-green butterflies flutter about in the warm summer air. Suddenly, our driver steps on the brake – hard – just before a hairpin turn. The passenger in the front seat instinctively grabs for the handle above the window. After we nearly scrape...

Who wouldn't like a machine that grants wishes? Herr Taschenbier certainly did for the Sams in Paul Maar's series of children's books, and we can hardly blame him. Recently, we were lucky enough to fulfil this persistent desire and can now call ourselves the proud owners of a custom-designed Wunschmaschine. Indulging us in this flight of fancy was Erhard von Umtrieb, a member of the Germany Steampunk Society's Rauchersalon ("...

Gourmets are familiar with the name Baiersbronn. Two large establishments - the Traube in Tonbach and the Hotel Bareiss in Baiersbronn-Mitteltal - have three Michelin stars each. In the district of Schwarzenberg, there is another chef with two stars at the Hotel Sackmann. So Baiersbronn can truly be referred to as the "Star Village." So it comes as no surprise to see just how many luxury cars there ...

To paraphrase the words of Roman satirical poet Juvenal, it's important to have a healthy mind, or spirit, in a healthy body: Orandum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano. Following this mantra as best we can, we've also developed a fitting body for our spirit, in collaboration with with Mark Braun Studio. Founded in Berlin in 2006 by Mark Braun, the design studio provides high-quality products in design, furniture ...