Bath time: Carolyn enjoys the views as she bathes outside in a hollowed-out log filled with bubble bath
"You like to get in?" asked Der Bader, or "the bathman", as he gestured towards a huge log filled with snow.
It was raining slightly and rather cold but I"d never had a bath in a tree before so I said "Ja".
As Der Bader had originally chopped the tree down and dragged it to this garden, defrosting and filling it with warm water and bubbles didn"t faze him. He"s even been known to tow his tree-tubs into the forest so cleanliness can be enjoyed with woodliness.Bathing is a serious matter in Germany, and never more so than in Baiersbronn, a municipality of the northern Black Forest (or Schwarzwald) where most hotels offer large - if not vast - "wellness" spas. It"s an area also renowned for verdant beauty and outdoor activities, where the local tourist board even has a programme called Wanderhimmel or "hiking heaven".
A cosy mountain hut with fresh food and pure German beer is never far away, but what makes it all even more like "himmel" is that after a day of marvelling at gurgling streams and breathing pine-scented air, there are three establishments on offer that boast international recognition.
Baiersbronn comprises ninevillages and just 16,000 inhabitants but it is also home to no less than seven Michelin-starred restaurants. Not that you have to save the stars forthe evening - I sent my palate to another, better dimension oneafternoon at Schwarzwaldstube, one of the most popular.
Part of the Hotel Traube Tonbach - itself a five-star thicket of indulgence that even has a "chill-out lounge" for sulky adolescents - it is regarded as one of the best restaurants in Germany. The cuisine is French in character though produce is sourced locally and in France, which is only an hour away. Chef Harald Wohlfahrt is consistently rated as the nation"s best chef and last year Schwarzwaldstube was voted 23rd in the world"s 50 top restaurants. Even the head of Germany"s Hells Angels has dined there.
The region is awash with Michelin-starred restaurants but should you require something more rustic, there are plenty of wooden huts offering solace from the snow...
My meal was nine courses of culinary joy. The Impeccable service and exquisite food - even the butter was grand cru put me in a good mood, if only because everyone else at the family-run Traube Tonbach seemed so happy too. My waiter David tells me he "had to" take a job in the Schwarzwaldstube "because it"s perfect". But then the family Finkbeiner have been polishing their hosting skills since 1789.
While more food that day was firmlyoff the agenda, memories of milk-fed baby lamb, Valrhonachocolate and incredible cheese recommended by the restaurant"s specialistaffineur - not to mention delicious French and German wine- needed to be savoured. And lying in a piece of the Black Forestseemed a fitting place to do it.
Der Bader, real name ReinhardBosch, offers a range of tree experiences including massage and mudtreatments at the Hotel Tanne, a 142-year-old family-run property a few metres from the Traube Tonbach.
Brooming marvellous: Carolyn inspects her car-themed room at the V8 hotel
"Hospitalityis a big thing here," says J�rg M�hrle, the hotel"s chef and owner, asbeverages are fetched. "We also have wonderful nature and the forest isopen to everyone."
Wood,naturally enough, is important - once it fuelled a thriving glassindustry and a quarter of Amsterdam was built on Black Forest stumps,but when logging ceased to be a commercial prospect the attraction oftrees in their natural state - along with good food - became the area"smain draw.
Wearing the supplied linen outfit, including a hat that made me look like I should be baking something, I climbed into the prepared log. Bosch knows his baths - the temperature was perfect, the water fragrant with soothing oils and he placed boards across the top to conserve the heat and provide a place to put champagne and candles. I was surrounded by foam and snow and it was blissful.
There was more superb food in store before I left Baiersbronn during a leisurely evening at Restaurant Schlossberg where chef J�rg Sackmann is thought to be aiming for his second Michelin star. His salmon with lentils and truffles was rich and sweet, and a dish that translated as "little pig" took pork to a sublime level.
Open spaces: Stuttgart"s Schlossplatz is an enjoyable central square, perfect for walking off lunch
Traditional Hotel Sackmann perches atop a modern spa where wellness can take place either on waterbeds, in saunas with views of the River Murg or during Ayurvedic treatments that reflect Sackmann"s interest in the healing power of herbs and aromas.
Leaving Baiersbronn, I caught the train to Stuttgart, capital of the state of Baden-W�rttemberg and sixth-largest city in Germany. It is exceptionally clean and organised, with a "culture mile", diverse architecture and 300 annual festivals, including a late September beer festival second in size only to Munich"s Oktoberfest.
The car"s the star...
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