The Titisee (English: Lake Titisee) is one of the best-known lakes in the High Black Forest and, according to Hochschwarzwald Tourismus, the largest natural lake in the Black Forest. This article presents the most important Titisee attractions, describes the circular trail and the boat trip, and shows what the lake has to offer in winter.
Titisee attractions by the lake
The lake is a little over one square kilometre in size; the sources give 1.07 and 1.3 square kilometres respectively. On the north shore lies the resort of Titisee, which belongs to the town of Titisee-Neustadt and is recognised as a climatic health resort.
Seestraße and lakeside promenade
The Seestraße on the north shore is, according to Black Forest Tourism one of the best-known excursion destinations in Germany and is visited by up to two million people a year. Here you will find shops, souvenir shops, beer gardens and restaurants with lake views. If you prefer it quieter, plan your visit for early in the morning or outside the holiday season.
Titisee boat trip and boat hire
Two operators run boats on the lake. Bootsrundfahrten Schweizer say they have been operating on the Titisee since 1909 and, according to High Black Forest Tourism run daily from April until around the end of October, from 10:00 to 18:00. The company Drubba operates a galley called “Titus” with room for 80 passengers; the round trip takes about 25 minutes, and the captain tells you interesting facts about the lake (Drubba). Only the round-trip boats are wheelchair-accessible.
If you would like to paddle or row yourself, you will find hire stations on the shore for pedal boats and rowing boats; Drubba also offers electric boats. Please ask the operators about prices and current departure times. As of October 2026: the sources give around the end of October as the end of the season; check before your visit whether trips are still running.
Bathing spot at the Titisee
On the shore there is a large sandy area with beach chairs and a sunbathing lawn (High Black Forest Tourism). According to Wikipedia, water quality is checked regularly during the season at two bathing spots, Strandbad and Sandbank. Hochschwarzwald Tourismus gives summer water temperatures of between 14 and 23 degrees.
You can park at Titisee station or opposite the Strandbad, although only a limited number of spaces are available there. From the station it is about 15 minutes on foot to the bathing spot.
Kurgarten Titisee
The Kurgarten at Strandbadstraße 13 is right on the lake circular trail next to the bathing spot. There are well-kept paths, benches, a meadow and a pavilion as a sheltered resting place. Concerts are held there regularly in the summer months.
Titisee circular trail: walking around the lake
The lake circular trail (Seerundweg) begins at the Kurhaus in Titisee. Hochschwarzwald Tourismus describes it as an easy circular tour: 5.85 kilometres in about two hours with only 31 metres of ascent and descent, 58% natural path and 42% asphalt. In the winter description of the same route it is 5.99 kilometres. On the Schwarzwald Tourismus page for the town, a 7.4-kilometre circuit is mentioned that additionally leads up to a hill with a view of the lake. The length therefore depends on the route taken.
Along the way you follow the lakeside promenade and a flat forest path to the Sandbank. Then you pass the Bankenhof with the Museum für alte Landtechnik (museum of historic farm machinery; according to the description open on Thursdays from 14:00 to 17:00) and the Alemannenhof, where you can stop for refreshments. Via the beach and the Kurgarten you reach the starting point. Swimwear is worth bringing, as there are places along the way to cool off. According to the winter description, the route is suitable for pushchairs; sturdy footwear is recommended.
More attractions nearby
- Hochfirstschanze in Neustadt: Hochschwarzwald Tourismus calls it the largest natural ski jump in Germany; it is freely accessible. Tickets are required for the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup on 11 December 2026 (11:00) (events calendar, as of October 2026).
- Minster and Heimatstuben in Neustadt: The minster and the shopping opportunities are named by Black Forest Tourism as destinations in Neustadt; the Heimatstuben (local history museum) show a permanent exhibition on folk art and local customs.
- Dreiseenbahn: The historic train runs on selected weekends from Titisee via Feldberg-Bärental (967 m, the highest station in the Deutsche Bahn network) and the Windgfällweiher to Schluchsee.
- Badeparadies Schwarzwald: We present the adventure pool in Titisee-Neustadt in a separate article: Badeparadies Schwarzwald in Titisee.
- Feldsee: The Seebach, which leaves the Feldsee, flows to the Titisee. You can read more about the cirque lake on the Feldberg in the article Field Lake: Round-trip route, hiking trail, and how to get there.
Titisee in winter
In winter, the Titisee is worth visiting mainly for walks. The circular tour along the shore is described as a winter walk: easy, with a view of the frozen lake and the Feldberg, pushchair-friendly according to the description, and with winter-proof equipment. To warm up, the tour description recommends a mulled wine in Titisee.
You may only go onto the ice where this is expressly permitted. According to Wikipedia, the lake freezes only slowly because of the wind, and only designated sections are ever opened, never the whole lake. According to Hochschwarzwald Tourismus, ice skaters are only seen when the ice is thick enough.
Further winter destinations are the 1.2-kilometre toboggan run from the Lenzkirch district of Saig towards Titisee (with a shuttle bus and floodlit in the evening, Black Forest Tourism) and the ski jump. You will find ideas for cold days without snow in our article Wellness in the Black Forest in winter.
Origins and name
The Titisee is a glacial lake: the Feldberg glacier shaped it, and the moraines from the Ice Age now form its shore. The inflow is the Seebach, the outflow the Gutach, which later becomes the Wutach and flows into the Hochrhein (Wikipedia). The Wutach is the subject of our article Hiking the Wutach Gorge.
The name is old: a letter from the Allerheiligen monastery in Schaffhausen from 1050 mentions “Titinsee”. Where the name comes from has not been conclusively established; Wikipedia lists several interpretations.
Practical information
- How to get there from the hotel: It is around 34 km to Titisee (town centre at the Kurhaus), about 35 minutes by car.
- Rail: Titisee station is on the Dreiseenbahn line to Schluchsee and Seebrugg.
- Parking: At Titisee station and opposite the Strandbad (limited). Please ask about charges on site.
- Best time: In summer for the boat trip and bathing spot; for quiet walks, early morning, autumn or winter.
- Tourist Information: Strandbadstraße 4, 79822 Titisee-Neustadt, telephone +49 7652 12068100.
Titisee as a day trip from the Wellnesshotel Sonnenhof & Sonnhalde
From our hotel in Ühlingen-Birkendorf it is around 34 kilometres to the Titisee, about 35 minutes by car. From here, the Southern Black Forest offers many more destinations, such as the Schluchsee or the other Lakes in the Black Forest.
After a day by the water, our spa area awaits you, with an indoor pool (84 m²), panoramic sauna with forest views, garden sauna (swimwear allowed) and herbal steam sauna (bio sauna), open daily from 9:00 to 20:00. Day guests are welcome in the Day Spa , for example with the “Schwarzwald Light” rate for €29.90 (admission and wellness bag; as of 26.10.2026). You can find our packages in the Overview of offers, and you can book directly via the Book page.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Titisee?
It measures a little over one square kilometre. The figures range from 1.07 to 1.3 square kilometres, depending on the source.
Can you swim in the Titisee?
Yes, there is a bathing spot with a sandy area and a sunbathing lawn. Water quality is checked at two bathing spots during the season.
How long does the boat trip on the Titisee take?
The round trip on the galley “Titus” from Drubba takes about 25 minutes. Times and prices are given by the operators.
How long is the circular trail around the Titisee?
The tour descriptions from Hochschwarzwald Tourismus give 5.85 to 5.99 kilometres and about two hours; depending on the variant, up to 7.4 kilometres are also mentioned.
Can you go onto the frozen Titisee in winter?
Only on sections that have been expressly opened. Never go onto the ice on your own initiative.
How far is the Titisee from the hotel?
Around 34 km, about 35 minutes by car.
Sources
- Schwarzwald Tourismus: The Titisee
- Schwarzwald Tourismus: Titisee-Neustadt, attractions and tips
- Hochschwarzwald Tourismus: Attractions and excursion destinations at the Titisee
- Hochschwarzwald Tourismus: Titisee-Neustadt (press release)
- Hochschwarzwald Tourismus: Lakes in the Black Forest
- Hochschwarzwald Tourismus: Titisee lake circular trail
- Hochschwarzwald Tourismus: Tour around the Titisee (winter)
- Hochschwarzwald Tourismus: Bootsrundfahrten Schweizer
- Hochschwarzwald Tourismus: Boat trips and boat hire Drubba
- Schwarzwald Tourismus: Kurgarten Titisee
- Hochschwarzwald Tourismus: Titisee, bathing spot and parking
- Black Forest Tourism: Dreisenbahn
- Wikipedia: Titisee (supplementary)
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