I spent 3 days in Germany’s famous Black Forest. Here are 4 things I did right — and 2 I wish I’d known before I went.

• We spent three days in Germany’s Black Forest, which is said to have inspired famous fairy-tales.
• It has some of the best hiking trails and castle ruins in Germany, and I loved its eponymous cake.
• Baden-Baden is a great home base to explore the northern part of it, but I wish we also went south.

My husband and I recently spent almost a month exploring Germany, and three days of our trip were dedicated to its Black Forest.

The Black Forest is said to have famously inspired many Grimms’ fairy-tales, including Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Hansel and Gretel.

It’s easy to see why, with its castle ruins and lush green landscape complete with swirling fog, thick moss, and mountain-fed rivers. Plus, it’s a hiker’s paradise with delicious cake and famous cuckoo clocks.

Here’s what we loved about our experience in the Black Forest — and two of the mistakes we made.