The wild blueberry is a regional delicacy. In the short season, they can be found in cakes, as Gsälz in a jar or on pancakes with lots of icing sugar. Nevertheless, it is worth looking beyond the plate of pancakes, because the small town of Enzklösterle, between Freudenstadt and Bad Wildbad, would never have become famous for its wild blueberries if lumberjacks had not raided the dense forests of the Black Forest centuries before.
Elder fir and blueberry cult
The Black Forest offers more than just cherry cake and half-timbered idylls. It also lives from traditions. A look back in history shows how closely old customs are often interwoven. For example, the gathering of wild blueberries goes back around 300 years. It was only when lumberjacks cleared large stands of fir trees in the northern Black Forest that Black Forest pines and blueberry bushes found ideal conditions on the barren ground and spread.
In the Middle Ages, wood from the Black Forest, especially the long, tall fir trees, was used to build numerous cities in Europe. Amsterdam, for example, is known to stand on thousands of Black Forest logs. But cities such as Strasbourg, Rotterdam and the old town centre of Altensteig on the Nagold were also built from this wood.
Towns on rivers such as the Rhine, Enz and Nagold in particular benefited from the timber trade, as the logs were transported downstream on rafts. Due to its quality and length, Black Forest timber was a sought-after building material for almost 500 years, especially for beams, roof trusses and half-timbering. The clear-cutting and transport of the fir trunks to the lowlands changed the vegetation. Sparse undergrowth and pioneer plants such as bilberries, heather and gorse spread across the cleared areas.
From pioneer plant to blue gold
In the Black Forest, blueberry picking was once essential for survival. Many poor families earned extra money by selling the forest fruits, which they used for shoes and school supplies. Children were even given blueberry holidays to help with the picking. The wild blueberries were not only vitamin-rich food, but also an indispensable source of income in this rural region.
Family secrets
In the Black Forest, many families guard their gathering places like treasures. These secret places, often deep in the forests around Enzklösterle, are passed down from generation to generation. Gathering blueberries is more than just work – it is a shared experience of nature. “The hours spent in the forest, the early picking and the preparation of the delicate fruit into elaborate cakes or simply Gsälz, as we call fruit jam here, made me a blueberry fan from an early age,” says Jody Bredenhagen, the blueberry queen of Enzklösterle.
Gathering blueberries is still an important part of the Black Forest family tradition. Festivals such as the blueberry week in mid-July in Enzklösterle celebrate this tradition. Recipes for blueberry pancakes, cakes, jams and schnapps are also included. In the blueberry house in Enzklösterle, you can buy specialities related to the berry all year round. There are even workshops on how to bake blueberry tarts.
The short blueberry season
The best time to visit the blue berries is from July to the end of August – ideal for hikes and culinary discoveries. Restaurants and inns serve specialities such as blueberry pancakes, Gsälz and cakes with fresh wild blueberries. If you want to pick your own, July and August are the best months to do so. Depending on the weather and altitude, the ripe berries can be collected until the beginning of September. The main harvest begins in mid-July and families and hiking groups roam the pine forests around the village.
Every year at the end of July, the blueberry week takes place in Enzklösterle with the crowning of the blueberry princess and a huge blueberry cake buffet as the highlight. Visitors can buy regional products such as Gsälz, mustard, chutney, vinegar, juices, pastries or sausages with blueberry mustard all year round in the blueberry house. During the season, the beer garden in the Adventure Golf Park in the centre of Enzklösterle is a popular meeting place for blueberry lovers. Nicolette Kern’s blueberry pancakes in particular attract regulars from as far away as Stuttgart.
Hike into the blue
Wild blueberries are traditionally collected in secret family spots, but visitors can also find them along the Black Forest High Road. There are numerous places along the edges of the forest, often in the immediate vicinity of hiking trails. Enzklösterle is considered the centre of wild blueberries and offers guided tours in July and August. The climatic health resort is located in the upper Enz valley and is surrounded by dense pine forests. The premium blueberry trail runs for 13 kilometres around the town. Themed boards along the trail explain the importance of blueberries for the region. The varied trail winds its way through moss-covered rocks and forests. But its popularity has consequences: The bushes along the path are often picked empty.
Tip: Shepherd’s walk in Wildberg
During the blueberry season in July and in even-numbered years, Wildberg celebrates the Shepherd ‘ s Run – a festival with a 300-year tradition that honours the shepherd’s profession in all its facets. It is no coincidence that the shepherd’s run, like blueberry picking, dates back three centuries: both came about as a result of changes in the vegetation. The travelling shepherds used the barren, open areas of the Black Forest after the clearing. If you want to experience living tradition up close, you should make a note of the date: The Shepherd’s Run in Wildberg will take place again from 17 to 20 July 2026. Well worth a visit!
The research trip was supported by Schwarzwald Tourismus
