Baar (region) Area

The Baar is a plateau region in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, situated between the Black Forest to the west and the Swabian Jura (Swabian Alps) to the east. It is notable for containing Donaueschingen, the traditional location where the Danube is considered to begin.

The area offers rural upland landscape - mixed farmland, patches of woodland and small towns - and is used for walking, cycling and short scenic drives. Donaueschingen is the main visitor focus because the Brigach and Breg rivers meet there to form the Danube; Villingen-Schwenningen and Tuttlingen provide regional services and museums.

The Baar has long been an agricultural and settlement region acting as a corridor between higher ranges to its east and west. Market towns on the plateau developed as local administrative and trade centres over the last centuries.

The plateau lies in southwestern Germany within Baden-Württemberg, stretching roughly between the Black Forest and the Swabian Jura. Major towns on the Baar include Donaueschingen and Villingen-Schwenningen; the region sits inland from the Upper Rhine plain.

• Landscape: Often described as the plateau between the Black Forest and the Swabian Jura, with rolling uplands used for farming, forests and small lakes.
• Best stop for visitors: Donaueschingen is the customary visitor stop to see the source of the Danube where the Brigach and Breg meet; combine with cycling or walking routes across the plateau.

What to See#

• Donaueschingen (Danube spring): Sits at the confluence of the Brigach and Breg rivers, the meeting point traditionally recognised as the start of the Danube; the town there has a parked spring and public display marking the rivers’ junction.
• Villingen-Schwenningen: The largest urban centre on the Baar plateau and a regional administrative and industrial town with railway connections and local museums.
• Tuttlingen: A market town on the southern edge of the Baar that serves as a local transport and commercial centre for the surrounding agricultural landscape.

The Baar sits between the Upper Neckar valley and the Swabian Jura. Nearest larger towns include Tuttlingen and Villingen-Schwenningen. Regional trains and buses connect to these towns; local roads and cycle routes cross the Baar for on-the-ground exploration.

• Explore on foot and follow farm lanes - the Baar region is best appreciated at walking pace.
• Visit local market towns like Münsingen or Gammertingen to sample Baar specialty foods and cheeses.
• If cycling, bring a bike with a low gear - the landscape is gently undulating but can sting legs.