BLACK FOREST, a mountain range of south-west Ger many, mainly in the Land of Baden, with about a third in Wurttemberg (Ger. Schwarzwald). Area about r,800sq.m.; total length, about loom.; breadth varying from I o–r 5m. Structurally and topographically the Black Forest forms the counterpart of the Vosges, which stand across the sunken Alsace valley drained by the Rhine. The stepped opposing flanks of both ranges are minor results of the cataclysm caused probably by the Jura and Alpine folds, which shattered this old resistant block. The hills are mainly conical in shape and composed of gneiss, granite (in the south), and red sandstone. To the north-east they slope to the valleys of Neckar and Nagold. The range is cut off sharply by the Rhine on the south. It is divided into two parts by the deep Kinzig valley, with the highest summits, e.g., Feldberg (4,9ooft.), Herzogenhorn (4,600), and Blossling (4,260), to the south. The northern half has an average height of 2,000f t. The climate in the higher districts is raw and only hardy cereals are grown; but the valleys are warm, with good pasture land and vineyards. Oak and beech woods clothe the lower spurs, while stretching up to 4,000ft. are the extensive forests of fir which have made the terms "forest" and "mountain" synonyms here. The ex cellent timber is partly sawn in the valleys and partly exported down the Rhine in logs. The manufactures of watches, clocks, toys and musical instruments are typical of this and other forested areas of Central Europe. There are numerous mineral springs and watering places, e.g., Baden-Baden and Wildbad. The towns of Freiburg, Rastatt, Offenburg and Lahr lie under the western slopes. The Black Forest is a favourite tourist resort and is reached by numerous railways.