Quiet and idyllic, the Vogt family’s Springhof lies alone in a quiet Black Forest valley in the wine-growing village of Durbach. The family has been cultivating the sunny slopes and the forest of this valley since 1757. The farm used to specialise mainly in dairy farming, but currently the focus is on fruit in integrated cultivation and Christmas trees. You can drop by almost any time and taste the wide range of excellent fine fruit brandies and liqueurs made from the farm’s own fully ripe fruit. During the Christmas season there is a big Christmas tree sale. During my weekend stay I have learned quite a lot about the life cycle of the forest, why it is important to also cut down the trees in the forest and how to treat nature sensibly.