Between them, the two hotels, or `holiday sanctuaries', have swept national culinary and hospitality industry awards, and are currently recognised as the country's number one and two properties. In many ways, Hotel Bareiss Im Schwarzwald and Hotel Traube Tonbach personify up-end German and European elegance. And yet in many ways, they are simplicity itself. The combination can be a heady cocktail, as thousands of privileged guests will vouch.

Food being a major input, the hotels couldn't have been better located. The Black Forest region is a gourmet's delight. There is traditional German food with a preponderance of pork and turkey and wholesome desserts including famous cakes like Black Forest, and ice creams. But there is also nouvelle cuisine, which has landed local restaurants as many as six Michelin Stars. And three local chefs have celebrity status. Jorg Sackmann, Harald Wohlfahrt, and Claus - Peter Lumpp, are household names for people make food their business.

Welcome to Hotel Bareiss Im Schwarzwald. A team of some 43 chefs are at hand to make people forget their waistlines. A typical day starts with the Bareiss-Breakfast presented as a large buffet in the lobby, with everything from croissants and cakes to cold meat and shrimp cocktails, and Sekt (German champagne). In fine weather, light summer dishes can be enjoyed in the pool restaurant `Oase'. And the Dorfstuben is where guests gather for freshly drawn Pils and snacks.

The Restaurant Bareiss, which is inspired by French-Mediterranean cooking, features among Germany's 10 best gourmet addresses. Chef Claus Peter Lumpp is an institution by himself, and the 700-item-strong wine menu and an festive-elegant environment, provide that extra touch.

The Kaminstube menu provides for pleasurable encounters with classical European cuisine and favourities like Lamb carre au gratin, Red barbel filet on a lemon grass sauce or Penne in Parmesan. There is a choice of wines from Baden, Wuttemberg, or Alsace. In winter, one sits by an open fire, in summer you are served on the lovely terrace.

In the Uhrenstuble and Forster-Bacob-Stuble, both authentic old Black Forest 19th Century ploughman's bars, one is served hearty hot and cold Black Forest specialities. Bread from a wood burning oven, home-made style sausages and bacon, and smoked `Schaufele' (smoked pork loin). Accompanied perhaps with a local draught Pils, a regional wine, or a good Kirsch. A collection of old French menus, historic wine-growing implements and the history of the corkscrew, form the backdrop for over 20,000 bottles in the wine cellar.

Enjoy the pool and sauna environment. There is an indoor freshwater pool with jet-stream equipment with controlled temperature, an indoor saltwater pool with controlled temperature and air bubbles and fountain facility, an indoor massage whirlpool, a children's splash pool, solarium,s and Irish-Roman and Finnish saunas. Offered are special beauty-treatment programmes and Thalgo Cosmetics (therapy based on seaweed).

There is a separate children's house. And an in-house library. And guests can take courses from experts, pursuits like water-colours, and classical dancing. There is also walking, hiking, and reduced green fees in nearby golf courses.

The Bareiss -Arcade for browsing and shopping for fashion items, cosmetics and exclusive textiles, jewellery and precious stones, and choice wines.Not too far away lies Hotel Traube Tonbach, which welcomes guests in three buildings.

Here too, cuisine is a strong point at four totally diverse restaurants. In the 3-Star gourmet restaurant Schwarzwaldstube, ranked the best in Germany, one can enjoy the refined culinary art of Harald Wohlfahrt. They change the menu every two months. In the Silberberg, Jurgen Reidt tempts one's palate with a fresh daily menu. And as guests of Hans-Peter Engels in the Kohlerstube and Bauernstube, you'll be spoilt for choice. From light, international gourmet cuisine to the regional specialities of the Black Forest and Swabian delicacies, there's plenty going.

The coffee terrace is the place for crisp bread rolls and fresh juices among blooming rosebuds. And afternoons are the domain of confectioner Rudolf Staudinger, whose cakes, pastries, gateaux and flans are nationally famous. The Traube Bar's chief barman, Bernhard Stohr, is the President of the German barkeeper's Union, and knows a thing or two about alcoholic beverages.

The hotel has as many as 21 different room categories, stretching from small single rooms to the 200 sq metre `Romantik-Suite'.

The `bathing establishment' is a top-quality curing centre with medicinal baths, sporting massages, underwater massages, Kneipp's applications, sauna, solariumm, and a fitness centre, and there indoor swimming pools (a fresh water one, a salt water grotto, and a massage whirlpool). and the open-air, controlled temperature (32 degrees), a sea-water pool has superb views of tall pines and green hillsides. Vitalsport beauty salon features the Qi (vitality) Massage developed by Shiseido.

There are three tennis courts, an indoor tennis centre, hiking, jogging, skating, mountain biking, and a forest warden who helps one discover the region's flora and fauna. For kids, there is the `Black Forest Band'. And swimming competitions, footballs matches, roasting horse chestnuts, or feeding goats...

Baiersbronn in the Black Forest region is about three hours by train from Frankfurt and also connected by a superb highway.