Fairy-tale feast rewards Black Forest trekkers

Only in this case, after snaking three hours through the forest backdrop of many Grimm tales, hikers stumble upon a feast at 3,200 feet. The idea is to reward participants with a three-course, sit-down lunch as they take in views of the Rench Valley and verdant highlands – and on a clear day, even Strasbourg’s cathedral 30 miles northwest in France. Refreshed, they then complete their 8-mile journey down to the five-star hotel.

For 45 euros, or $62.55, could this be my dream hike?

While not quite hard-core hikers, my husband and I often crave a good meal and pampering after long, weekend rambles. Conveniently, we live close to the border of Germany’s southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg — home to the Black Forest’s 15,000 miles of hiking trails, plus dozens of “wellness’’ spas and thermal and mineral baths, some of which include ruins from Roman times.

The Romans, in fact, first named the region “Silva Negra’’ because when they arrived 2,000 years ago they found the dense collection of trees virtually blocked out sunlight. Today, the name (Schwarzwald in German) doesn’t always fit the 120-mile-long, 37-mile-wide expanse, transformed in part by intense logging in medieval times to provide lumber for Dutch shipbuilding and fuel for mining.

While large patches of dark forest still tower over dramatically cut valleys, there are also wide meadows, a few glacial lakes, and cascading waterfalls. It’s also far more populated, with the jet-set crowd lured to the posh spa town of Baden-Baden; university students and city workers in Freiberg; and skiers flocking the forest’s highest peak (4,900 feet) in Feldberg.