After a beautiful drive through the forest, we arrived at "Dorerhof", just outside Elzach. We were greeted by a very friendly Frau Winterhalter and shown to our apartment, where we spent the next 3 days; over those days, we found the entire Winterhalter family to be friendly and inviting. "Dorerhof" is a working farm, and populated with a variety of free-roaming animals (e.g., cows, goats, chickens, ducks, pigs...), with which we could interact, especially at feeding time. It is interesting to watch the cows being put out to pasture each morning, and being returned to their stalls each evening. The cows provide the milk from which "Dorerhof" produces its own cheese, and guests are encouraged to participate in the milking process. The farm sells its products, including wood-oven bread, cheese, eggs, smoked meat, and brandies distilled from various fruits. This is the perfect situation for children to learn about "farm life", and "Dorerhof" is definitely "family-oriented".

"Dorerhof" resides on the main road from Elzach, and is very easy to find and access, and parking is directly in front of the lodgings. We were a party of 6 (4 adults and 2 children), and our 2-bedroom apartment accommodated us very nicely. The apartment was clean and comfortable, and included a spacious, well-equipped kitchen. The large living room included a couch that converted into a bed, and a large flat-screen TV. The free WiFi had signal strength enough to stream Internet movies. From the living room, we could access the balcony that looked over the valley, and the patio in front of the apartment provided a table and chairs to enjoy meals in the open air. On one side of the kitchen, a window looked out onto a large herb and vegetable garden. From Elzach, walking paths lead up into the surrounding hills, so nature can be enjoyed in the "Schwarzwalder" way.