The fertile southern part of the upper Rhine Valley is an important agricultural region, with many orchards and vineyards, which produce wines that rank among the finest produced in Germany. Germany’s largest continuous forest area, the Black Forest, spreads westward to the banks of the Rhine River. Valleys break its uniformity, and over the years low-lying portions have filled with water, with many small lakes now contributing to the forest’s scenery. The Black Forest edges onto the Hotzen Forest (Hotzenwald) in the south, where many lakes and reservoirs feed numerous power stations. Fruit is grown in the valleys cutting into the western escarpment, most commonly grapes, plums and cherries used in kirsch, the famous Black Forest cherry brandy.