3 Best Sights in The Black Forest, Germany

The largest of several towns comprising the Kaiserstuhl region, Breisach am Rhein is a typical German village, with a cathedral atop a hill and an impressive city hall. The exceptional thing here is the views from the square beside the cathedral, which show the Black Forest to the east and France to the west (just beyond the River Rhine). It's a sister city to the UNESCO-recognized Neuf-Breisach across the border and a beautiful stopover for many Rhine river cruises.

Officially founded in 1285, this small town in the center of the wine-growing Kaiserstuhl changed hands several times, most notably when it became a tributary to the Hapsburg Empire. This history is documented in the free Austria Museum in the Üsenberger Hof, also home to the town's tourist information center. Largely spared from the ravages of war, the town center still maintains timber-frame houses dating back to the 15th century that give it a quaint, traditional look complemented by a series of churches within the city walls.

A wine cellar specializing in turning white wine into the sparkling white wine known as Sekt in German, this 600-year-old building with an arched eave basement was used as a bomb shelter during the war and adapted for the years-long in-bottle fermentation process. Tours are held every day (except Sunday) at 2 pm; arrive 30 minutes early to watch the DVD introduction in English.