Alsatia and the Black Forest
 

Hi!

We are 4 people that are going to travel to Alsatia and the Black Forest during the end of May and will spend 1 week there. We will be travelling by car.
In Alsatia we want to be 4 days in the area between Strasbourg and Colmar (France) and in the Black Forest we will be 3 days in the area between Baden Baden and Friburg (Germany)
Can you help me choosing 1 town to stay in each area? And can you recommend some itinerary and places to visit? We love little towns, green landscapes, art museums, walk along rivers or lake sides, eating local food, etc.

Tks!!!

Not much between Strsbourg and Colmar - the highlights of Alsace in this area are found from Colmar and then north along the Alsace Wine Road, which meanders thru numerous cute little wine towns. Some like staying in these - like in Riquewehr but other like Colmar, a regional town with a lot more offerings like in restaurants and shopping.

Colmar also has a scale copy of the Statue of Liberty - the original being fabricated in Colmar by a famous sculptor and shipped in piece to New Jersey where it still stands. The Colmar copy is on the outskirts of town in a traffic circle - the original workplace where it was made can be visited I believe.

Strasbourg to me is one of the vastly underestimated large cities in Europe - two full days there I would recommend, including a boat ride or trek out to the newer part of Strasbourg where EU installations have taken root - modern architecture vs ancient Strasbourg in the city - most cute is Little Venise area.

You will not see much of Black Forest bewteen Baden-Baden and Frfeiburg unless you zigzag - I'd go to Freiburg and go up from there - to famous (and too popular for some) Titissee area - easy hikes there -or seek out source of Danube in Danauworth area, etc.

Baden-Baden has about the most green landscapes of any town its size in Europe - a campus-like setting with thermal estasblishments dotted on - large swaths of open park - be sure to take in the famous Casino that in the 1800s was the meeting place of shakers and movers and royals, etc in its lavish gambiing halls. Tours last I knew only took place in late mornings before the casino opened for wagering.

Baden-Baden is a very pleasant town.

Freiburg is too but much larger. Plenty of cute little towns up in the hills.

Art well worth a visit
for building architecture and the collection: Burda in Baden-Baden, Modern and Contemporary art in Strasboug
Isenheim altar in Colmar
The Freiburg museum for its collection of German expressionism and Neue Sachlichkeit. And in Freiburg don't forget to eat at least one piece of Schwarzwaelder Kirschtorte

The Casino is not nearly as interesting as other buildings especially the Festspielhaus where you might be able to catch a performance.
The Flying Dutchman is the May item https://www.festspielhaus.de/en/

Little Venice is in Colmar, Petite France is in Strasbourg.
Gengenbach is a nice town in the BF

Well, Alsace south of Colmar is also very nice down to about Guebewiller (or however it is spelt), you will also find the ridge road along the top of the Vasges is worth it with the Ballon d'alsace a very pleasant meadow looking across to the Alps (on a clear day, what a view) while the various castles, concentration camp on the Vosges are worth a visit.

Eating local food will not be a problem, nor local wine. Alsace is very much tourist heaven and you can find what you want at any price.

Some of the towns get a bit busy with other tourists during the day, especially the pretty ones, while Colmar fills up in the evening.

St Hippolyte is nice little village, possibly too small but with about 4 restaurants and much of the old walls intact it tends to ignored, I also like Eguisheim, but this is larger and has a very large car park for tourists. Many good other villages exist

Between Strasbourg and Colmar are Obernai, my personal favorite town of the region, and Kaysersburg, with its castle. Many people love visiting Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé - not my cup of tea, but they are very popular.

Everything mentioned above (incl route des cretes), plus Ecomusee d'Alsace, Museums of Mulhouse (oldtimer cars, railways, textile), KZ Struthof, Schauinsland (incl. abandoned mine/museum),
If you have a car, Colmar, Strasbourg and Gengenbach might be good bases.

Not much between Strsbourg and Colmar - the highlights of Alsace in this area are found from Colmar and then north along the Alsace Wine Road, which meanders thru numerous cute little wine towns.

In other words, exactly what is between Strasbourg and Colmar, check the map.

Will have to look at map - I just remember riding bike from Strasbourg to Colmar and seeing a lot of development getting out of Strasbourg and soon seemed to be in Colmar. But anyway Colmar is the place to aim and explore the wine road either way from there.

Probably true if you stick to the Rhine valley itself. The vineyards and cute towns are in the foothills of the Vosges, and there are even some castles overlooking the foothills.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...24f2845832.jpg

https://www.google.com/search?q=stat...h=759&dpr=1.25

The mini-scale model of Statue of Liberty in Colmar!

Thank you everybody for your answers! They have been very helpful!!!