Hello
I am planning my summer trip to France. This is the first of several questions I will be posting about our itnerary as we will be visiting some areas we have never been before. In a nutshell we will be driving from Paris to Colmar for 3 nights, then to Annecy or Chamonix for 2 nights , then on to the South where we will be for the duration of our vacation.

While we are in Colmar we would like to take a daytrip over to Germany for a visit. We will be 3 adults and 3 children (12,11,10) and we are looking for a "not to miss" town/area/castle/restaurant, anything really special in Germany no more than a couple hours from Colmar. Where is that special spot? Any ideas are appreciated.
Thanks so much.

One of the great cities in Germany is Freiburg in Breisgau, just over the Rhine from Colmar: It has an excellent centre, located around the Munster. If driving from Colmar, you can park easily in one of the large carparks near the Hauptbahnhof, and, from there, take an easy stroll into the pedestrianized part of town.
Near Freiburg, on the way from Colmar, is Eugen Keidel, an excellent spa complex that your kids would love (Swimming gear is required.). On the way back to Colmar, call in at the town of Breisach, where, in the centre square, there is one of the great ice-cream cafes in Germany. If you are interested in military architecture of the first order, then call in at Neuf Breisach on the French side of the Rhine where the Vauban built one of his 'star within a star within a star' fortresses, something that looks formidable even today.

I would highly recommend visiting Burg Hohenzollern which belongs to the last German Kaiser; he grew up there as a child. It's a beautiful hilltop castle complex with a corkscrew underground entrance to the hilltop castle complex. The cobblestoned underground carriage way winds 3 complete circles passing by the jail cells. It's a unique castle to see, more interesting than the Neuschwanstein and very different than Haute Koenigsburg in Alsace. It's a 2 hour 20 min drive from Colmar passing through Freiburg (or 1:45 from Freiburg). Sounds like you're going to have a wonderful family vacation.

Do stop in Freiburg. It's not a large city and is easy to explore on foot. You can also go by chairlift up the hill for a great overview. There's a restaurant up there that looks nice, but haven't eaten there myself.

Hi L,

Gengenbach has been recommended by a number of posters.

From there, you can take the D28 East to the D500 (Schwarzwalder Hochstrasse) up to Baden Baden and return via Strasbourg.

Total driving time RT from Colmar about 5:15 hr.

Thank you to everyone for these most wonderful ideas. They are all great and knowing the way I do things I'll try to incorporate all of it into a long day. Now to get out my maps...this is exactly what I needed and I knew I could rely on you all.

How about Baden-Baden? I believe hat it is only about 2 hrs from Colmar. The kids could swin in the pool and hot springs. The town is also nice.

did a day trip to Baden-Baden from Strasbourg easily so Colmar too easy by train or car

Loved Baden-Baden - verdant parklike setting, nice town and the ornate old grand casino - if going get there before noon when the casino, a watering hole in Victorian times of European royals, etc., has tours before opening to gamblers - amazing decor inside and tour guide stories

Hello Lemidi:

As a frequent visitor to Freiburg, including a week last year, I would faithfully follow adeben's advice. He knows. Gradyghost

You might look into Meersburg on Lake Constance (Bodensee). You go through Freiburg to get there. Another great place if you go all the way (2.5 hours driving) from Colmar to Meersburg is to take a ferry boat out of Meersburg to Mainau Insel (the flower island).

My children ages 10 and 12 would tell your your children to go to Rust, Germany to visit EuropaPark, one of Europe's best theme parks. Not much else to do in Rust but my kids enjoyed being in ride lines with lots of European kids, and the park has some unique rides.

We love castles too. Burg Hohenzollern is a favorite.

My children preferred Freiberg over Baden Baden. The spa in BB is not a draw for children. We liked Meersburg but found it to be crowded with tourists.

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Much as I like Baden-Baden--we go there a few times a year--it's not the first place that would come to mind for a trip with kids...it's not a particularly kid friendly town (and there's nothing wrong with that!). Although the Merkur Bahn (a funicular) to the top of the hill outside BB is fun and gives a pretty view.

I would also side with the Freiburg recs and perhaps some of the villages in the region...for example, the kids could walk through the world's largest cuckoo clock (or one of them, anyway) in Schonach.
http://www.dasferienland.de/e/kuckucksuhren.asp

Agree with the suggestion of Burg Hohenzollern, especially if the weather is nice. It is certainly worth seeing.

We've also stayed in Gengenbach in the Black Forest and found it absolutely charming. Small enough to wander around for a few hours, have a nice lunch and then move on.

Lots of us going to Colmar! Saving this good info.

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