Hi,

We are going to travel to Germany next month. We will stay in Gengenbach for a week and since Gengenbach we have planned to visit different cities/villages for trips lasting one day.

Our plan is as follows:

1st day: Arrival to Stuttgart. Rent a car. We go to Gengenbach.

2nd day: Strassbourg.

3rd day: Route des Vins (The Wine Route)(Obernai, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, Eguisheim....)

4th day: Heidelberg.

5th day: Colmar & Freiburg

6th day: Tübingen

7th day: Schwabisch Hall or Nancy (?)

About the 7th day, I am not sure which one would be more interesting. We have a six-year-old daughter who will travel with us.

It's the first time we travel to Germany. We visited four years ago Alsace and we returned to Spain very happy. It was a very interesting travel.

It would be appreciate some advice about the planned trips (would you change some planned destinations?) and about which choice would be better: Schwabisch Hall or Nancy for the 7th day (I know that they are different alternatives since S-H is a village and Nancy is a city, but perhaps you could tell me something about which would be better considering our whole plan).

Also, I would thank you some advice about restaurants and whatever things you may consider interesting.

Thank you very much and, please, excuse my bad English.

Sorry.

I was reading my post:

"... and FROM Gengenbach..."

Excuse me.

I cannot help but notice that your list of day trips doesn't include any single place in the Black Forest. Why? Staying in the Black Forest doesn't make much sense to me if you don't want to see it. I'd choose a few places in the closer surroundings of Gengenbach, like the Vogtsbauernhöfe open-air museum in Gutach or a drive along the Schwarzwaldhochstraße with a hike up the Hornisgrinde, overlooking the Rhine valley, the ruins of Allerheiligen monastery, the waterfalls in Triberg, or Baden-Baden, or the Feldberg area, instead of driving as far as Nancy.

Don't mention to anyone in the proud Reichsstadt (imperial city) of Schwäbisch Hall that you consider it a village. It isn't. Gengenbach isn't a village either, by the way.

"Staying in the Black Forest doesn't make much sense to me if you don't want to see it."

Gengenbach is only in the most theoretical way part of the Black Forest. It's a beautiful place and convenient for most of the daytrips fjadom has planned. It's not like a trip into the real BF is part of your obligation to the innkeepers of Gengenbach, fjadom. Stay wherever you like.

That said, you might enjoy a trip to one of the BF towns quokka mentions. I'd suggest hacking off Heidelberg - out of your way, nice but not all that special that you'd need to do the extra driving.

"Don't mention to anyone in the proud Reichsstadt (imperial city) of Schwäbisch Hall that you consider it a village. It isn't. Gengenbach isn't a village either, by the way."

Hey, fjadom apologized in advance for any possible language weaknesses. Like native speakers even agree on what constitutes a village!!

fjadom,

Here is my opinion.

Day 1. Gengenbach, nice choice. ( maybe 5 days is a little much)
Day 2. Strasbourg, very good choice.
Day 3. Route du Vin, very nice choice (personally I wouldn't want to drive back and forth to Gengenbach each day from across the France border. I would have planned the trip to stay in Strasbourg a few days which is a beautiful city)
Day 4. Forget Heidelberg. Go to Freiburg and/or Basel.
Day 5. Forget Colmar because you already did the Route du Vin. Go to Triberg/Titisee/Felburg or somewhere else in the Black Forest as quokka mentioned.
Day 6. Baden Baden, or take one of the scenic trains in the Black Forest.
Day 7. Schwabisch Hall is nice, Nancy is too far, and besides, I thought this was a German trip?

Thank you very much to all of you.

I appreciate your advice and I will consider the possibility to spend one day visiting the Black Forest. I note down the destinations 'quokka' mentions and I will choose the most interesting ones (by the way, I've heard that Schiltach should be included in the 'places-to-visit' in the BF. And yes, I will forget Nancy.....

'Russ' and 'born2wonder' suggest hacking off Heidelberg. This town is 137 km far away from Gengenbach. I think it's not an important distance for a daytrip so as to forget Heidelberg for that reason. And I've read comments in this forum about Heidelberg that made me think Heidelberg is a good choice. Now I am a bit confused.

'quokka' said something about considering Schwabisch Hall a village. When I said that I was thinking in my own Spanish culture. I was probably wrong and, please, excuse me because I didn't have any intention of offending anybody. But I don't think that 'proud' is a variable to consider to call a population 'village', 'town' or 'city'. During the Middle Age many populations tried to gain the title of 'city' from the Kings, and it was an honour for them to be considered like that. But I think that today it sounds old-fashioned. At least here in Spain. I don't know in Germany.

For me, the only criterion to call a population 'village', 'town' or 'city' is how many pubs you can find there (that's only a joke, please don't bother). And I don't consider a merit 'per se' to be a village, town or city. I am not really interested in that type of titles. It sounds me of 'out-of-date' aristocracy. What interests me is that Schwabisch Hall is nice, whatever it is. And I hope to enjoy the........... call it as you prefer.



Thanks again, and, please excuse my bad English.

Schwäbisch Hall has some 36.000 inhabitants. So I'm sure there are enough pubs to make it qualify as a town.

About four years ago I stayed at the wonderful Hotel Benz in Gengenbach with two friends. It is about a five-minute drive from town. What I remember most is the great dinners we had there. Usually I like to try different restaurants while on vacation, but this one was so good, we ate there all three nights we were in Gengenbach. The website: www.bensbauernhof.com/hotelbenzgengenbach.html

They have 11 rooms. I think they focus on the restaurant. Now that I think about it, the breakfasts were great too.

Well, I have to take that back. It appears the website I directed you to is someone's trip report.

Hopefully, the Hotel is still there. If it is, don't miss dinner there. Truly an experience and an affordable one.

A little more research to learn that the Hotel Benz is now the Hotel Kreuz.

www.badenpage.de/gengenbach/kreuz/index.html

luvtotravel writes: A little more research to learn that the Hotel Benz is now the Hotel Kreuz.
www.badenpage.de/gengenbach/kreuz/index.html

Are you sure of that? The Hotel-Pension Kreuz that you say the Benz has become is actually in another suburb of Gengenbach. The Kreuz is at Strohbach 2 (in Strohbach) and the Benz is at Mattenhofweg 3 northeast of Gengenbach proper. Right now the homepage of the Hotel Benz website is not working but I don't see any other indication that the Benz is not in operation at this time. If you have something that says this please let me know so that I can update my page on the Benz. What is on this page is a part of a trip report but much of it is a positive recommendation for staying and eating at the Hotel Benz.

http://www.bensbauernhof.com/hotelbenzgengenbach.html

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