My boyfriend and I are going to Heidelberg to visit his grandma, and we wanted to do another European country while we are there (12 days total in Europe). We don't want to do the typical Barcelona or Paris as we have both already been there... we wanted something different and not so flooded with tourism. Perhaps northern Italy or Crotia or Greece? Any suggestions of a non tourist area that would be beautiful and romantic and also easily accessible by rail or car back to Germany?

Turin is just over the Alps from southwestern Germany and it is a glorious city, and few tourists go there. It's really gorgeous - - great food, great sights, great atmosphere. You could plan a train or car route there and look at stops at the Italian lakes and Switzerland along the way.

Unfortunately most beautiful and romantic spots are touristy - because everyone wants to go to them.

Croatia is a long way from Heidelberg - Greece is even less of a fit for your "easily accessible by car or rail" from Germany criteria.

Northern Italy works - Piedmont is less touristed than most other regions in Northern Italy. You could also travel east to the Czech Republic - there are some great places in the south of the country - far from Prague - worth seeing, but you might have to consider buses if you are not driving.

Closer to Heidelberg are Luxembourg (Luxembourg City, Echternach, Vianden) and southern Belgium (Dinant, The Ardennes Forest). That would be two countries for the price of one, really.

We once visited Vienna, Prague and Munich in two weeks. It was a good mix.

Why waste money, time and effort on long-distance trips if the nearest border is only an hour or so away? Hop over to France and explore Alsace-Lorraine with Strasbourg and Colmar, the Vosges mountains, small towns like Selestat and Wissembourg, the wine region... You could then continue into Northern Switzerland or Luxembourg.

The most pleasant areas not too far from Heidelburg that i would visit is Mosel up to Luxemburg and Alsace following the valley down to Bescancon and then into the Jura mountains